Growing up in Houston, I have a sacred place in my heart for Beyoncé. It’s nearly impossible to escape her influence in the twenty-first century. From her early days in Destiny’s Child to the familiar streets of Parkwood Drive where she grew up, and the iconic hair salon owned by her mother, Queen Bey’s mark is interwoven with the very fabric of our city. For me, this connection to Beyoncé is a source of pride, and I was determined to witness her greatness in person when she went on tour this year, including two Houston dates.

In 2022, the Renaissance album was the soundtrack of my summer. Its songs touch on themes of identity, love, acceptance, and empowerment, sending a powerful message of inclusivity to the LGBTQ+ community, celebrating Black culture, and encouraging self-love and self-expression. Beyoncé’s ability to seamlessly blend these messages into her music is nothing short of genius.

Houston had been buzzing for weeks leading up to Beyoncé’s performance, and the entire Renaissance weekend was a whirlwind of excitement and anticipation. On September 23, Discovery Green hosted a fireworks and drone show to welcome her home, which featured images of her albums and symbols relating to the artist for the beyhive parading across the sky.

I attended the concert on night two. NRG Stadium was filled with people dressed in their best disco space cowboy looks—glitter, silver, cowboy hats, and avant-garde fashion were on full display at the stadium. The building erupted when Beyoncé emerged from below the stage, serenading the audience with the mesmerizing intro to Dangerously in Love, simply saying “I love you” repeatedly.

Following the soul-stirring opening, Queen Bey expressed her profound love for Houston and her excitement to perform in her hometown.

“It feels so good to be home,” Beyoncé said with a warm smile. “Texas, girl! Y’all look so beautiful. I feel so honored to be on this stage tonight. This is my gratitude tour. Every day I get to do what I love and I’m so thankful to each and every human being here that’s been riding with me for so many years, especially right here.”

Beyoncé went on to deliver a sensational opening performance of some of her most cherished songs with lyrics that expressed her love for the city and the concertgoers, including “Flaws and All,” “1+1,” “I’m Going Down,” “I Care,” and a touching tribute to the legendary Tina Turner with her rendition of “River Deep, Mountain High.”

The rest of the concert unfolded as a musical journey through the entire Renaissance album, with the tracks thoughtfully organized into seven distinct acts: Renaissance, Motherboard, Opulence, Anointed, Anointed Pt. 2, Memories Run Through My Wires, and Mind Control. Each one showcased Beyoncé’s unparalleled artistry, seamlessly blending music, visuals, and storytelling to create an unforgettable experience.

And then came the moment we had all been waiting for: the infamous mute challenge, where the audience goes quiet on the “everybody on mute” lyric during the song “Energy.” When the prompt came, the entire stadium fell into hushed silence as if by magic. It was so unbelievable that she did it again toward the end of her show with the same results. She was so surprised that we were officially declared the winners of the challenge.

In a beautiful show of love for Space City, fellow Houston native Megan Thee Stallion joined Beyoncé on stage for a brief, high-energy performance of the “Savage” remix. Bey’s daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, lit up the stadium with her dance performance alongside her mother during “My Power,” resulting in the crowd chanting the young artist’s name for a couple of minutes after the song ended.

Other highlights of the show included electrifying dance breaks from Les Twins, mesmerizing ballroom dance interludes, stunning album visuals, and pyrotechnic displays. Intermissions featured beloved tracks like “Jumpin’, Jumpin’,” “Bootylicious,” “Single Ladies,” “Flawless,” “Yoncé”, and more.

As the night drew to a close, Beyoncé took to the sky and thanked the crowd for their unwavering love and energy. A breathtaking blast of silver confetti erupted, filling the stadium with a magical ambiance.

This concert embodied exactly what it promised: Club Renaissance. Every person in the building moved to the infectious beat of the music while singing along to nonstop hits—a profound show of love for a city that holds Beyoncé so dear to its heart. Thankfully, I had the privilege of witnessing the greatest show ever performed.