MR AND MRS BEYONCé ARE IN PERFECT HARMONY
LIVE: BEYONCé & JAY-Z (Principality Stadium, Cardiff) Verdict: Pop and rap spectacular
LAUNCHING a world tour in South Wales on Wednesday, Beyoncé and Jay-Z made the most of their contrasting strengths to throw down a juggernaut of a show that will take some beating on this summer’s stadium circuit.
The husband and wife have toured together before, on 2014’s On The Run, but this outing, OTR II, is the first time they have played the UK in tandem — and there was nothing understated about a compelling evening.
In front of a predominantly female crowd — there were numerous callouts to ‘all the ladies’ — pop diva Beyoncé and rapper Jay-Z paired their music with stunning visuals.
With a substantial band stationed on gantries that were a throwback to vintage U.S. music show Soul Train, they performed without a break for two and a half hours. The show ebbed and flowed between solo spots and duets, with neither absent from the stage for more than a few minutes.
Jay-Z is electrifying, his loose, off-thecuff style honed by youthful rap battles in his native New York and the arenapleasing skills he’s picked up watching rock acts such as Coldplay and Elbow.
His wife is the ultimate professional, pulling off tightly-drilled routines with a latex-clad troupe of female dancers while singing with power and precision. There were lots of bootylicious costume changes, with one particular Queen Bey outfit a striking combination of cut-off denim shorts, knee-high boots, hooded jacket and lacy veil. The night started strongly, with opener Holy Grail veering off into Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit — there’s a strong rock edge to Jay-Z’s rapping.
Two of the couple’s best known collaborations, ’03 Bonnie & Clyde and Drunk In Love, arrived early on, while a reggae segment included a version of Dawn Penn’s You Don’t Love Me.
The show addressed problems in the couple’s marriage, too, with Jay-Z expressing contrition for alleged infidelity as his wife moved from anger and resentment to forgiveness. Rap is known for its bravado, but there were some surprisingly confessional interludes. In a high-octane concert, these mellower moments were welcome.
But a lively Cardiff crowd had come for the hits. Despite overlooking Hard Knock Life and Halo, the pair gave bang for the crowd’s buck with 99 Problems, Crazy In Love, Déjà Vu and Ed Sheeran’s Perfect. ‘It’s a beautiful night to be on stage with the one I love,’ said Beyoncé as a spectacular rap ’n’ soul revue ended on a soppy but satisfying note. OTR II continues tomorrow in Glasgow (livenation.co.uk).