Cowboy Collabs, Houston History, Blue Ivy, and ‘Blackbiird’: Best Moments of ‘Beyoncé Bowl’

Twenty years ago, Beyoncé rode into Houston’s NRG Stadium on the back of a palomino horse. She smiled wide and waved out to her hometown audience as she was guided toward the stage for her first solo performance at the Houston Rodeo. Last night, she made another horseback entrance at the stadium — not as a rodeo performer, but as the NFL Christmas Gameday halftime show headliner. This was the Beyoncé Bowl.

Beyoncé didn’t wait for the white stallion to lead her through the tunnels towards the field to begin singing. There was no grinning and gesturing, only a once-in-a-lifetime performer showing up to do what she does best on a level all of her own. Her mic was already in hand as she delivered the live debut of “16 Carriages,” one of the earliest Cowboy Carter singles released back when the album was still being referred to as Act II. There’s a lyric of the song that doesn’t make it into the medley but thoroughly sums up the performance: “Ain’t got time to waste. I got art to make.”

Over the course of about 15 minutes, Beyoncé performed nearly a dozen songs from Cowboy Carter for the first time, plus a Renaissance-era one-off. A few special guests — including Blue Ivy, Shaboozey, and Post Malone — played a role in cracking the world of the album wide open on the field. But it was the nods hidden in the intricate details of the performance that really brought the history woven throughout the record to life.

Here are the best moments of the Beyoncé Bowl, which is heading to Netflix later this week as a standalone special.

Beyoncé’s “Blackbiird” Flies Into the Light With Four Rising Country Stars
“You were only waiting for this moment to arise.” The lyric from the Beatles’ “Blackbird” was penned by Paul McCartney in the summer of 1968 as part of the record’s observation of a collective yearning for freedom during the American civil rights movement. Beyoncé placed emphasis on that collective as she performed her version of the record, alternately titled “Blackbiird,” alongside Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts. The rising country stars marched alongside Beyoncé in matching all-white outfits, their harmonies tight and eyes gleaming. With Beyoncé expected to pivot to a third genre following Cowboy Carter, the moment felt like a genuine passing of a blazing torch that was lit for that very purpose: to kick down doors and lead the way.

Beyoncé Declares NRG Stadium Her House
In 2023, Beyoncé officially concluded the Renaissance era with the release of a feature-length documentary that chronicled the making and execution of its accompanying stadium tour. During the credits of the film — which was released only in theaters — the bass-thumping, horn-filled song “My House” blared through the room. When Beyoncé transitioned from the Cowboy Carter standout “Ya Ya” into “My House,” it was a thrilling curveball. She hasn’t acknowledged the documentary since its release, mostly meaning she hasn’t set a digital or streaming release date for it despite endless requests (read: begging) from fans. Many assumed she forgot about the song, too. The NRG Stadium audience holding up signs to spell “My House” from the stands made for an instantly classic shot.

Beyoncé Bowl? It’s Blue Ivy’s Bowl, Too
Blue Ivy first started performing with Beyoncé during the Renaissance tour. The musician was hesitant about allowing her eldest daughter to enter that space as a dancer. It’s a powerful creative outlet, but it comes with plenty of pressure and scrutiny. She would know. But Blue Ivy is her mother’s daughter, so she put in the work. It all led to this moment when she appeared in a sea of dancers positioned right behind Beyoncé and hitting every choreographed movement with the hunger and command of a true performer. And while Blue Ivy held her own alongside the other dancers, the advantage of her nepotism afforded one of the sweetest moments in the set: the Blue and Bey do-si-do during “Texas Hold ‘Em.” Turning each other ’round and ’round, Beyoncé tweaked the lyrics to quip: “Swing me in the middle, Blue, I can’t read your mind.”

Cowboy Carter Is a History Lesson First and a Masterclass Album Second
There was a lot of movement during Beyoncé’s halftime show. There were floating platforms, moving stages, and dozens of dancers on the field. As cars drove through the field while a marching band performed on either side during “Jolene,” the camera cut to a waving Ja’Dayia Kursh — Arkansas’ first Black rodeo queen. Also present were Mexican Cowgirl Melanie Rivera, the Bull-riding legend Myrtis Dightman, Jr. — the Jackie Robinson of Rodeo — and Miss Rodeo Texas Princess 2004 and Miss Rodeo Texas 2015, Nikki Woodward. And the flowers adorning the carriage wheels and stairs on her main stage platform called back to the flower-covered carts and wagons used in the earliest Juneteenth parades in Texas from 1895 through the early 1900s.

The Cowboy Carter‘s Cowboy Collaborators
Few artists have had a better 2024 than Shaboozey. He started the year performing “A Bar Song” at a showcase before it was released and became the chart-topping, history-making record we know it as now. The set caught the attention of an A&R who put the country musician on Beyoncé’s radar. This resulted in his appearances on “Spaghettii” and “Sweet * Honey * Buckiin’” on Cowboy Carter, both of which are nominated at the 2025 Grammy Awards. Both records made it into the halftime set in a medley that also included “Riiverdance” — and Shaboozey making a killer appearance. Beyoncé stayed by his side for a brief moment before strutting off, but the camera stayed locked on him as he rapped his ““Sweet * Honey * Buckiin’” verse. To be able to hold an audience’s attention so strongly, even in the presence of such a commanding performer, is a feat. It doesn’t get sweeter than that.

Post Malone received the gift of pressure in having to follow up that moment in the set. But the live debut of “Levii’s Jeans” was a smooth chaser. Beyoncé started the song dancing in front of a denim-covered pickup truck with Texas plates. And waiting for her in the bed of the truck was a smooth-talking Posty evoking screams from the audience. His white bedazzled blazer glimmered just like hers beneath the lights. And when he finished his verse, he watched on in awe as Beyoncé picked up her next one. For that moment, he had the best seat in the house. Their brief back-and-forth exchange that followed was one of the most charismatic scenes of the entire set.