While most of us hate seeing our bank balance on Mondays, Beyoncé will probably glow when she sees hers. On Saturday night, the singer took the stage again for the first time in more than four years to perform at the grand opening of Atlantis the Royal, a new luxury resort in Dubai.
A press release said Which Beyonce was paid $35 million for an hour-long show seen by more than 1,000 peopleincluding celebrities and “special guests.”
During the hour-long set, the singer sang 19 songs from her old catalog, starting with a rousing version of At Last by Etta James. Her eldest daughter, Blue Ivy, who is 11 years old, joined her on stage for a live performance of Brown Skin Girl from Beyonce’s soundtrack for Disney’s 2019 remake of The Lion King.
If you want to read more about Beyonce, we have plenty of content:
The show was kept secret and only a small number of stars including Kendall Jenner, Blank Panther star Letitia Wright and Amir Khan were able to get tickets. There were also some Australian guests, such as Rebel Wilson, Olympia Valance and Sonia Kruger. Scott Cam was also on that list.
Beyonce’s lavish return to the stage, including fireworks, group dances and multiple outfit changes, was, as expected, spectacular. However, it raised some eyebrows due to the United Arab Emirates’ stance on homosexuality and the fact that the 41-year-old has long been seen as a champion for LGBTQ communities.
#Beyonce opened her show in Dubai with ‘At Last’ pic.twitter.com/kH71Js6KUE
— Yesha (@YeshaCallahan) January 21, 2023
She won the Vanguard Award at the GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Media Awards in 2019 for her contribution to the acceptance of the LGBTQ community. Her 2022 album Renaissance has been hailed as a love letter to the pioneers of black and queer dance music.
This makes it even weirder that Beyonce, who once said “LGBTQ rights are human rights,” would perform an exclusive concert in the United Arab Emirates, where being gay is against the law and a crime that can kill you.
enjoyed beyonce day in dubai 🤣🎉❤️ pic.twitter.com/KnxdKLXyP4
— Halle (@HalleBailey) January 22, 2023
Beyonce’s $35 million set didn’t include songs from her most recent album, Renaissance, though the lead single, “Break My Soul,” is her biggest and best-known hit.
Beyonce’s big paycheck comes after a major uproar over the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and rising interest in the Middle East for the ambassadors-for-sale model.
Several prominent ex-footballers, such as Australia’s David Beckham and Tim Cahill, faced backlash for being ambassadors for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in a country with a tough stance on LGBTQ rights, a poor track record on in the field of human rights and claims of mistreatment of migrant workers.
Beyoncé’s fans were quick to challenge her decision to play in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), pointing out that other musicians have canceled performances there and in Saudi Arabia because of the serious human rights violations in the country… What do you think of Beyonce’s performance in Dubai? Share your thoughts in the area below.
