Review & Setlist: Beyonce takes a romp through time and space for stunning show at Gillette

Beyonce at Gillette Stadium, Tuesday, Aug. 1

As Beyoncé sings in “Summer Renaissance,” “The category is Bey.” If Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour shows anything, it’s that the singer is truly in a league of her own.

Beyoncé’s Tuesday show marked her return to Gillette Stadium after five years. The two-and-a-half hour performance was an act of pure visual and musical spectacle that displayed an artist at the top of her game — while highlighting those who paved the way.

Beyoncé’s 2022 album, “Renaissance,” is a forward-thinking sprawl through the history of dance music with a focus on Black and queer innovation: “Thank you to all of the pioneers who originate culture, to all of the fallen angels whose contributions have gone unrecognized for far too long. This is a celebration for you,” the singer wrote on her website. 

The concept is fleshed out in an immersive, optically stunning live show, with towering set pieces and custom couture galore. Beyoncé’s powerful live vocals put her versatility on full display, from dynamic ballads to dance anthems (and yes, she opens for herself). The singer is accompanied by a slew of dancers and a full band, including a horn section, guitar, and drums. 

Thanks to the performers, the energy radiating off the circular stage is electric, felt from the “Renaissance Club” surrounding the stage to the very back balcony of Gillette. But this was mirrored by Beyoncé’s devoted “Beyhive,” adorned in fringed cowboy hats, decorated fans, and glitter. No club anthem is complete without the roar of the crowd, and the Beyhive was certainly prepared, from the syllabic “HEATED” outro to the key changes in “Love on Top.”

The show is broken up into acts with names like “Opulence” and “Anointed,” each denoted with visuals on the enormous screens surrounding the stage. These sometimes ran long (one of the segments was played twice consecutively), and were clearly a cover for costume changes en masse. But the Beyhive, who eagerly await Renaissance music videos, were never deterred.

Like its corresponding album, Renaissance finds its core in paying homage to those who came before. Beyoncé interpolated some of her own songs with those of her predecessors, which felt like an impactful and fresh way to enjoy familiar hits. Beyoncé’s 2011 smash “Love on Top” was paired with the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back,” and “I Care” saw a bit of Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High.” The show also sprinkled in tributes to Madonna, Diana Ross, Grace Jones, and Erkyah Badu (but notably, skipped Lizzo). 

Beyoncé’s allusions are certainly not imitations and barely covers, but feel like something novel, and, paradoxically, forward-looking. The show uses more than just futuristic visuals, but thematically anticipates the future of music while honoring the past. Beyoncé herself brings in an element of a new generation through a dance cameo from her 11-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy. 

It’s a symbolic moment of passing the torch, and a sweet moment between mother and daughter. As Blue Ivy exited the stage, she employed what is becoming her signature sign-off — heart hands and a peace sign.

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For the first (and only) time of the night, her mother snapped out of her performer persona, giggling with pride. In breaking character, Beyoncé showed the very reason why thousands flocked to Gillette Stadium Tuesday night —  a display of intergenerational humanity and joy.

Setlist for Beyonce at Gillette Stadium, Aug. 1, 2023

OPENING ACT: The Signboard

• Dangerously in Love (Destiny’s Child)
• Flaws and All
• 1+1
• I’m Going Down (Rose Royce cover)
• I Care
• River Deep, Mountain High (Tribute to Tina Turner)

RENAISSANCE

• I’m That Girl
• Cozy 
• Alien Superstar
• Lift Off (JAY Z & Kanye West cover) 
• 7/11

MOTHERBOARD

• Cuff It
• Energy
• Break My Soul

OPULENCE

• Formation

• Diva
• Run the World (Girls)
• My Power
• Black Parade
• Savage (Megan Thee Stallion cover) 
• Partition

ANOINTED

• Church Girl
• Get Me Bodied
• Before I Let Go (Maze featuring Frankie Beverly cover)
• Rather Die Young
• Love on Top
• Crazy in Love

ANOINTED – PT. 2

• Plastic Off The Sofa
• Virgo’s Groove
• Naughty Girl
• Move
• Heated

MIND CONTROL

• America Has a Problem
• Pure/Honey
• Summer Renaissance

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