C'mon ladies let's get in formation.

Holy shit Beyonce.

I was blessed enough to get tickets to the Formation World Tour that hit the Rogers Centre last night. This is because I'm blessed enough to have my friend AlieMalie who figured out the pre-sale code and bought two tickets to the Toronto show and two tickets to a Chicago show for herself.

Then I was blessed enough to bring my friend Justin, who loves loves loves Beyonce and it was super great to make a person's dream come true by saying "Hey do you wanna be my +1 for BEYONCE?"

If you are a long-time friend of this blog, you'll know that I've always identified myself as an indie rock chick.  My diehard musical snobbery of my teens/twenties has dwindled.  I'm kind of happy that now I'll listen to pretty much everything.  I love Katy Perry, P!nk, Kesha, and Drake (especially Drake).  Heck, like the rest of the world I enjoy the new Bieber songs.  (Everyone does, right?)  So yes, I'm a bit of a pop fan now and I'm thankful I've loosened up on the snobbery.  This is more fun.

However, Beyonce transcends pop music.  I knew her singles with Destiny's Child and from her solo albums, but it wasn't until 2013's eponymous Beyonce album that I really got into.  Long story short, I was bummed about something, my dear friend AlieMalie said "you should listen to the song Flawless, it's a feminist masterpiece" and boom, life changed.  Then, the Queen goes out and makes the Lemonade album/video which is an artistic masterpiece.  Best rock song of the year? On Lemonade. Best country song of the year?  On Lemonade.   Best gospel vocals of the year? On Lemonade.  I know that I'd adore this album at my height of music snobbery because I could always appreciate great art.

When it comes to shows, for much of my life, I would mainly only see bands that would have to set up their equipment themselves with the odd musical festival thrown in.  Most of the bands I follow have graduated from shitty basement bars and back rooms to comfy theatres like the Danforth Music Hall or Massey Hall.  In the case of Metric, they can even support stadium tours.  However, it's always great when I can catch a show at Lee's Palace or the Horseshoe Tavern.

I went to my real first pop concert last year.  It was a 90s throwback of Nelly/TLC/NKOTB and was hella fun.  Then I saw Mariah frickin Carey in Las Vegas which was a total spectacle.  But last night's show?  Oh my goodness.  That was something.

The show mixed visuals with amazing dance numbers, vocals, and spectacle.  I don't want to spoil anything, but for the last set of songs, part of the stage TURNED INTO A POOL, and Bey and her dancers danced in the water and it was transcendent.

The Queen is also genuine and charming and her message of powerful feminism, empowerment, and owning your life and sexuality as a women is so fucking necessary.  Not to mention her celebration of woman of colour.  I loved that her drummer, guitar player, and dancers were all black women and like Lemonade, the show was a celebration of black women who have so fewer opportunities.  I love Lemonade but I know it wasn't made for me.

Everything Beyonce is amazing.  Bow down.  When is the next world tour?