While the costumes were different - less Black Panthers, more Bolero -- the tune still served as a potent warning shot:
The two-hour set wasn’t going to be like those on her previous tours, where she drew the audience into her fantastical world of sleek pop hits, slickly choreographed dance routines and easy platitudes.
[...] it was something more real - a messy, pyrotechnic fueled rampage that saw the 34-year-old singer-songwriter-supernatural force stand in front of 45,000 people and reckon with everyday issues like martial strife, injustice and lost hope.
"Today I regret the night I put that ring on, Beyoncé belted with scorn on the new anthem "Sorry, as her all female crew of backup dancers defiantly raised their middle fingers.
The song comes from Beyoncé’s sixth studio album, “Lemonade,” which she dropped unannounced last month immediately following an HBO special.
More surprising than its delivery was its subject matter - a frank look at her disintegrating marriage with the rapper and mogul Jay Z, laced with accusations of infidelity and deceit.
The songs were delivered in lengthy suites that dug deep into Beyoncé’s shifting emotional states -- denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance - while blending seamlessly into one via medleys and mash-ups.
[...] she walked off the stage and let his original recording of “Purple Rain” play straight through as the video monitors glowed violet and thousands of smartphones illuminated the stadium stands.
