While most of us dread checking our bank account on Monday morning, there’s no doubt Beyonce will be grinning at the sight of hers.
On Saturday night, the singer returned to the stage for the first time in more than four years, performing at the grand reveal of Atlantis the Royal, a new luxury resort in Dubai.
Beyonce was paid a reported $35 million for a one-hour show attended by more than 1000 people, including celebrities and “special guests,” as noted in a press release.
In the hour-long set the singer performed 19 songs from her back catalogue, opening with a stirring rendition of Etta James’ At Last.
She was also joined on stage by her oldest daughter, 11-year-old Blue Ivy, for a live performance of Brown Skin Girl, from Beyonce’s soundtrack to Disney’s 2019 remake of The Lion King.
Beyoncé and daughter Blue Ivy Carter perform on stage headlining the Grand Reveal of Dubai’s newest luxury hotel, Atlantis The Royal on January 21, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images forCredit: Getty
The show was shrouded in secrecy, with a limited release of tickets available to a star-studded guest list, which included Kendall Jenner, Black Panther star Letitia Wright and British boxer Amir Khan.
There were also a smattering of Australian guests, with Rebel Wilson, Olympia Valance, and Sonia Kruger all receiving an invitation.
Also on the list was Scott Cam. Who knew Beyonce was such a big fan of The Block?
While Beyonce’s lavish return to the stage, complete with fireworks, dance troupes and multiple outfit changes, was predictably spectacular, it did raise some eyebrows, due to the United Arab Emirates’ stance on homosexuality and the fact the 41-year-old has long positioned herself as a champion for LGBTQ communities.
Beyonce’s single Break My Soul, released in June, was hailed as “awe-inspiring” by NME.
In 2019, she was awarded the Vanguard Award at the GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Media Awards for helping accelerate acceptance for the LGBTQ community, and her 2022 album, Renaissance, was celebrated as a love letter to black and queer dance music pioneers.
Which makes it all the more curious that Beyonce, who once said “LGBTQ rights are human rights”, would perform an exclusive concert in the United Arab Emirates, where homosexuality is illegal and considered a crime punishable by death.
Unsurprisingly, Beyonce’s $35 million set did not include any material from Renaissance, even though the lead single, Break My Soul, is the singer’s most recent and most high-profile hit.
Beyonce’s high-profile payday follows controversy around the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and an increased interest in the ambassadors-for-sale model becoming popular in the Middle East.
During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, several famous ex-footballers, including David Beckham and Australia’s Tim Cahill, came under fire for accepting ambassadorships despite the country’s repressive stance on LGBTQ rights, its human rights record and allegations of mistreatment of migrant workers.
Fans were quick to question Beyonce’s decision to perform in the UAE, noting that other artists had opted to cancel concerts in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia over the countries’ serious human rights violations.
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