NEWS
Beyoncé‘s ‘Cowboy Carter’ tour has become the highest-grossing country tour ever.
The 32-show run wrapped up on Saturday (July 26) in Las Vegas with a surprise Destiny’s Child Reunion.
Now, it’s been revealed that the trek grossed $407.6million (£305.5million) with 1.6 million tickets sold, according to Billboard Boxscore.
In making over $400million, the tour has reached a feat that no other country tour ever has, per Pollstar. Bey is also the first American artist to have two separate tours gross over $400 million, with her 2023 ‘Renaissance‘ trek – previously named one of the highest-grossing tours of all time – amassing $579million (£434million) across 56 shows.
The ‘Cowboy Carter’ run is also the shortest tour to ever reach the figure, with its closest competitors lagging far behind. Those include her own previous tour (56 dates), The Rolling Stones’ 2017 – 2021 No Filter Tour (58 dates), and Metallica’s ongoing M72 World Tour (60 so far).
This time around, Bey performed in only nine cities, choosing to play mini-residencies in the likes of Los Angeles, New York City, Atlanta, London and Las Vegas. It was a different approach to the ‘Renaissance’ run, which saw her play 39 cities in 17 countries.
Other surprise guests included Jay-Z, who made a special appearance in Atlanta for ‘Crazy In Love’, followed by solo performances of his own tracks ‘Public Service Announcement’ and ‘I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)’. It came after he previously joined her in France in June, marking their first time sharing a stage in seven years.
Before that, Beyoncé surprised fans once again in Paris, by bringing out Miley Cyrus to perform their collaboration ‘II Most Wanted’ together for the first time.
Beyoncé’s first London date at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this month earned her a glowing five-star review, with Nick Levine writing for NME: “As a performer, she remains pretty much flawless – who else can sing from a bucking mechanical bull without missing a note? And as a creator of stadium spectacle, she keeps getting better. No one leaving this show will be removing their cowboy hat on the ride home.”
In other news, hard drives containing unreleased music from Beyoncé were reportedly stolen out of a rental car during the tour stop in Atlanta.
According to CNN, the vehicle in question was rented by Beyoncé’s choreographer Christopher Grant, who had arrived in Atlanta early to prep for the singer’s mini-residency.
Elton John has shared his family’s yearly summer playlist on the latest episode of his Rocket Hour show on Apple Music, with songs chosen together with his husband David Furnish and their sons, Zachary and Elijah.
During his appearance on Apple Music 1, the musician revealed that the family puts every song suggestion to a vote at home, with a track needing at least three votes before making the final cut. The playlist is packed with energetic songs, matching the family’s love for lively and feel good music throughout the summer.
The playlist brings together different generations and musical styles, combining iconic names from previous decades with newer electronic artists and dance music producers.
Among the songs chosen are Stevie Wonder’s "Higher Ground," Bob Marley & The Wailers' "Could You Be Loved," and Tom Petty’s "Runnin' Down A Dream." John also praised Petty’s music, describing the 1989 album Full Moon Fever as one of the greatest rock albums ever made.
Zachary and Elijah’s musical tastes are also represented, with the playlist featuring current UK club tracks alongside familiar reggae and pop favorites. John singled out "Free Your Mind," the collaboration between Leeds dance duo Prospa and producer Cloonee, as one song his sons especially enjoy.
The broadcast also features a mix of electronic and crossover sounds, including Peggy Gou and Ayra Starr’s "Wo, man," Jamie xx’s "Baddy On the Floor" featuring Honey Dijon, Barry Can’t Swim’s "Return To Bhibo," and Fisher’s reworking of Bob Sinclar’s "World, Hold On." Other artists included in the selection are Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lykke Li, Groove Armada, Kacey Musgraves, Wiz Khalifa, and Role Model.
John noted that the songs played during the radio show are only part of the much larger playlist the family listens to during the summer.
The complete episode of Rocket Hour can be streamed on demand through Apple Music and Apple Podcasts.
