Beyoncé’s “Renaissance World Tour” is finally here. Queen Bey took the stage at Stockholm’s Friends Arena today (May 10) to celebrate her acclaimed seventh album, RENAISSANCE. And although the show is advertised as highlighting her most recent Grammy-winning album, the setlist has some members of the BeyHive buzzing that it’s giving farewell tour.
According to Variety, the show opens with soaring ballads including “Dangerously In Love,” “Flaws and All,” and “I Care,” as well as a mashup of her hit “1+1” with Etta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind” (which she covered in Cadillac Records) and Mary J. Blige‘s “I’m Going Down.” RENAISSANCE songs make up a good portion of the setlist as she runs through tracks like “I’M THAT GIRL,” “COZY,” “CUFF IT,” and “ALIEN SUPERSTAR.” But the concert is also a retrospective as she includes songs from every era of her solo career, including offerings that haven’t gotten as much shine like “Rather Die Young” from 4 and “No Angel” from her self-titled LP.
Bey showcasing music from throughout her time in the industry sent some fans into a frenzy about what it all means. “All I’m saying is I’m a bit surprised she opened the show with ballads. It’s giving farewell tour,” one fan wrote on Twitter. “This gives Beyoncé farewell tour vibes fr… She’s so relaxed and her energy is the most chill I’ve ever seen her in concert,” another wrote. “Track list mostly being greatest hits, the dancers in Beyoncé cosplay, yeah this is definitely a farewell tour,” one observer noted. Check out some of the tweets below.
While some fans are prematurely mourning the end of Beyoncé’s career, others believe she’s not going anywhere. “Y’all think Beyoncé is saying farewell at the beginning of every tour. She’s really Tina Turner,” one quipped. “Y’all think 40-year-old Beyoncé is saying farewell forever???? BFFR,” another questioned, as seen below. “That woman wants longevity. She will be back. Enjoy this era, y’all. Goodness.”