I Am... (Beyoncé tour)

The I Am... Tour was the fourth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé. It helped show songs from her album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. The tour had 110 concerts in many parts of the world.

The tour started in March 2009. Beyoncé said this was her best and most exciting tour yet.

The show had songs from her past albums, some covers, and a Destiny's Child group performance. It showed two "sides" of Beyoncé — her real self and her strong stage self, "Sasha Fierce." The performance used two stages. Beyoncé had a band called The Sugar Mamas (or Suga Mama), dancers, and a big LED screen. Famous designer Thierry Mugler helped with costumes, choreography, lighting, and production. For slower songs, she wore long dresses. For faster songs, she wore more makeup and different outfits.

The tour was very popular with fans and music writers. One concert in Malaysia was cancelled because some Muslim groups did not like the costumes. But the tour did very well, earning a lot of money. Some shows were shown on TV. Two concerts were saved as live albums. A special show called I Am... Yours was also released on CD and DVD in 2009. Footage from the tour came out as a live album in 2010.

Background

Beyoncé talked about a fun stage persona named Sasha Fierce in 2006. This persona was bold, powerful, and fearless. It was shown on her third album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. The album had a song called Crazy in Love.

The tour for this album was announced in October 2008. Beyoncé sang with an all-female band, like she did before. The tour began with practice shows in North America in March 2009 and officially started in April 2009 in Croatia. It went to six continents and had a special four-night show in Las Vegas. The tour ended in Trinidad and Tobago after 103 shows.

During the tour, Beyoncé and her team worked with General Mills to give more than 3.5 million meals to food banks across North America. Fans could bring non-perishable food to concerts to help this cause.

Development

Beyoncé sang songs from her albums during the I Am... tour. She performed on a large staircase at The O₂ Arena in London. She wanted the show to feel real and show the feelings in her music.

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

Fashion

Thierry Mugler was the main costume designer for Beyoncé's tour. She liked his work and worked with him to make 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 many outfits for the shows. She changed into ten different looks during the performances. The costumes included shiny pieces, fishnets, gloves, and golden outfits. Critics loved the fashion and said she looked like a goddess in some costumes.

Concert synopsis

Beyoncé started her concert on a smoky stage, singing the beginning of "Déjà Vu". She wore a gold leotard and sang "Crazy in Love" with dancers, while glitter and confetti fell. She sang "Naughty Girl" with bright orange lights, followed by "Freakum Dress" with a guitarist. Next was "Get Me Bodied", with dance routines by 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 sang "Broken-Hearted Girl" in a white bustier, and later performed "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 got great reviews. Critics loved the shows, her strong voice, and her dancing. They said the concerts felt like big, special events. People enjoyed the music, the many costumes, and the dance moves. They liked that Beyoncé could sing and dance together, making each show special. The tour showed many sides of Beyoncé, from fun to powerful and emotional songs. Overall, it was a wonderful show 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 around the world.

Her concert in São Paulo, Brazil, sold out very quickly, with many people attending. By the end of the tour, she had performed many shows and earned a lot of money, showing how popular her music was.

The tour was nominated for an award in 2009.

Main article: Billboard Touring Awards

Controversy in Malaysia

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

The concert was later delayed because of 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 did a special show in Las Vegas. She and her team prepared this show in just seven days, called I Am... Yours. This show was different from her regular tour shows 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.

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.

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.