Beyoncé doesn't have to do much to cause a stir. She can go blonde or holiday in Cuba and the internet will go into a frenzy. However, in February when she announced that 2013's tour would be called The Mrs. Carter Tour, bananas would not describe the reaction. That banana went fritters when it was revealed that Pepsi would be its official sponsor. Who was this Beyoncé? The Beyoncé that dare take her husband's name and use it to brand herself? The Beyoncé that made a quick buck from a sponsorship deal.

All that clatter was instantly forgotten as soon as Mrs. Carter-Knowles stepped on stage and before the first bar of opening number 'Run The World (Girls)' even ended in Dublin's O2. No one can own this woman - she owns everyone in her eyeline.

The first half of the show displayed how ferocious and in command Queen Bey is. 'End of Time', 'Baby Boy' and 'Diva' being particularly stoic. Even the usually slow-paced 'If I Were A Boy' was cranked up a notch as the strings from The Verve's 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' reverberated across the arena.

Visually, the show has taken a grandiose turn. Fire, wildlife footage (the beehive being a notable inclusion), a full-female band and identical twin dancers who would give Jedward a run for their money.

The inevitable ballad section of the night gave the not-so-devotees a chance to run to the bar while Bey brazenly used those pipes that made her so famous on tracks like 'I Miss You' and '1+1'. This was the calm before the storm.

The feverish 'Love on Top' and 'Survivor' initiated the second last segment of the night. And this part of the night meant business. She teased us with a snippet of 'Countdown' (which was never delivered at any other point - BOO) and then 'Crazy In Love' came out of nowhere. 10 years later and it is still iconic. Her second most iconic song, 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)' caused the hysteria to spiral even further, especially when she started how to be "stinky" Southern style. Her new single 'Grown Woman', aka "the Pepsi song", proved its worth in a live setting and hopefully she follows it up with the album she's been promising us for a while.

Finishing with a cover of Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You' and 'Halo', Beyoncé declared that Dublin always feels like home to her. Such was the adrenalin pumping that you would definitely believe those words and when she initiated her own chorus of ‘Olé, Olé, Olé’, you knew she wasn’t faking.

Review by Louise Bruton

 

SETLIST

Run The World (Girls)
• End of Time
• Flaws and All
• If I Were a Boy
• Get Me Bodied
• Baby Boy
• Diva
• Naughty Girl
• Party
• Freakum Dress
• I Care
• I Miss You
• Schoolin' Life
• Why Don't You Love Me
• 1+1
• Irreplaceable
• Love on Top
• Survivor
• Crazy In Love
• Single Ladies
• Grown Woman
• I Will Always Love You
• Halo