It’s a strange way to start a show, but last night at the Izod Center in New Jersey, there was a hint of exasperation in Beyoncé’s opening words.
“This will be the 56th time I’ve done this show,” she explained to the sold-out — and largely female — crowd.
“I’ve been waiting so long to play my home. I even slept in my bed last night!”
Homesickness might be troubling her, but there were few signs of that during “The Mrs. Carter Show.”
The set was immaculately performed, timed to perfection and served as a comprehensive reminder of why Beyoncé is the definitive pop star of her generation.
Pyrotechnics, giant screens and even her stellar all-female band were never in danger of stealing the limelight.
No matter what she did, all eyes were on Beyoncé and there were plenty of reasons to keep that gaze fixed.
At times, the dance routines choreographed for “Baby Boy” and “Party” defied gravity and body logic and yet, Beyoncé performed them all with the casualness of someone doing a quick workout before heading to work.
Her voice has also rarely sounded so good. During “Why Don’t You Love Me?” she embarked on an electrifying call and response interlude with her backing singers the Mamas while a rendition of “Love On Top” (performed from a second stage at the back of the arena) showed her multi-octave range in all its glory.
The lack of new material could have been a stumbling block, but Queen Bey threw out enough curveballs to keep things interesting.
The sultry R&B of “Naughty Girl” came mixed up with a riff on Donna Summer’s “Love to Love You Baby,” and “Diva” blended in a groove from Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music track “Clique,” but most notably, “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” turned into a surprisingly fitting medley with the theme from The Jeffersons.
For two largely faultless hours, Beyoncé did what we all know she can do. But that also invited the nagging question of where she goes next.
If recent reports of her scrapping 50 songs and starting her overdue album from scratch are true, she doesn’t seem to know herself.
The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour should have been a platform for Beyoncé to unveil the next exciting phase of her glittering career. Instead, it feels like more of a victory lap.
But if she’s coasting, then have no doubt that Beyoncé on autopilot is still more of a spectacle than just about anyone else on planet pop, and those who have tickets to see her perform during her three consecutive nights at Barclays Center (starting Saturday) will not be disappointed.
Sleep well, Bey, it’s good to have you home.