Beyoncé has officially made her Olympic debut. While the generational talent won’t be competing in the Summer Games in Paris, she did manage to give the crème de la crème of America’s athletes an introduction fit for champions.
On Friday (July 26), NBC surprised opening ceremony viewers with a pre-recorded two-minute video helmed by the singer as she presented Team USA to the world.
Members of the women’s and men’s gymnastics teams, track and field all-stars, basketball legends, and more were highlighted in the red, white, and blue Americana-themed intro. The global icon herself wore a USA leotard, a patriotic cowboy hat, cowboy boots, and a bellowing red, white, and black kaftan as she danced, snapped, and clapped. Beyoncé’s fans have already dubbed the sporting gauntlet the #Beylympics.
“Get a look at America, y’all. These hopes and dreams, these superstars that represent us, the people of this big, bold, beautiful, complicated nation,” she says. The video extends the run of Beyoncé’s latest album COWBOY CARTER too, as the commercial is set to the tune of the rock-inspired track “YA YA.”
A montage of clips seen throughout the promotional piece showed some of the Paris Games qualifiers, such as Caeleb Dressel, Simone Biles, Coco Gauff, Sha’Carri Richardson, Noah Lyles, LeBron James, and Katie Ledecky, mid-competition and draped in the American flag.
“We’ve got big dreamers who fought their whole lives to get here, who gave up everything for one shot and made it. That pride and that joy—that’s what gets me about this team. And that’s what makes me believe in this team. And that’s why I can’t wait to see what they pull off over these next 16 days. America, give it up for Team USA, the very best of who we are,” continues the Recording Academy’s most-awarded artist. As the grand welcome concludes she says, “What a vision to behold. What a team to believe in. What a night to celebrate.”
Although Friday marked the start of The Games, some events began on Wednesday (July 24). Athletes will be competing for medals in more than 300 disciplines before the closing ceremony on August 11.
Watch Beyoncé introduce Team USA below.