10 June 2025

Beyoncé launched the European stretch of her “Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin Circuit” tour in London last week, transforming Tottenham Hotspur Stadium into a jubilant ode to the Black pioneers of country music. Striding onstage in a white, jewel-studded bodysuit with fringe chaps, she opened the nearly three-hour set with “Ameriican Requiem,” bidding farewell to the genre’s history of exclusion while heralding a more inclusive future. A poignant cover of the Beatles’ “Blackbird” followed, spotlighting rising Black women in country and underscoring the civil-rights roots of the song. Throughout the night Beyoncé rode a mechanical bull, soared above the crowd in a vintage car and giant horseshoe, and stitched together classics and fresh cuts that spanned gospel, R&B, and country. Fans – many decked in Stetsons – flocked from around the globe, a fervor reflected in Shopify data showing cowboy-hat sales up 288 percent year-over-year. The 43-year-old superstar, who recently became the first Black woman to win a Grammy for Best Country Album, shared the stage with daughters Blue Ivy, 13, and Rumi, 7, during “Protector.” After six record-setting London dates, she heads to Paris for three shows, one coinciding with Juneteenth – a fitting tribute to freedom and the enduring contributions of Black artists to American music. To read more exclusive articles and latest news, see our last issue here. Never miss a story… Follow us on: Instagram: @Maverick.mag Twitter: @Maverick_mag Facebook: Maverick Magazine Media Contact Editor, Maverick Magazine Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 920 Email: editor@maverick-country.com