Beyoncé performs Cowboy Carter for first time with surprise family appearance
Beyoncé has taken to the stage for her first ever performance of her country music album Cowboy Carter at the NFL Christmas Day BMW halftime show, and fans are fanning big time.
The Texas Hold ‘Em hitmaker, 43, strutted her stuff in her home town of Houston in the halftime break of the Baltimore Ravens vs Houston Texans game, which came after the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Riding a white horse – of course – backstage, Beyonce opened her set with 16 Carriages, wearing a dramatic white feathered outfit and cowboy hat. She then dismounted the horse, and continued with her Beatles cover of Blackbird.
Beyonce then officially arrived on the pitch wearing a white long-sleeved corset and chaps to perform with a huge brass band and dancers all around her.
The star performed a number of her new tracks including Levi Jeans – joined by Post Malone in a duet by a pickup truck – and Sweet Honey Buckin’.
Jolene – her cover of Dolly Parton’s hit – saw the megastar sing from the back of the truck, flanked by a marching band.
The main event came when her daughter Blue Ivy, 12, joined her on the pitch and danced alongside her like she did on the Renaissance Tour.
Then came the grand finale in Texas Hold ‘Em, with Beyonce saying it would only be right for her to perform it for the first time in the US state and at Christmas.
At the end of the show, Beyonce was elevated to the roof of the stadium on a platform in an impressive finale.
Elsewhere, Mariah Carey performed her 1994 hit All I Want For Christmas Is You in a pre-recorded festive video filmed on top of a sky-scraper.
This isn’t the first time Beyonce has performed during an NFL halftime show, as she took to the stage for the 2013 Super Bowl with her Destiny’s Child band members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.
In 2016 she also made an appearance at Coldplay’s star-studded Super Bowl performance, which also featured Bruno Mars.
This appearance comes after Beyonce’s husband Jay-Z was accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
The rapper denied accusations he raped a 13-year-old girl at the MTV Music Awards in 2000 as soon as allegations broke on December 8.
In a previous statement on X, Carter said that he and Beyoncé will have to sit their children Blue Ivy, and twins Rumi and Sir, seven, down to explain the allegations – which he has always denied.
‘My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people. I mourn yet another loss of innocence,’ he said on X.
‘Children should not have to endure such at their young age. It is unfair to have to try to understand inexplicable degrees of malice meant to destroy families and human spirit.
‘My heart and support goes out to true victims in the world, who have to watch how their life story is dressed in costume for profitability by this ambulance chaser in a cheap suit.’
Since the lawsuit came to light, the unnamed woman has admitted to inconsistencies in her account of the night 24 years ago.
Just after the claims were made, Jay-Z took to the red carpet with Beyonce and their daughter Blue to celebrate her film debut in The Lion King: Mufasa, putting on a united front.
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