‘On The Run’ Review: Bey and Jay Rock Gillette Stadium

Alyssa Taylor ‘17 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

Tuesday Night 8:59 PM

People are milling and seething at Gillette Stadium, buying drinks, food and merchandise. I, myself, am getting ready to buy a poster, so I can have something by which to remember this night. There is a restlessness in the air. People are so excited, and the energy is amazing.

9:00 PM

The stadium goes dark in a flash, and people begin running for their seats as the crowd roars. The stage lights up and out of the darkness two musical legends, or Gods if you will, appear.

And there the magic began.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z, titans of hip hop and R&B, are undoubtedly the music industry’s favorite and most powerful couple. Jay-Z, who’s crafted the Roc Nation empire, and Beyoncé who was recently ranked as the world’s most powerful celebrity by Forbes, owned the stage with a ferocity unlike any other. The the stage was there from the moment they walked out , performing “Bonnie & Clyde 03.” The 43 song, almost 3 hour setlist flowed naturally, with little video interludes (most of them as their gangsta personas, and the last being really adorable home videos of them and Blue). The pace was brisk, as the couple alternated stage times, only sharing the stage for a couple of songs.

The performance was a mix of old favorites and new hits. Jay did “Tom Ford”, “N****s in Paris,” “Izzo (H.O.V.A.),” “Clique,” “On To The Next One”and “Hard Knock Life” among others. Bey performed “Run The World (Girls)”, “Yoncé”, “Single Ladies”, “Ring The Alarm”and everybody’s new favorite “Bow Down/***Flawless.” Bey also did an emotional cover of Lauryn Hill’s “Ex-Factor” that led into an even ore emotional performance of “Resentment.”

The high energy show had the whole crowd rocking. The audience fed off the energy that Beyoncé and Jay gave them and reciprocated it. Fans who were originally there for one artist were rocking out to both by the end of the night. The crowd was swept up in the performance, with many people putting their phones away not even midway through the concert, and only taking them out to put their flashlights on when Jay- Z requested that we light the stadium up, and to record the ending performances.

While they were on stage, the love between them was clear. They smiled, and interacted, and during “Drunk In Love” and “Partition,” neither of them could stop beaming while they were in each other’s presence. The videos of them, both real and fictional, showed the love between them. At the end of the night, Jay thanked the audience for coming to a tour about love, and sharing and celebrating their love.

Really, we should be thanking Beyoncé and Jay-Z for sharing that love with us in the most amazing way possible.