Beyoncé served up “Lemonade” to tens of thousands of people on Wednesday night, as her “Formation” World Tour opened at Marlins Park in Miami.
After days of controversy surrounding the album’s lyrical content and the strong suggestion that husband Jay Z had been unfaithful during their marriage, the rapper unsurprisingly kept a low profile. He was spotted in the stadium watching the show with Miami emcee Rick Ross.
Mrs. Carter only made the briefest reference to the drama, by dedicating the closing number “Halo” to her family, and her “beautiful husband.”
For the most part, Beyoncé let the music do the talking. “If you came here to have a good time, say ‘I slay,’” she commanded. Slay she certainly did. The set ran for more than two hours and packed in more than 30 songs from her illustrious history, including “Lemonade” highlights such as “Hold Up” and “6 Inch.” Two fans were invited on stage to dance along to “Single Ladies,” and Beyoncé also threw in the Destiny’s Child classic “Survivor” to gratify her oldest followers.
As expected, the 34-year-old took a moment to honor the late Prince. During one of the show intervals, the giant onstage oblong of screens was turned purple, while the original recording of “Purple Rain” was blasted into the stadium.
Beyoncé recently incurred the wrath of police following her Black Power-themed Super Bowl 50 performance, promoting a Miami police union to call for a boycott of the show. The singer made a nod to the remarks by having “Boycott Beyoncé” T-shirts on sale at merchandise stands in the stadium.
