From Texas With Love: Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Performance is Pure Perfection
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I was planning on taking a break this week to celebrate the holidays, but Beyoncé had other ideas. She took over the Halftime Show at the Christmas Day Texans-Ravens NFL game and made attendance worth it for Texan fans. So before I say anything else, let me start with a simple "thank you, thank you to the greatest performer to ever live." Yes, I said it. And if you want to argue, take it up with your mama.
Now, for the Cowboy Carter fans—yes, the album with 11 Grammy nominations—we’ve all been waiting for her to bless us with a performance, and baby, it was EVERYTHING. Beyoncé is not just a singer; she’s the definition of an entertainer. The only thing better than Beyoncé in the studio is Beyoncé in a stadium. The level of her shows are unmatched. She kills a dance break, serves up stunning conceptual themes, rocks flawless looks, and delivers vocals that will leave you breathless—all this 27 years into her career. She’s the “number one pop star of the century” for a reason.
Alright, let’s get into it. She opens the show singing “16 CARRIAGES,” one of my favorite tracks from the album, while riding into the stadium on a horse—draped in white ostrich feathers and a matching cowboy hat. She floats over the red and white stripes, serving up visuals that represent Texas and cowboy culture, both past and present, with low riders and horses. Then she transitions into “BLACKBIIRD,” where she’s joined by four incredibly talented Black country women—Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts, and Brittney Spencer—dressed in white and harmonizing beautifully.
What follows is an ELECTRIC performance by the Queen of Pop herself. Every detail is intentional, even down to the transitions. After bringing in the ladies to sing their rendition of “Blackbird,” Beyoncé masterfully uses her Lemonade hit “Freedom” to lead into “YA YA”—and the symbolism? It’s slapping you in the face. YA YA is the first song she sings live in the stadium, and considering “Freedom” was used as Vice President Harris’s campaign anthem, that’s saying something. And just to be clear, with Beyoncé, the mic is ALWAYS on.
Then she hits us with a full marching band and dancers, giving me major Homecoming vibes, as she performs “My House”—MY HOUSE!! IN HER HOMETOWN OF HOUSTON!??! She is ELITE. AN ICON. NO ONE CAN TOUCH HER. SHE IS MY MOTHER. And speaking of motherhood, Blue Ivy joins her to tear up the choreography. The state’s greatest PR asset Beyoncé has always repped Houston, Texas, but what I love about this phase of her career is how she’s also putting on for the artists around her.
As she transitions into a “RIIVERDANCE”/”SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIN'“ melody, she approaches a man in a long white trench coat, who turns out to be none other than Shaboozey—the man with one of the longest-running number one songs in Billboard history. Yeah, the same guy who got snubbed by the CMAs this year, alongside Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album, which didn’t even get a nomination. But considering Beyoncé opens the album with “AMERIICAN REQUIEM,” where she sings about the disrespect she faced performing at the CMAs in 2016, we really shouldn’t be surprised.
Okay, enough about the CMAs—back to the performance. Beyoncé brings out Post Malone for their duet “LEVII’S JEANS,” which is beautifully done. And when Post says “yes ma’am” after their performance? I was grinning from ear to ear. I loved seeing all the artists she collaborated with, but Miley’s absence? Definitely felt that one. But hey, we gotta save something for the Grammys, right? Right, Beyoncé?
Then we get to the grand pageantry of it all: a full rodeo parade led by two rodeo clowns holding a sign that reads “HO HO HO-DOWN,” while Beyoncé, perched on the back of a car, belts out her version of the country classic “Jolene.” And yes, the first Black rodeo queen is part of this parade. The intentionality in every moment? That’s what separates Beyoncé from the pack.
Now, I’ve got no real complaints about this performance—except as a “TYRANT” stan, the fake-out with Dolly Parton’s voice from the intro of the song and no actual performance of it did sting. But it all led to the show’s epic conclusion.
"Honored to be in Texas," Beyoncé says before launching into “TEXAS HOLD ’EM,” the lead single from Cowboy Carter. She announces, “It’s only right that we do ‘TEXAS HOLD ’EM’ for the first time in Houston, Texas, on Christmas.” Dancing alongside her daughter Blue, with a smile as wide as Texas, she pours her heart into the performance. And just when you think it’s over, we get a little “Break My Soul” sample in the back of the “PONY UP” remix to tie it all together, showing how these projects are interconnected.
But after almost 13 minutes of pure extravagance, we reach the finale. Beyoncé, in true form, gets lifted into the air and hits a vocal scale that we can only dream of attempting. And as the performance ends, she floats with a sign dropping down reading “Bang,” leaving us all in awe.
I’ve watched this performance countless times, and I’m still in shock. Beyoncé has no peers. The level she’s on is untouchable. She’s not just relying on her talent, but on her intentionality, her work ethic, and her love for what she does. In the Renaissance film—please, Beyoncé, or your team, can we get this on streaming or a DVD or something?—she gives us a peek into how she creates these monumental shows, just like she did in Homecoming on Netflix. Every detail is calculated with care. While the all-white cowboy aesthetic of this performance was visually stunning and meaningful, it was also Beyoncé’s loud, unapologetic “fuck you” to the haters and the CMAs as she proudly declares, “country is Black!”
And if that wasn’t enough, she teased an announcement for January 14, 2025. Some are speculating it’s a Cowboy Carter performance or tour—or maybe even the long-awaited third act. Either way, I will be front and center, ready to empty my pockets if Beyoncé calls.