A few thoughts on the Beyoncé Bowl, her halftime performance anchoring two Netflix live streamed Xmas NFL games in 2024.
Not sure who on the Beyoncé or Netflix team dreamed this up but they deserve massive credit for this event.
Flawless stadium level spectacle is hard to beat, and they delivered on a dizzying array of levels.
Music, props, dancers, horse wranglers, costume, lights, pyrotechnics and aerial, it was a joy to see so many artists employed to do what they do best. At a time when recessions and profit lines dictate so much of what art is even made, seeing so many working performers in one place was actually thrilling. Add to that the level of detail in every frame (denim covered pickup truck!) and you can understand why Beyoncé has become such a cultural phenomenon.
It’s arguable that alot of Beyoncé’s identity was formed by her Houston hometown. It was surely an emotional moment for the singer whose country music hit Texas Hold’em has not so much unsettled as forcibly expanded the already hesitantly evolving cultural landscape of the American West.
As a country music fan myself, artists like her and Shaboozey (whose Bar Song makes me smile everytime!) have brought what I love about the genre to a wider audience. That’s a good thing.
