I Am... (Beyoncé tour)

The I Am... Tour was the fourth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé. It was done to support her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce, and included 110 concerts across six continents. The tour began in March 2009 after eight months of preparation and daily rehearsals. Beyoncé called this her best and most theatrical tour so far.

The show featured songs from her previous three albums, some covers, and a Destiny's Child medley. It explored the idea of two "personas"—her real self and her confident stage self, "Sasha Fierce." The performance used two stages, a main one and a smaller B-stage. Beyoncé was supported by an all-female band called The Sugar Mamas (or Suga Mama), female dancers, and a large LED screen. Famous fashion designer Thierry Mugler helped with costumes, choreography, lighting, and production, while Chris March made the costumes stage-ready. For slower songs, she wore longer dresses, while faster songs featured more makeup and revealing outfits.

The tour received high praise from both music journalists and fans, who praised Beyoncé's performance skills. Although a concert in Malaysia was cancelled after some Muslim groups objected to the costumes, the tour was a big success, earning $86.0 million from its first 93 shows. Some performances were broadcast on TV, and two concerts were released as live albums. A special live performance at the I Am... Yours revue was also released on CD and DVD in 2009, and footage from the tour came out on a live album in 2010.

Background

Beyoncé introduced an energetic stage persona called Sasha Fierce during an interview in 2006. This persona was very different from her everyday self, described as bold, powerful, and fearless. Her third album, I Am... Sasha Fierce, featured this alter ego, which she said began when she recorded the song Crazy in Love in 2003.

The tour to support this album was announced in October 2008, with European dates shared in December 2008. Beyoncé performed with an all-female band, just like on her previous tour. The tour started with practice shows in North America in March 2009 and officially began in April 2009 in Croatia. It traveled across six continents and included a special four-night show in Las Vegas. The tour ended in Trinidad and Tobago after 103 performances. During the tour, Beyoncé and her team worked with General Mills on a campaign to give more than 3.5 million meals to food banks across North America. Fans were asked to bring non-perishable food to concerts for this cause.

Development

Beyoncé performed songs from her albums during the I Am... tour, singing on a large staircase at The O₂ Arena in London. She wanted the show to feel emotional and real, showing the sensitive side of her music.

The tour included a special band called Suga Mama with many talented musicians. Beyoncé changed costumes six times during the show, wearing different outfits to match the songs she was singing. The set list had songs from all her albums, plus some special medleys and covers.

Fashion

Thierry Mugler was the main costume designer for Beyoncé's tour. She loved his work after seeing it at a special event in 2008 and worked with him to create costumes that showed two sides of her—soft and strong. The costumes were inspired by ideas like being "feminine" and "fierce."

Beyoncé and her team had a big collection of outfits for the shows. She changed into ten different looks during the performances. The costumes included shiny pieces, fishnets, gloves, and golden outfits that showed off her legs. Critics loved the fashion, comparing her looks to styles from movies and saying she looked like a goddess in some costumes.

Concert synopsis

Beyoncé began her concert by appearing on a smoky stage, singing the start of "Déjà Vu". She wore a gold leotard and performed "Crazy in Love" with dancers, with glitter and confetti falling. She sang "Naughty Girl" with bright orange lights, followed by "Freakum Dress" with a guitarist. Next was "Get Me Bodied", featuring dance routines with her backup dancers.

She then sang songs from the I Am... part of her album, starting with "Smash Into You" on stairs. For "Ave Maria", her dancers changed her dress into a wedding gown. She performed "Broken-Hearted Girl" in a white bustier, and later sang "If I Were a Boy" dressed as a cop. After a video interlude, she appeared in a leopard-print leotard to sing "Diva" and "Radio". She spoke about female empowerment before singing "Me, Myself and I", followed by "Ego" and "Hello".

The concert continued with Beyoncé being lifted by a harness to perform "Baby Boy" high above the audience, then moving to a smaller stage near the crowd. She sang a cover of "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)" by Dawn Penn, followed by a simpler version of "Irreplaceable". She performed "Check On It" and a mix of Destiny's Child songs like "Bootylicious" and "Survivor". For "Say My Name", she asked fans to say her name with her.

The show ended with her singing "At Last", with videos shown behind her. She performed the dance moves of "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" with backup dancers, and finished with a longer version of "Halo", meeting fans in the front rows before saying "I am" and waiting for the crowd to repeat it. The words "I am... yours" appeared on the screen as she left the stage.

Critical response

The I Am... tour by Beyoncé received wonderful reviews from critics. Many writers praised the amazing shows, the high-energy performances, and Beyoncé's powerful voice and dancing. Some said the concerts felt like being at a big Broadway show or a special event. Critics enjoyed the exciting music, the changing costumes, and the well-planned dance moves. They noted how Beyoncé could sing and dance at the same time, making each concert unforgettable. Some also talked about how the tour showed different sides of Beyoncé, mixing fun, powerful moments with more emotional songs. Overall, the tour was seen as a fantastic display of talent and energy.

Commercial performance

Tickets for Beyoncé's tour went on sale in April 2008, and many fans were excited to get them. In May 2009, she offered special low-price tickets for some shows. Because so many people wanted to see her, she added more dates in different parts of the world. Her concert in São Paulo, Brazil, sold out very quickly with over 60,000 people attending. By the end of the tour, she had performed many shows and earned a lot of money, showing just how popular her music was.

The tour was nominated for an award in 2009. In total, the tour helped her earn a lot of money from all the shows she performed.

Main article: Billboard Touring Awards

Controversy in Malaysia

Beyoncé planned to perform in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in October 2009. Some people in Malaysia felt that some of her outfits and dance moves were not suitable for their culture. Because of this, changes were made to her performance to respect local traditions.

The concert was later delayed due to more concerns from some people who thought the show did not match their values. The concert was postponed, and a new date was to be announced later. There were also some concerns in Egypt about her tour there as well. Despite these challenges, many people still saw Beyoncé as a good example because of her success and her work to help others.

Recordings and broadcasts

Main articles: I Am... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas and I Am... World Tour (album)

Beyoncé performing "Crazy in Love" with Jay-Z during the I Am... tour stop at The O2 arena in London

While Beyoncé was on tour, she was asked to do a special show in Las Vegas. She and her team put together a special performance in just seven days, called I Am... Yours. This show was different from her regular tour performances and was held at the Encore Theater in Las Vegas. The show on August 2, 2009 was recorded and later released as a DVD, audio CD, and television special in late November 2009, titled I Am... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas. The DVD was very popular and reached the top spot on the Nielsen SoundScan Music DVD chart. It was later certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Another live CD and DVD of the tour was released as I Am... World Tour in late November 2010. This album included performances from different cities on the tour, along with personal footage of Beyoncé behind the scenes. It was also very successful and became the best-selling DVD in the world in 2010.

Opening acts

The I Am... Tour had many different opening acts in various countries. In North America, the opening act was RichGirl. In Australia, it was Flo Rida and Jessica Mauboy. In Canada, the opening act was Eva Avila. Other countries had their own special opening performers as well.