ISSUE 2: OCTOBER 2014

OCT. 2014

JAYONCÉ MA GA Z I N E

SPOT ON: On The Run Tour // LEGACY: Jayoncé collaborations // Blue Ivy Relationship // Highlights // ***FLAWLESS: Nicki Minaj & Beyoncé QUOTES : HOV and B on each other & more...

“When people hurt you over and over, think of them as sandpaper.They scratch and hurt you. But later, you’ll be shining and polished,while they end up useless.”

- Beyoncé

from the beyhi “The woman who’s purpose in life inspired me to get me back and fulfill my purpose.”

- @laughlow

“Is a video or an iTunes release for Flawless coming?”

“Bey, you’re the best and I’m one happy BeyHive member, You inspire me and motivate me to keep dancing and work hard in life.”

- @BeyondBeyutiful

- @JKSTARROCK

“Beyoncé come back to Brazil and let me spend all my money on you, lemme pay your bills!”

“I love you so much Beyoncé!

Come as you are to slay the world! You run your world.”

- @theyonceworld

- @putzbey

“Just thank you...”

- @BeyonceHaze

“Beyoncé has been my role model since age 7. I’ve been a fan as she envolved. She’s inspired me to work hard and be ***Flawless.”

“Beyoncé taught me how to be self confident and how to take control of my own life.”

- @beyrunit_

“Beyoncé is there for me when no one else is. She taught me so much about hard work. She is so important in my life.”

-@B_Hive_Tweet

“No matter what mood I’m in, Somehow Beyoncé brightens it. And she doesn’t even know!”

-OdirileMoses

“I love you Queen”

“Beyoncé inspires me to not give up and always be confident about who I am.”

- @Bergyonce

- @HOLYTRINITY

- @AzucarNegraa

ive, to beyoncÉ “Beyoncé, you are my favorite music artist EVER. Your voice is untouchable and you’re the greatest performer alive.

- @Serfbortz

“Dear Beyoncé, I want to thank you for showing me what you can achieve with determination, kindness and hard work.”

- @KellzBeyBlue

“Hiii BeyHive! My name’s Lauren and I’m from Ireland. I’ve been a fan of Bey since I was about 10 and became a stan after the I AM...World Tour, I’m now 17. I love everything about Bey, she’s so perfect and inspiring and I love how humble and generous she is and how much she cares about the Hive. I’ve seen Bey live twice and each time was one of the greatest nights of my life, both times she waved at me and she pointed to my sign that I made pictured above. Bey is just everything I can’t even explain how much I love her!”

- @pxrtition

“You remind me of who I am, every day. I am so grateful to you. You are my queen - I love you like XO! - @tasimtulan

“Beyoncé inspires me to not give up and always be confident in who I am.”

- Yonces_Liqua

“Beyoncé, you are a big inspiration to the masses!

You are a legend and the voice of this generation.”

- @thatcharlez

“When the album came out, I jumped out of my bed and hit my toe so hard, I thought it was broken!”

- @Iam4everArielle

All about:

CRAZY

IN LOVE

HISTORY

WAS MADE

It’s been almost 12 years since Crazy in Love was first released back in mid-2003. You know the lyrics, the dance routine and Jay Z’s verses but do you really know what was behind the song and the collaboration?

In 2002, after three Destiny’s Child studio albums, a XMas compilation, films and a few features, Beyoncé was almost ready to start her solo career with Dangerously in Love. The album, who was originally set to release in October 2002, was first pushed back until December of that year, then pushed back again until middle 2003. This fact allowed Bey to record more songs for her first solo project between that gap. And is at that time when Crazy in Love was born.

The beat of the smash hit was created by Rich Harrison even before meeting Beyoncé. He sampled the 1970’s instrumental of Chi-Lites’ “Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So)” and knew it was gonna be a huge success. He kept the beat for a while since he wanted to wait for the right artist to record it. “It was just something that I held on to until I got the call from B.” said the producer.

The call came and after arriving late and a big hungover, the producer finally met Beyoncé in the studio. He played the track and according to his words once, Beyoncé was a bit doubtful at first. The track included sounds that weren’t typical back in the day but that was what really made Beyoncé went on with it. “I love the idea. Now write the song, I’ll be back in two hours” was Beyoncé’s answer, leaving the producer with 120 minutes to came up with something big. He wrote the whole track but the hook, which was left to Beyoncé. The hook and the song title was inspired by the singer herself. Bey once told she was wearing crazy clothes, her hair wasn’t looking good and she couldn’t stop repeating “I’m looking crazy right now” in the studio. Then she and Harrison came up with the Uh-Oh thing and the hot track was almost done.

That happened months before the song was recorded. By that time, the media was buzzing about Beyoncé and Jay Z having an affair.

They both were very discreet and kept going back and forth about the rumors, either denying or confirming their love. Although they met years before Crazy in Love (Amil’s “I Got That” and 03 Bonnie and Clyde had already happened), it was Beyoncé’s single what strengthened the couple’s relationship, personally and musically talking.

According to the song’s producer, Jay Z loved the beat of the song when he first heard it, so he really wanted to be involved on the track. Beyoncé asked him to join and he showed up in the studio late in the night and did his part, which he improvised in such a short time.

The song was released to US radios in May 2003 and as a single in differents formats between May and July of the same year. The critics and reception were better tan expected and the track reached the number one spot on Billboard Hot 100 Chart weeks later of its release. It was Beyoncé’s first number one single as a solo artist. The song dominated the charts Worldwide, spending eight consecutive weeks at number one in the US and three weeks at number one in the UK, among with several top 10 positions around the World.

The song release was followed by its official music video.

The music video, directed by Jake Nava, features Beyoncé and Jay Z and it was filmed at different locations in Los Angeles, as the 4th Street Bridge and Mission Road. The video includes a hard dance routine, and has become one of the most iconic dances by Beyoncé, as it has evolved with the Singer through the years.

In 2004, the song won Best R&B Song and Best Rap/ Sung Collaboration at the GRAMMYs, Best Collaboration at the BET Awards and the Most Performed Song award at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards the same year, among with other wins and several nominations. The music video also won three MTV Video Music Awards in 2003.

Beyoncé has talked about the concept of the song and video in different times. On MTV’s Making The Video she told once that the song “celebrates the evolution of a woman. It talks about a girl who is at the point of a relationship. She realises that she’s in love, she’s doing stuff she wouldn’t normally do but she doesn’t care. It doesn’t matter, she’s just crazy in love.

Rich Harrison actually wrote the song with me and after I finished the song I asked Jay Z to be part of the song and he did. The song turned out great it ended up being my first single”.

She also explained that “The song talks about how, when you’re falling in love, you do things that are out of character and you don’t really care because you’re just open. The song came from me actually looking crazy one day in the studio”.

Beyoncé herself defined the song as “one of those classic moments in pop culture that none of us expected. It still never gets old, no matter how many times I sing it.”

Crazy in Love not only has been performed by Beyoncé but other artists has continued the legacy of the song.

Such artists as Antony and the Johnsons, Emeli Sande and Snow Patrol has covered it and made their own versión of the track, among others. It also has been featured as the soundtracks of “Bridget Jones”, “Glee”, “The Great Gatsby”, “50 Shades of Grey” and many more.

Selling more tan 8,000,000 copies in the World, Crazy in Love has been named the best song of the 2000s by NME and later NME named it again as the Best Song of the Century. It also ranked #1 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of the 2000s, #3 on both Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Songs of the 2000s Decade and 100 Best Songs of the 2000s; they also ranked it as the 118th greatest song of Rolling Stone’s 500 greatest songs of all time and took the #4 on Pitchfork Media’s Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s.

It’s undeniable that Crazy in Love is one of the most, if not the most, iconic songs by Beyoncé. Its catchy lyrics and beat, the dance routine, Jay Z’s rap, its music video, the countless performances and its covers have made of it one of the most memorable tracks of our time. The classic track plus the evolution of its arrangements and its dance has kept it on the spotlight after years of its release. A timeless, unforgettable, smash hit that still has the power to make people go crazy during a concert or on aww dancefloor.

THE ORIGIN OF

JAYONCÉ

Jayoncé. Mr. and Mrs. Carter. King Carter and Queen Bey. Jay and Bey. Bonnie and Clyde. Whatever you call them, one thing is assured; the relationship of Beyoncé Giselle Knowles and Shawn Corey Carter is one that will go down in history as one of the music industry’s most powerful couples. It’s a marriage that all types of people look to as a relationship goal as Beyoncé and Jay Z are a powerful force both on and off the stage. As Beyoncé and Jay Z wrap their immensely successful joint tour, we break down the history of this epic coupling, and see how two of the music industry’s most successful artists went from being a couple side-by-side “ride or die”, to partners in crime ‘on the run’.

Beyoncé would earn Jay Z’s admiration during a live performance of the Destiny’s Child chart topper “No, No, No Part 2”, when Jay noted her as “a fantastic talent”. He would go on to say that when he saw Beyoncé for the first time, he saw talent before anything else, because

If you’re waiting for us to mention “’03 Bonnie & Clyde” as being the beginning of the relationship, you’ll find yourself mistaken. While most point to the 2002 Jay-Z hit as the duo’s first dealings, it was actually a collaboration between Amil and Beyoncé which first brought the Carters together. The lead single from Amil’s 2002 album All Money Is Legal, “I Got That” featured the vocals of an 18-year old Beyoncé. If you haven’t heard of Amil, we don’t blame you; we’re not familiar with terrible rap music from the late Nineties either. Amil’s connection to Jayoncé is that she was signed to Roc-A-Fella Records, and likely this collaborative effort between the two ladies brought Beyoncé into a business relationship with Jay Z.

“We were friends first, for a year and a half. Before we went on any date, on the phone for a year and a half. And that foundation is so important in a relationship. And just to have someone that you just like, is so important. And someone that is honest.”

“she was singing like a rapper...and I was like ‘why is she singing so fast?’ And she was on a team, and everything.

And I was like ‘she’s a talented person’.”

Following this encounter, the two became close friends, as Beyoncé revealed in a sit-down talk with Oprah years later;

Towards the end of the platonic Jayoncé relationship, the two appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair’s November 2001 music issue with a number of other prominent musicians (most of whom are irrelevant by now). A decade later, Jay confirmed that at the time they were “just beginning to try to date each other.” It wasn’t until at least October 2002 that the pair had begun dating, with the

release of “’03 Bonnie & Clyde”, with the pair playing each other’s significant others in the music video. The video fuelled dating rumours with lyrics such as “I got my thoroughest girl with me I’m mashing the gas, she’s grabbing the wheel, it’s trippy how hard she rides with me”, however the duo kept quiet about their status.

Throughout 2003 the couple refused to publicly acknowledge their relationship, despite the fact that they were often pictured at court-side games, various fashion events, and even taking trips to sandy islands together.

Amidst swirling rumours of dating, Beyoncé released “Crazy in Love”, the lead single from her first solo effort Dangerously in Love. Featuring Jay Z, the song talks about a state of romantic obsession, which Beyoncé described as “when you are falling in love, you do things that are really out of character and you do not really care because you are just open.” Jay and Beyoncé would continue to appear on stage together to perform “Crazy in Love” throughout the years.

Another song on Dangerously in Love was the Missy Elliot-penned track “Signs”, in which Beyoncé claimed “I was in love with a Sagittarius”, Jay’s star sign. In the same year, Jay shouted out Beyoncé in the video for “Public Service Announcement”, in which Beyoncé appears, throwing up the Roc sign, as Jay raps “Got the hottest chick in the game, wearing my chain”. After years of speculation, Jayoncé were finally confirmed to be an item.

Since 2003, the couple have made history and headlines wherever they go and whatever they do. Marrying in 2008 and welcoming daughter Blue Ivy into the world in 2012, the couple have continued to work together on collaborative hits such as “Déjà Vu”, “Upgrade U”, “Lift Off”, “Tom Ford”, “Part II (On the Run)” and “Drunk in Love”. Their 2014 joint On the Run Tour grossed $100 million in the 19 North American dates alone, and its attendance topped 850,000 people. These immense achievements for a African-American couple have without doubt secured their position in music history, and the media will continue to try and fuel divorce rumours for years to come.

LEGACY

COLL ABOR

ATIONS

Shawn Carter and Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter do have a long existing relationship together, not just personal but also in business. They made each other’s careers more valuable. Let’s go back in the day and summarise Bey and Jay’s singles.

Bonnie & Clyde ’03 In 2002 Jay Z and Beyoncé collaborated for this song. It was composed by Jay, Kanye West, Prince, Tupac, Ricky Rouse, Darryl Harper and Tyrone Wrice for The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse. The song was inspired by the crime film ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ and the main instruments are drums, bass and an flamenco guitar. The song reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and it became Beyoncé’s first top ten single as a solo artist.

Kanye West about the production of the song: “So I went home and called my dog, E Base, who plays a lot of instruments up at Baseline [studio] for me and [producer] Just Blaze. [E] came through. I programmed the drums in 10 minutes, and then he played all the different parts.

This version is all live bass, live guitars, [live] chords on it. I brought it to Hov that night, he heard it, he thought of the video treatment before he thought of the rap. He just knew it was gonna be the one.”

This song was a first tease of the relationship between Beyoncé and Shawn Carter. Even though it was not made public till Beyoncé’s songs ‘Crazy In Love’ and ‘Déjà Vu’. Critics were enthusiastic about the song and even some said it was the highlight of Jay Z’s album. The song includes an sample of Tupac Shakur’s song ‘Me and My Girlfriend’. Toni Braxton called to a radiostation and said ‘Jay Z and Beyoncé are messing with my money. They’re trying to steal my mojo.’ Toni said her song was recorded before Jay en Bey decided to do the song. Kanye responded he had no idea about her and her song. “’03 Bonnie & Clyde” was the opening song of Beyoncé and Jay Z’s On The Run Tour.

Crazy In Love ‘Crazy In Love’ is the debut solo single by Beyoncé. Hubby Jay featured on the song and the lyrics reference a romantic obsession. ‘Crazy In Love’ is an R&B and pop song which has elements of funk, hiphop and soul music.

Critics praised the song and especially for the addictive hook: “Got me looking so crazy right now Your love’s got me looking so crazy right now (your love) Got me looking so crazy right now Your touch got me looking so crazy right now (your touch) Got me hoping you’ll page me right now Your kiss got me hoping you’ll save me right now Looking so crazy in love’s Got me looking, got me looking so crazy in love” The song ‘Crazy In Love’ was number one on the VH1 ‘100 Greatest Songs Of 2000s’ list and ranks 118th on the Rolling Stone ‘500 Greatest Hits Of All Time 2010’. Beyoncé and Jay Z won the grammy for ‘Best R&B Song’ and ‘Best Rap/Song Collaboration’.

Déjà Vu ‘Déjà Vu’ is the lead single of Beyoncé’s second solo album ‘B’day’ and was produced by Rodney Jerkins. The song incorporates elements of 70s funk and soul music. It is a pure R&B song and largely based on live instrumentation(bass, hi-hat and horns). The meaning of the song is mainly about a woman who is constantly reminded of her past lover. Many critics said the song was quite similar to ‘Crazy In Love’. Some were referring to Tina Turner, because of Beyoncé’s sensuality and assertiveness.

Déjà Vu was a big success commercially. The song peaked at number on the ‘Billboard Hot 100’ chart.

It went number one on the ‘Hot Dance singles Sales’, ‘Hot Dance Club Play’ and ‘Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs’ charts. ‘Déjà Vu’ also reached the number one spot on the ‘UK Singles Chart’. ‘Déjà Vu’ won ‘Best Song’ at the 2006 MOBO Awards.

Drunk In love The leadsingle of Beyoncé’s self-titled visual album is one of Beyoncé’s biggest hits and was recorded at the Jungle City Studios and Oven Studios in New York City. The song is written by Beyoncé herself, Noel Fisher, Jay Z, Andre Eric Proctor, Rasool Diaz, Boots, Brian Soko, Timothy Mosley and Jerome Harmon. The producers are Detail, Beyoncé, Timbaland, Jerome Harmon, Boots and Brian Soko.

The main instruments of the song are trap beats in chunks and bass. Drunk In Love peaked at number two on the ‘Billboard Hot 100’ chart and was number one on the ‘Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs’ chart. ‘Drunk In Love’ was officially just released in the United States, but it also reached the top ten in Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom and France. Beyoncé and Jay Z won the ‘Best Collaboration’ award for ‘Drunk In Love’ at the 2014 BET Awards and were nominated for several other awards.

Blue Ivy

Reasons to wish you were

Undoubtedly Mr. and Mrs. Carter’s most precious creation, Princess Blue Ivy Carter is probably already more flawless at age two than you ever will. If you are a denier of Blue Ivy and don’t already wish you were as flawless as she is, there are two things you need to do. Firstly, revaluate your life decisions and take a moment to think about how you were raised. Secondly, read the list of reasons below and succumb to the fact that you do indeed wish you were Blue Ivy.

•

Being conceived in the city of love, and soaking up Parisian flawlessness from the womb.

•

The mere announcement of your coming arrival at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards breaks the Twitter record for most tweets persecond, 8,868 to be exact.

•

Becoming more powerful each day in utero as you absorb energy from Beysus herself.

•

At less than two days old you become the youngest ever person to appear on the Billboard charts, as you lend your already flawless vocals to your daddy’s song “Glory”.

•

All you need to do to make headlines is flawlessly appear in public with your hair flawlessly tied into a flawless bun. Flawless.

•

Using your iPhone 10, you reject calls from peasants such as North West and send Mason and Penelope Disick to your voicemail.

•

You are so flawless that people doubt whether it was possible for you to be brought into the world by natural means. They underestimate you mother’s power.

•

Your mum wants to do arts and crafts with you. You artistically express your flawlessness on a black canvas; unwittingly designing the BEYONCÉ album cover.

•

Your dance moves are already better than Katy Perry’s weird choreographed seizures, as you bop along to your mum’s hymns at the 2014 VMAs.

•

Even when your goddess of a mother slays the stage for fifteen minutes at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards, you can still steal the show with a simple “Yay, mommy!”

•

After being the highlight of the 2014 VMAs, you proceed to command the infidels backstage to “say good job”, a command they follow without hesitation.

•

Your messenger bluebirds tell you a Beyoncé stan named Karrueche tried to act slick and shade you on some show called 106 & Park. You don’t really know who this person is but you make a few calls and have the show and one of its producers suspended.

•

Owning a multi-million dollar bank account by the age of 2. When will your fave?

•

Ummm hello?! BEYONCÉ AND JAY Z WOULD BE YOUR PARENTS!

OCTOBER 03/10................................................................................................ @UPGRADEYALL 05/10............................................................................................@_BLUELAVENDER 08/10............................................................................................@BADDIEBEYSTYLE 09/10......................................................................................................@PXRTITION 12/10......................................................................................................@AIDANOUS 25/10.................................................................................................@IAMNAYONCE Happy birthday to all October Beys!

We wish you all the best. Turn up and enjoy your day!

Love, YONCÉ Magazine -Editorial.

Are you celebrating your birthday in November? Tweet your birthday date to @YONCEMagazine and automatically get your spot on the November birthday calendar in our next issue.

@IVANA4_BEY

STAN OF THE

MONTH + MY BEYONCÉ EXPERIENCE

ABOUT

IVANA Can you introduce yourself?

“My name is Ivana, I was born on a very special date, on April 4th, and I currently live in Croatia, where I’m attending college.”

How long have you been stanning for Beyoncé?

“I started really stanning for her during the B’Day era. However, at that time there was no twitter so it was really hard to connect with other people who shared my love for Beyonce. Now, I feel amazing just knowing that there are other people who love her just as much as I do, and that I’m not crazy as everybody else suggested.”

What’s the craziest thing you have ever done for her?

“I guess the fact that I went all the way to Paris to see her perform.”

When did you go for your first Beyoncé experience? (What tour, age, etc) “17.04.2013 in Zagreb. It was the MCSWT and I had just turned 18 around that time.”

What’s your fave Beyoncé song and could you tell us why?

“I love them all, but I would have to say Hello and maybe Jealous. I really don’t know why...”

What’s your most unforgettable moment with Beyoncé involved?

“When she held my hand during her concert in Croatia.”

How and where did you watch the OTR HBO Special?

“Alone in my apartment on a really bad live stream until 6 am.”

What do your family and friends think of your obsession? Can they relate?

“No, they definitely cannot. They think I’m completely crazy.”

What’s your most special piece of merchandise?

“The J+B OTR tour poster.”

And last but not least, describe Beyoncé in 4 words.

“Humble, bootylicious, icon, baaadd!”

READ ALL ABOUT IVANA’S BEYONCÉ EXPERIENCE >>

MY BEY

EXPERIENCE Well, first of all I had two Beyonce experiences! First one was on April 17th 2013, and the second one was on September 14th of this year. The first one was a part of The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour and was held in Zagreb, Croatia. I had previously purchased the show tickets through Beyonce’s official website, skipping school to actually have a chance to get them before they got sold out or something like that. I bought 3 BeyHive pit tickets keeping in mind that my 2 cousins were going to go with me.

At that time I didn’t yet live in Croatia, so a day before the show the three of us sat in the car knowing that the day after we were going to be slayed by Her Highness. So after a 6 hour ride we arrive in Zagreb and go straight to the Arena to see if there’s people there already and to see if we could claim our tickets there. After realizing that the spot where one claims his/ her tickets is closed, we proceed to snoop around. You could actually hear the noise coming from the inside, but we thought that maybe the dancers or the band was practicing something or similar.

That’s when we went downstairs, still on the outside because we couldn’t enter, and saw two black cars with tainted windows pull up almost all the way inside of the arena. There was bunch of security guards but they couldn’t do anything to us because we technically weren’t on the Arena property.

Anyway, soon we all notice a very familiar person entering one of the cars. They were covering her, but even by seeing only the top half of her head I could say with certainty that it was The Queen. Right after they pulled up, we jumped in our car with intensions of following her, but the two identical cars went their separate ways and we didn’t know in which one was she.

So that’s how my first real life encounter with my idol went.

Tomorrow morning we went and got our tickets and were the first ones in the line. . My cousins were complaining because they really didn’t care that much about being in the first row or whatever, , so after an hour or so they left and went shopping

leaving me to wait there alone in my BeyHive shirt. Soon enough other people started arriving and I actually got to meet a few of them that I already kind of knew over the Twitter. Even the wait was so much fun because everyone was singing Beyonce songs together, and to be honest that’s kind of my idea of heaven. Just a bunch of stans singing fave’s songs waiting to get their whole life from her.

As the time passed by, my cousins returned and soon the doors opened and the game was on. I was running for my life! The scariest part was the fact that we had to walk down a bunch of stairs and everybody was running, pushing other people out of the way and so on. I’m actually surprised and proud to say that I never once fell in this process. I did however had bunch of bruises after the concert from all these people, but that’s another story.

So, we enter and get to the pit, we are first, we are happy and all, and all that’s left now is wait. I swear that was THE longest wait of my life! When I tell you that this woman took her sweet time. Not to mention that there was an opening act and I was so over it, because that wasn’t why I was there...

And then, after 6734850640369 hours that big fabric with letter “B” on it drops down and my heart stops for a whole minute! Fave rises from below with her hand on her hip and I’m instantly in tears! My cousins are looking at me all kinds of ways, ready to send me to the looney bin, but I really didn’t care. Throughout the entire concert fave was coming over to us giving me a chance to touch her every time, and even at one point, during her If I Were A Boy performance hold her hand and feel her soft leather glove... One time when she came back during “Why don’t you love me” I held her leg for my dear life and I wasn’t letting go, but my cousins interfered so I had to. At one point I even saw Mama Tina! She was standing literally 15 steps away from me, watching her daughter perform.

I wanted to take a picture with her but the security wouldn’t allow me near her. And so, after more than 2 hours of performing Beyonce finished her show. The minute she left the stage the post concert depression hit me so hard.

I cried on our way back home, actually holding a golden piece of confetti that was thrown at the end of the show.

I don’t even know why I took it. I guess I am crazy. Fast forward, fave announces a joint tour with her husband whom I’m absolutely in love with but says she’s only touring The USA. I was pissed!!!So I prayed and prayed and God heard my prayers and allowed them to come to Europe. I was thrilled! I think it was June when the tickets went on pre-sale and I immediately bought me one! I’m not even joking right now but only 2 days before the concert I purchased my plane ticket without even having a booked hotel or anything and later went to Paris!

Again, I was with one of my cousins when we arrived there on the actual day of the show. This time I wasn’t bothering camping and waiting in the line, since I had seats, so we went on and found ourselves a room before going to the Stadium to see what’s up. There was already a bunch of people there, as well as the merchandise store where I spent most of my time in France just enjoying the view.

There, I bought myself a B+J shirt, a B+J poster and the On The Run tour book which by the way completely slayed my life with their adorable pictures! We spent the entire day just walking around, enjoying the sight of people in Beyonce and Jay shirts. We went to McDonald’s to eat and all you could see were people holding their tickets, or wearing and carrying different types of merchandise, and once again I felt as I was where I belonged.

It was truly magical.

So around five or six we went on and actually got in the line and just waited to be let in. When we were finally in we had no problem finding our seats so we had plenty of time to pose and get photographed in front of that “This is not real life” big screen. Very soon the whole stadium filled up and I swear I hand never in my life seen so many people at one place. It was crazy. So you can only imagine the noise and the screams once the two of them finally stepped on the stage ready to make every single one us the happiest person on Earth! I have to say that I liked this show even more than the first one for some reason. Maybe it was because of the fact that both of them

there, or the fact that I preferred this setlist over the last one, or the fact they brought tears to my eyes when they thanked each other at the end of the show and expressed their endless love. It was the most beautiful thing ever! I think every person there could actually feel all that love that they have for each other. I n a blink of an eye this show ended too! The tour was done, that was the last show. As they exit the stage, that familiar feeling stroke me again and I went from being the happiest girl in the world to the saddest in a matter of seconds, not knowing when am I going to see them again...

That’s pretty much it when it comes to my Beyonce experiences. I wrote some stuff and details I could remember from those nights, but honestly the greatest part was the one that’s not even written.

And that’s all these feelings that I felt while Bey was singing Resentment or Ex Factor, or while Jay was performing Song Cry or while they stared at the footages of their child while she sang “Halo”... Or while I watched Beyonce get shot in a goddamn wedding dress at an altar not even knowing who tf shot her and where Jay was during this whole thing!!!

But yeah, that’s it! It was perfect and I wouldn’t change it for anything in this world. I can only hope now that it doesn’t take too long to see her perform again.

FUN 5f

N 50 facts

50 FUN FACTS As a BeyStan, you’re probably convinced that you know everything about Beyoncé and her loved ones. But did you know about these little things? We have collected 50 some of the most funny, interesting and cute facts below.

1.

Beyoncé has Native American, African, Irish and French heritage and is descended from Joseph Broussard, the Acadian leader through her mother.

2.

As a young girl, Beyoncé won a school singing competition with John Lennon’s “Imagine”.

3.

She has suffered from depression for two years, but decided to hide it as it was around the time that Destiny’s Child won their Grammy.

4.

Beyoncé’s favorite makeup to wear is mascara, but she’s allergic to perfume.

5.

In 2007, she became the first female artist to be awarded the International Artist Award at the American Music Awards.

6.

Her favorite number is 4. Her mother Tina was born on January 4th, her own birthday is September 4th, her and Jay got married at April 4th and Jay’s birthday is December 4th.

7.

Beyoncé was the first ever female to headline the Glastonbury festival in 2011.

8.

Beyoncé is 5’6 (168 cm) tall. Jay-Z hits a length of 6,1 (187 cm).

9.

Beyoncé’s first solo tour was in 2004 (The Verizon Ladies). Later followed The Beyoncé Experience (2006), The I Am… World Tour (2008), The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013/2014) and the On The Run Tour with hubby Jay-Z (2014).

10.

Beyoncé has several businesses. She founded the ‘House Of Deréon’ clothing line with her mother. The name comes from her grandmother’s name; Agnes Deréon. Also, she owns Parkwood Entertainment and she’s got a successful fragrance line in stores, including ‘Heat’, ‘Heat Rush’, ‘Pulse’ (regular, NYC & Summer Edition), ‘Heat: The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour Limited Edition’, ‘Rise’ and ‘Heat: Wild Orchid’.

11.

Beyoncé’s voice was categorized as mezzo-soprano.

12.

Only 2 days after Blue Ivy’s birth, she became the youngest person ever to land on the Billboard charts, as her cries were recorded on Jay’s “Glory”.

13.

In 2010, Guinness World Records named the Carters the Highest Earning Couple, after they managed to earn $122 million that year.

14.

Beyoncé’s pregnancy, which was announced right after her “Love On Top” performance at the MTV VMA’s 2011, earned the Guinness World Book of Records title for most tweets per second.

15.

Some of Beyoncé’s favorite things to do include staying home and watching TV, and sitting courtside with Jay at Brooklyn Nets games.

16.

Beyoncé’s ultimate style icon is Kate Moss.

17.

“Jersey Shore” is one of her favorite TV shows! Who would have known..

18.

Het debut album “Dangerously In Love” earned her 5 Grammy’s. In total, she has won 17 Grammy Awards, and it’s still counting.

19.

Beyoncé’s singing talent was discovered at the age of 8 in a dance class, when her teacher was singing a song and she finished it hitting all the high notes.

20.

At 8, she also met her future Destiny’s Child band mates Kelly Rowland and LaTavia Robertson in an audition; they were placed with thre other girls as part of the girls-only group “Girls Tyme”.

21.

She established the “Beyoncé Cosmetology Center” at the nonprofit Phoenix House in Brooklyn, New York.

22.

She’s got multi-million dollar deals with brands such as Pepsi, L’Oréal and American Express.

23.

She tried to get Jay Z in better shape, to mixed results.

24.

Her father used to make her run a mile while singing to build her endurance.

25.

Beyoncé fired her father as manager, and here’s why in her own words:

“It took a while for me and my dad to have an understanding. When I turned 18 and started handling my business more, he went into shock. And we had our issues. I’d say ‘no’ to something, and he’d book it away. They I’d have to do it because I’d look bad (if I didn’t).”

We would fight sometimes, and it took about two years, to when I was 20, for him to realize, ‘Oh, she’s an adult now, and if she doesn’t want to do something, I can’t make her do it.’”

26.

As a child, Beyoncé would charge houseguests $5 a head to watch her perform.

27.

Her former bodyguard, “Shortie,” weighed 600 pounds and once caused an elevator he and B were on to stop between floors. Sadly, Mathew had to fire him to properly protect his daughter. He felt like his BeYoncé should be protected by a younger and more buff guard. Mathew paid out the remainder of his $500,000+ contract and a $100,000 bonus. And we all know who came in next; Julius.

28.

Before their marriage, Bey and Jay briefly broke up. Jay rapped about it on his track “Lost Ones”.

29.

Beyoncé likes to wear high heels and dominate in the bedroom.

30.

She recognizes her power, but can’t fully comprehend it:

“I know that, yes, I am powerful. I’m more powerful than my mind can even digest and understand.”

31.

In June 2005, Beyoncé’s personal trainer banned her from eating various chicken curry dishes when her obsession started to spin out of hand. Bey fell in love with the Indian cuisine on her visit to the UK and even had curry flown from London to New York. That’s a 3,000 mile plane ride just for chicken curry! Bey explained:

“When I first went to Britain, I had a curry and it was unbelievably delicious. It was really, really good and I’ve been hooked ever since!”

32.

She once walked out on a photo session for UK style bible ‘The Face’ because David LaChapelle asked her to strip and cover her body in honey.

33.

Mama Tina says Beyoncé used to be a lonely kid who played with imaginary friends:

34.

“At lunchtime, I’d go to her school and she’d be pushing an empty swing, acting like there was somebody on it.”

35.

She lost 20 pounds in 14 days, consuming a potion made of only lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and water. All this for the role of Deena Jones in the movie DreamGirls.

36.

Her ex-boyfriend, Lyndell Locke, cheated on her multiple times (Who would possibly want to cheat on Beyoncé?! We can safely say he’s got to be the most stupid person on Earth.

37.

Beyoncé and Jay have been dating since 2002, though they tried to keep their relationship out of the public eye for as long as they could.

38.

Her salary for her part in “Austin Powers in Goldmember” was $3 million.

39.

She’s now the full manager of herself since the release of “4”.

40.

Forbes Magazine began reporting on Beyoncé’s earnings in 2008, calculating that the $80 million earned between June 2007 to June 2008, for her music, tour, films and clothing line made her the world’s best paid music personality at that time.

41.

She actually has gone out to buy 20 of her own records, and even got told she could only buy one because other wise the store would run out of copies.

42.

Beyoncé’s favorite type of cheese is “the regular, yellow, cheddar cheese”.

43.

She really likes to play flag football, since she can’t play regular football.

She records and archives every single interview she does, so she can never be misquoted.

44.

When she was a teenager, Beyoncé really wanted to get her ears pierced. So she went to get 5 piercings

shot in each ear, without her parents’ knowledge. Her mother whooped her ass in the store for that

and she finally took them out after 2 days.

45.

While making her first movie “The Fighting Temptations” in 2003, Beyoncé became so exhausted that she

would often sleep in her make-up so she wouldn’t have to spend time having it put on the next day.

46.

Her second solo album, B’Day (2006) was completed in 3 weeks time and was released on Beyoncé’s 26th birthday, which was September 4th.

47.

As of June 2014, The Carters have a combined net worth of $1 billion. Jay-Z’s portion of their net worth is $560 million, Beyoncé’s is $450 million. That’s easily enough to make them one of the top 10 richest celebrity couples in the world.

48.

Beyoncé’s favorite ice cream flavor is Butter Pecan.

49.

She was the second African-American woman to ever grace the cover of the “Sports Illustrated” swimsuit issue when she appeared on the cover in 2007.

50.

Even though she has written most of her lyrics, she admits that she often has trouble remembering them!

It’s pretty obvious that Beyoncé and Nicki have built a beautiful friendship. Especially since the happening of the ***FLAWLESS Remix, on which they created a monster collaboration. Nicki and Bey just make sense together.

They’re like peanut butter and jelly, booze and more booze. The Queen of Rap, slaying with Queen B. If you ain’t on the team, you playing for team D! Nicki Minaj always used to tell the media how she would love to collaborate with Beyoncé. That never happened, until 2014. Though, in 2008, Nicki Minaj released an unofficial remix for Beyoncé’s #1 hit “Single Ladies” on which she had blended in her own verses that she had written for the remix only.

Not even a year later, as of the beginning of 2009, another remix dropped. Nicki decided to bring Lil Wayne to the studio and record some verses together to remix with Bey’s “Sweet Dreams”.

Then, in 2014, Beyoncé finally hit up Nicki to collaborate for ***FLAWLESS. During the production and recording of the remix, Beyoncé and Nicki have grown quite close to each other. They had so much fun and were both very excited about this collaboration – along with the rest of the world.

You can safely say they’re friends now. And to symbolize their friendship and thankfulness, Beyoncé had given Nicki a special present after Nic’s performance at the 2014 VMA’s. Nicki thankfully posted a picture of the ‘Flawless’ necklace on Instagram with the following description:.

“If Beyonce didn’t walk into your dressing room and give you a diamond ‘FLAWLESS’ necklace, then there’s no way you could be having a better week than me,” Minaj wrote, captioning the above Instagram photo. “Lol. Awwwww thank u QUEEN. Ur just a precious gem. I could never thank you enough for your influence on powerful women all around the world. #WeFlawless.” – Nicki Minaj ***FLAWLESS Remix grew bigger than a “record-only” collaboration; at both On The Run shows in Paris, Beyoncé had invited Nicki to perform their collab with her on stage, to surprise the audience.

ON THE

SPEC

E RUN

CIAL

The On the Run Tour was the co-headlining stadium tour by Beyoncé and rapper Jay-Z. The tour came shortly after Beyoncé and Jay-Z had finished their own solo tours; The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013-2014) and the Magna Carter World Tour (2013-2014). The tour name spins off from the 2013 song “Part II (On the Run)”, found in Jay-Z’s album Magna Carta Holy Grail, in which Beyoncé features. An official poster for the tour was released along with the announcement of the venture, showing Beyoncé and Jay-Z embracing whilst dressed in black ski masks, following the criminal “on the lam” narrative found in the couples’ 2002 first single together, “’03 Bonnie & Clyde” and “Part II (On the Run)”.

Following the general sale of tour dates, fans were left concerned as the July 11, 2014 show in East Rutherford, New Jersey remained pending to go on sale for many weeks, despite all other dates already being available to the public. Some reports stated that the reason for this was that the state of New Jersey had implemented a legislation resulting in 95% of tickets for an event having to be available to the public. The show was eventually put on sale to the public on June 4, 2014.

The tour was “conceived and launched fast compared to most stadium tours” according to Live Nation, who noted that most tours of this nature take more than a year of planning. “It came together quite quickly, around mid-March,” Omar Al-Joulani of Live Nation North America commented. “By April, we had everything together, and once the routing was in place we had about three weeks until the tour was announced.”––

Video interludes filled with “cop chases and other violent outbursts” carried the storytelling between songs.

The performances of the joint tour was said to be split up similarly to Jay-Z’s previous joint venture with Kanye West, the Watch the Throne Tour. Beyoncé and Jay-Z would take turn holding down the stage, beginning with several songs by Beyoncé first, followed by duets and afterwards Jay-Z rapping his songs. Both artists sported multiple outfits from a variety of fashion designers throughout the performances of the tour.

The On the Run Tour was the first tour to be a part of “Official Events” – the collaboration of Facebook and Live Nation in which the size and scale of Ticketmaster’s database is leveraged as events promoted by Live Nation are imported to Artists’ Facebook Pages as “Official Events”, To promote the tour, a faux movie trailer video was providing fans with direct links to Ticketmaster to purpremiered in May 2014 entitled “RUN”. The video, filled chase verified tickets. with multiple celebrity cameos, features the couple in a variety of Bonnie and Clyde style, action and gun The tour was stated to have a running theme throughout packed situations. The tour itself was noted to follow the performances of being “on the run” by the Miami this same theme throughout, with similar video interNew Times, whether it is from “the media, their place in ludes incorporated into the production of the show. pop music, the haters, the bullshit and sometimes even Critics generally lauded the tour, praising the extraveach other”. When explaining the concept of the tour agant set list, dynamic and detailed theme and story and it’s accompanying videos in a telephone conversaof the show and both artists’ performance abilities, tion to New York-based director Dikayal Rimmasch, Jay-Z however some felt the on stage chemistry between the stated “We’re not trying to do this literally, it’s not that couple was not what it could have been. we’re Bonnie and Clyde. We’re on the run from everything. On the run from becoming a cliché. On the run Due to the large demand and tickets selling out in from doing the same thing again.” minutes in multiple locations, extra tour dates were added to the itinerary. Commercially, the tour was During their individual performances, Beyoncé was a success, grossing over $100 million in the first 19 often backed by both male and female dancers and Jay-Z North American shows alone, as well as attendance was noted to hold the stage for multiple songs without topping 850,000. The show was broadcast in its entire- assistance. Beyoncé was backed by an all female band ty on September 20, 2014, airing on the US television during her solo songs, whilst Jay-Z was accompanied by network HBO, following the taping of the two concerts other male instrumentalists; however both artist’s musiin Paris, France, where the tour concluded. cians collaborated for the majority of the performance.

Both Beyoncé and Jay-Z sported multiple outfits throughout the different performances of the tour.

One of the more prominent designers for the tour was Versace, in which Beyoncé wore both a fishnet and leather Atelier black bodysuit (complete with a plunging neckline, a fishnet head mask and high heel combat boots), as well as a colourful Atelier bodysuit from the designer. The leather Atelier black bodysuit took approximately 200 hours to craft and was used for the opening number of the tour, “’03 Bonnie & Clyde”.

The colourful bodysuit was commented on by Versace who stated that the team had their inspiration from the street for the colour and added various crystals and stripes to show a “baseball vibe” while also trying to capture Beyoncé’s energy.

Beyoncé’s tour shoes were designed by Stuart Weitzman and Joker’s Closet.Other outfits included a denim jumpsuit and a bedazzled leotard bodysuit that “showed off her derrière”.Beyoncé also sported more thematic and dramatic pieces of clothing, including a full bridal veil and a sweeping train made of a blackand-white American flag.

The American flag outfit was designed by Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy and took over 500 hours to create. The American flag train was 16.4 feet long but weighed around 500 grams allowing it to fly in the wind. The individual stars on the outfit was were hand-embroidered and its inspiration was said to be “American Danger: Bonnie & Clyde with a modern twist.For the performance of “Ring the Alarm”, Beyoncé returned to designer Vrettos Vrettakos (with whom she collaborated with notably on her previous solo tour).

Designed by Dennis Kolpodinos, Vrettakos produced a red, “couture ‘crystal spirit’ bodysuit” complete with fringe details on the limbs and “embellished with Swarovski crystals for stage-ready shine”.

Alexander Wang designed a “bondage body suit” worn by Beyoncé during the show, as well as multiple pieces by Nicola Formichetti for Diesel. One of these included the previously mentioned denim outfit, which was “made from the company’s patented Jogg Jean material, accented with hand-applied hardware and studwork, Swarovski crystal elements and black leather accessories”, worn for the performance of “Run the World (Girls)”.

Formichetti commented on the outfit, saying “Every classic cops and robbers story blurs the lines between the good and bad, we wanted Beyoncé’s to be both. Her look is one part police officer and two parts jailbait.”

Another piece designed by Diesel was an outfit consisting of jean-shorts and a leather jacket embroiled with the word “Texas”. Biker gangs that developed in the United States after World War II served as an inspiration for the outfit; Beyoncé’s was meant as a tribute to her hometown and a reminder of her roots. It took 4-5 hours to add the word Texas to the leather jacket.

The bondage bodysuit was described as “a riff off of an urban bomber hoodie jacket that was cropped to expose a bondage bodysuit underneath that has graphic cutouts. When worn up, the oversized hood covers the face, adding an incognito element reminiscent of the On The Run theme.” It also contained snakeskin seamed into the sleeves of the outfit.One of the more controversial pieces worn by Beyoncé during the On the Run Tour was a black, thong leotard that “put her bare rear end on display in a kind of cage-like cutout”. Erica Schwiegershausen of The Cut blog wrote that the number was a “somewhat disorienting look”.

During the performance of “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”, Beyoncé revisited a leotard from the song’s music video in a black and gold lace bodysuit designed by Michael Costello who wanted “Beyoncé to feel beautiful, strong, super sexy and ventilated” with the outfit.

Lebanese designer Elie Saab created a bridal-themed, white long-sleeve lace-embellished jumpsuit for Beyoncé for the performances of “Resentment” and “Love On Top” which was part of his Pre-Fall 2014 collection.

Jay-Z’s fashion was noted to be Kanye-esque, with pieces worn by him including rotating ensembles of black leather as well as “giant, billowing pant scarves”.

For the opening performance, Jay-Z appeared on stage in black sunglasses, gold chains, a black and white star speckled shirt and a black jacket.[32] During the performance of “Big Pimpin’” Jay-Z wore a fedora.

The tour was officially announced on April 28, 2014 via Jay-Z’s Facebook page. Announcements shortly followed through Beyoncé’s website and an official press release.Pre sale tickets for fans to secure their seats first before the general sale were sold through Beyonce.com for Chase credit and debit card users exclusively.

A writer for Billboard noted that Chase was a surprising candidate for the official tour sponsor due to their lack of experience in the concert industry when compared to the live music sponsorship giants such as Citi and American Express. Chase allegedly scored the “11thhour” deal due to previous connections with Roc Nation Sports (owned by Jay-Z) and a $4 million bid on the position.

A promotional poster for the tour was revealed showing Jay-Z and Beyoncé embracing and wearing ski masks, following the criminals-on-the-lam narrative of the couple’s two singles (“’03 Bonnie & Clyde” and “Part II (On the Run)”). Beyoncé also wore a similar ski mask in her 2013 video “Superpower” featuring Frank Ocean from her self-titled album. A second promotional poster was released on May 30, 2014, in an email to fans announcing the on sale times for certain tour dates. The poster features Beyoncé dressed in a white, short-cut wedding dress whilst sitting behind and hugging Jay-Z on a motorcycle.

Following the tour’s announcement, it was revealed that $1 from each ticket sold and a portion of certain VIP ticket proceeds would go to the Shawn Carter Foundation, which would help and support existing students of the foundation that represent diverse backgrounds, and face significant barriers to success such as teen pregnancy, homelessness, poverty, former incarceration, sexual and domestic abuse, and gang membership.

Fans in Houston, Texas were requested to bring preservable goods to a selected location by Beyoncé as part of her “#BeyGood” campaign, in association with the Houston Food Bank, Miss-A-Meal, The Bread of Life and Majic 102.1, to help work towards eradicating the nearly 870,000 Houston families suffering from hunger.

Fans who donated to the campaign resulted in a chance of winning some of the best tickets in the house for the On the Run Tour in Houston, at Minute Maid Park. The campaign “exceeded expectations”, with 2,500 people donating over 10 tonnes of food.

On May 17, 2014, an official video in a faux movie trailer style starring Beyoncé and Jay-Z was released entitled “Run”, featuring “Part II (On the Run)” in the background.

The video, which features multiple celebrity cameos including Don Cheadle, Guillermo Díaz, Jake Gyllenhaal, Kidada Jones, Rashida Jones, Blake Lively, Emmy Rossum and Sean Penn, shows Beyoncé and Jay-Z out on a Bonnie and Clyde expedition, filled with action, crime, love and guns. Multiple other snippets of tracks from Magna Carta Holy Grail carries the video, alongside “Part II (On the Run)”.

The video notably ended stating “coming never”, indicating that the trailer was in fact never going to be a full feature film. The video was directed by Melina Matsoukas. One of the many outfits worn by Beyoncé in the video was a Givenchy lace pant suit, and was commented to add an angelic feel to the contrasting, violent run of the narrative.

The opening night of the tour received generally positive reviews: USA Today’s Erica K. Landau praised the Miami concert, summarizing it as “[a] tantalizing spectacle, [with] triumphant vocals, palpable sensuality and booty-shaking anthems”.

She further described the performance as integrated adding that, “the coordination is not just remarkable, it’s the absolute best way that two of the world’s best performers can deliver a show that proves why they’re on top together”.

MTV News editor Rebecca Thomas praised the duo’s united performance, adding that they demonstrated how to share a stage, “egos aside: They toggled, repeatedly, and mostly seamlessly from one megastar catalog to the other and took fan-favorites in surprising new directions — ones that imbued them with pathos that hadn’t been there before.”

Miami New Times Kat Bein felt that the chemistry between the couple was not what it could have been, with Beyoncé reportedly shaking off Jay-Z’s kisses or turning away during his “doting playfulness”, however Bein added that this could have been merely a playful act for the stage. She felt that potential “witty banter” between the couple was lost with the use of the video pieces between the songs.

Jon Caramanica in a review for The New York Times opined that each entertainer gave the other the opportunity to be the center of attention, while acknowledging their different types of success. He concluded “Jay Z allowed for breezy enjoyment; Beyoncé demanded full and reverent attention”.

The following concerts for the duration of the tour were also met with high praise from critics: Merecedes J. Howze of New Pittsburgh Courier praised the “consistent” show in Cincinnati, stating “The duo has proven numerous times that their union, professionally and personally, is unstoppable.” Howze concluded that the show was definitely a “couples concert” meant to be “enjoy[ed]” with a love partner. CityBeat’s Jac Kern, who attended the same show praised the duo for performing “hard” while fully using both of the two stages and interacting with the crowd. However he also felt that intimate moments between the couple on stage were “possibly staged”

The production of the tour was stated to be both large and minimal by The Boston Globe writer James Read who commented that only a few performers could manage to pull off a production of On The Run’s scale. He continued his review, “Nor is there much to behold beyond its stars: no long catwalks, elaborate sets, or even a visible band. With Beyoncé and Jay Z, two natural-born entertainers, you do not need much more. ”Mesfin Fekadu of the Associated Press reported that the set list of the show emulated a conversation told through songs; he noted that despite the concert being a collaborative tour, “it was the performers’ emotional solo material that made their presence as a collaborative duo strong and resilient”.

The first Canadian show of the tour was again well received by critics. Graham Slaughter of the Toronto Star concluded in his review, “If there’s anything to be learned from the On the Run tour, it’s that tight timing, a dynamic storyline and legendary talent make a 42-song concert not just enjoyable, but rather unforgettable. Performers be warned: the bar on dual concerts has forever been raised.”

Lorraine Ali of the Los Angeles Times who attended the first of two shows in Pasadena, California, also gave a positive review noting that the concert showcased how a marriage should work with the spouses “balancing out each other’s weaknesses with individual strengths” on stage. Ali went on praising the stage interactions between the pair such as kissing and toggling and concluded, “Whether it was a carefully orchestrated act or not, they are a great team.”

The only European shows in Paris, France were again well received by critics. Lewis Corner of Digital Spy gave the second Parisian show a five star review. He praised the performance abilities of both artists, explaining “When left to [Jay-Z’s] own devices on stage, the rapper is forceful and beguiling. It takes little for him to have thousands waving their hands to ‘Tom Ford’, as he looks dapper in honour of the designer. But when Beyoncé rises up out of the stage in a denim military outfit to the question ‘bad bitch?’ and then storms into ‘Run The World (Girls)’, the track’s sentiment couldn’t resound more. Without doubt, she lives up to her hype as one of the world’s best performers. Slick movement, tight choreography, innocent attitude and effortless vocals instantly escalate the atmosphere of the show.”

Simon Harper of Clash felt that both performers had immediately apparent different performance approaches and both commanded an “incredible presence and deafening screams from the French crowd”, however concluded that Beyoncé just finished on top as the better of the two, finalising his all positive review with “The music world’s most powerful and influential partnership couldn’t fail to demonstrate the reasons for their rise to dominance... As the On The Run tour comes to its conclusion, it’s clear to see that Mrs. Carter emerges on top. But damn, it was a good race to watch.”

Tickets for the tour were priced at $40 to $275, so that wherever fans were on the “ticket chain”, they had an opportunity to attend the show. “We made sure we had affordable tickets as well as the higher-priced tickets that we know the market can bear. Pricing went right across the spectrum,” promoters explained. Jesse Lawrence of Forbes stated that demand for the tour was “through the roof” and that the On the Run Tour was “guaranteed to be one of the biggest tours in recent years.”

Shortly after pre-sales for the tour began, tickets had already started to appear on the secondary ticketing market. In the same article, Lawrence explained how with an average ticket price of $342.67 on the secondary market, the On the Run Tour was “head and shoulders above the rest”, having a higher average ticket price than both Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s previous aforementioned solo tours, Jay-Z’s previous co-headlining tours with Justin Timberlake and Eminem, as well as The Monster Tour; the then upcoming co-headlining tour from Rihanna and Eminem.

Billboard reported that the On the Run Tour was “already one of the summer concert ­season’s hottest engagements” and noted that tickets had sold out in minutes for multiple dates. Due to the large demand, extra dates were added in East Rutherford, San Francisco and Pasadena following the first shows in each city selling out.

The second Rose Bowl stadium date in Pasadena, California, again had to await approval from the Pasadena City Council for the aforementioned reason that the Rose Bowl has a cap of twelve events per year and all other events exceeding this limit require approval from the city council. On June 13, 2014, two Paris dates of the tour were announced, set to be performed at the Stade de France. The dates are currently labelled as the exclusive, only European shows of the On the Run Tour.

Within two hours of going on general sale, 90,000 tickets were sold between the two Paris shows. Stephanie Smith of Page Six reported that Beyoncé and Jay-Z were paid $4 million per show of the tour, “guaranteed and independent of ticket sales”. This totalled to a $84 million total payout to the couple throughout the duration of the tour.

Live Nation reported to Billboard that the tour had already sold 750,000 tickets and was on pace to reach 850,000 total tickets sold in North America. It was also noted that the tour was averaging close to $5.2 million per show in current sales and that the On the Run Tour would finish as “one of the most successful tours of the year”.

On the same day, Forbes reported that the summer tour would most likely finish as the second most successful tour of all time by one measure when looking at the average gross per show, which currently lies at a predicted $5 million.

In August 2014, Omar Al-Joulani of North American touring for Live Nation confirmed that the On the Run Tour had officially passed $100 million in ticket sales in the 19 North American shows alone, with attendance topping out at more than the previously predicted 850,000. Al-Joulani also noted the triumph of the tour outside of the “must play” markets such as New York City or Los Angeles, stating the tour routed into some secondary touring markets like Cincinnati, New Orleans and Seattle “that turned out to be wildly successful”. “We had the greatest time in those markets” said Al-Joulani.

In September 2014, the North American leg of the tour was individually reported to Billboard Boxscore. Beyoncé and Jay-Z landed atop of the Hot Tours chart with 19 sold out shows. The most commercially successful performances of the tour were venues with double bookings, found in East Rutherford, grossing $11.5 million, Pasadena grossing $10.9 million and San Francisco, generating $8.8 million.

In July 2014, it was announced that HBO would exclusively air the On the Run Tour in full at some point in September, following the upcoming filming of the concerts in Paris, France at the scheduled September 12 and 13, 2014 shows in the city. The shows were shot by music video director Jonas Åkerlund and aired on the channel on September 20, 2014.

HBO used 20 different cameras to record the two shows. The concert special received a 0.5 rating of adults aged 18-49, and aired to 888,000 viewers.

In September 2014, it was announced that a trilogy of videos entitled “Bang Bang” were to be released as a short film leading up to the broadcast of the tour special. The short film (in which multiple scenes are found in video interludes and backdrops throughout the tour) was directed by New York-based filmmaker and photographer Dikayl Rimmasch. Together with war photographer William Kaner, Rimmasch put together the filmmaking approach and aesthetic of the series.

Inspired by French New Wave cinema, the short film was created using custom camera rigs that Rimmasch had designed, 50-year-old Russian lenses and lighting effects by Archie Ciotti and Scott Spencer and followed an incredibly fast, shoot-from-the-hip recording style.

However, following the release of part one of the trilogy, the remaining two videos never came to surface on their scheduled release dates. When asked about this (and the deletion of part one from it’s original upload source), Rimmasch simply stated “no comment”.

This set list is representative of the first performance in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It does not represent all concerts for the duration of the tour. ’03 Bonnie & Clyde Upgrade U Crazy in Love Show Me What You Got Diamonds from Sierra Leone (Remix) Niggas in Paris Tom Ford Run the World (Girls) Flawless Yoncé Jigga My Nigga Dirt off Your Shoulder Naughty Girl Big Pimpin’ Ring the Alarm On to the Next One Clique” / “Diva Baby Boy U Don’t Know Ghost” / “Haunted No Church in the Wild Drunk in Love Public Service Announcement Why Don’t You Love Me Holy Grail FuckWithMeYouKnowIGotIt Beach Is Better Partition 99 Problems If I Were a Boy Ex-Factor Song Cry Resentment Love on Top Izzo (H.O.V.A.) I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me) Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) Pretty Hurts Part II (On the Run) Young Forever Halo Lift Off

ON TO THE NEXT ONE...