The Run Ends: Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s On The Run Tour
The most discussed tour of the year had its finale Tuesday as music industry power couple Jay-Z and Beyoncé stopped in San Francisco for their On The Run Tour. This tour is powered by two albums introduced to listeners in revolutionary ways: Magna Carta Holy Grail and Beyoncé. Jay-Z released Magna Carta Holy Grail exclusively for Samsung customers before releasing it to the general public. Beyoncé surprisingly unveiled her visual album. Once the announcement was made about the couple touring together for the first time, they instantly became a hot topic before deploying on their nationwide tour at outdoor stadiums. Despite divorce rumors swirling, Mr. and Mrs. Carter looked happy as ever, giving a flawless performance to a sold-out crowd at AT&T Park.
The “Beyhive” came out in full force sporting the singer’s merchandise like her “Surfboard” and “I Woke Up Like This” t-shirts, while Jay-Z’s fans threw up his infamous diamond as they walked to their seats. Fans from all across the Bay Area were ready to witness one of the most iconic tours to date.
The stage was set as the first message on the jumbotron read “This Is Not Real Life” followed by a video montage played to introduce the stars as an outlaw couple on the run. When you are two of the biggest names in music history, you don’t need an opening act for your show. The two opened their set with their hit song, “Bonnie and Clyde,” fitting to the show’s theme of a couple in a ride-or-die relationship.
The duo stood on a stage in a fashionable sense as Jay-Z wore his jewelry gleaming at the audience and Beyoncé rocked a scantily clad fishnet leotard and ski mask. They quickly changed tempos as they performed their hits “Upgrade U” and “Crazy in Love.” These songs sent the crowd into a frenzy as Bey showcased her wild dance moves in a Sasha Fierce and Yoncé style. The couple went on to perform around forty hit songs together and separately, as the film montage played scenes throughout the show.
The Jiggaman brought out his Brooklyn roots as he performed a string of hits such as “Show Me What You Got” and “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me).” Once Hov had the whole audience singing, “Gimme that funk, that sweet, that nasty, that gushy stuff,” he then performed his latest hit “Tom Ford,” as Bey and her dancers joined him back on stage. The singer and her army dancers strutted across stage as she sang, “Run the World (Girls)” before going into her latest female anthem “Flawless.”
The couple went through a number of wardrobe changes including Jay-Z wearing a “99 Problems” jersey during one set and Beyoncé wearing a bedazzled leather jacket with the name “Texas” on the back. Jay kept his attire classy and hip, while his wife showed off her voluptuous body; making girls long to hit the gym and causing guys to stare awestruck. Bey’s microphone was also made of gold, a color fit for Queen B.
Beyoncé and her dancers
The Carters kept the party jumping through their individual sets. Yoncé and her dancers transitioned from island dutty wine to pole dancing accompanying “Baby Boy” and “Partition” respectively. Jay on the other hand attempted to inspire the masses while performing “Dirt Off Your Shoulder.” During his performance of “No Church in the Wild,” the man from Marcy Projects stopped to give the audience a message, “For anyone who has ever had a dream, make sure you dream big Bay Area.” The two showed affection to each other as they performed “Drunk in Love” and “Holy Grail,” spiting naysayers and tabloids.
The lovey-dovey duo
The Carters had some surprises as well. Beyoncé performed a cover of Lauryn Hill’s hit song, “Ex-Factor.” Jay kept the fun alive as well playing Too Short’s anthem, “Blow the Whistle.” Fans hoped to see the Bay Area legend on stage as well, but appreciated the rapper’s salute to the Bay Area.
The film continued to play on the screen, giving the audience a different perspective of the couple. The two were in scenes of robberies, car chases, mug shots, sex, money, and violence. The last message displayed “Die in love and live forever,” as the scenes faded to black.
To end the show, Jay and Bey sang their signature closing songs, “Part II On The Run,” “Young Forever,” and “Halo” as everyone viewed home videos of Blue Ivy play across the screen. The audience had the chance to see parts of the superstar couple’s personal life including clips of family vacations and Blue’s first steps. The last message on the screen read, “This is real life,” a nice contrast between the show’s theme and their reality. The couple hugged, laughed, held hands, and gave each other a sweet kiss before thanking the audience for attending the show.
Beyoncé sings “Love On Top”
If you weren’t a huge fan of these two icons before, this show could make you one. The tour was sold out all over America and will have a final show in Paris, France in September. After the second San Francisco show on Wednesday, Mrs. Carter took to her Instagram page with the caption, “Thank you San Fran. Your city is beautiful. It was the perfect place to complete the best tour of my life.”
