Never have Beyoncé’s instantly iconic “Texas Hold ‘Em” lines, “there’s a tornado in my city/ hit the basement, that s*** ain’t pretty,” been more fitting than when that exact sort of storm threatened to ruin the start of a three-night Solider Field stand on the colossal “Cowboy Carter” Tour, which continues on Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18.

Not since Taylor Swift has any artist pulled off a similar feat of extraordinary ticket sales, and outside of those two superstars, no one right now is likely capable of doing the same, although opening night almost didn’t happen after the seating area of the stadium was evacuated due to a ominous radar and plague-like downpour.

Yet Queen Bey was even able to keep a natural disaster at bay, and as for the majority who persevered, remarked at one point, “ya all are ride or die,” acknowledging attendees likely had to get up for work or take children to school not too long beyond the 1 a.m. ending time, but then again, the BeyHive is a fiercely loyal and unbreakable community who would likely testify it was well worth the sleep deprivation.

That’s because Beyoncé, a company of dancers, massive live band, alongside cameos by daughters Blue Ivy and Rumi, slayed for nearly three hours, making their way all around the standard, video walled-stage, a diamond-shaped runaway and balcony-level platform the headliner reached by flying through the air on a mechanical horseshoe.

However, her latest history-making, boundary-shattering achievements, including finally winning the Grammy Award for “Album Of The Year” and becoming the first Black woman to take home “Best Country Album” and top the same Billboard chart, are far from lucky, but rather a testament to unparalleled creativity and sheer talent as a vocalist, songwriter and all-around visionary.

The fact it took her this long to win the coveted award is a travesty considering any of project would’ve unquestionably qualified the second she stepped out of Destiny’s Child, yet better late than never and Beyoncé herself simply shrugged off any industry slights or surrounding negativity.

Following “American Requiem,” The Beatles’ “Blackbird” and “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the words “never ask permission for something that already belongs to you” flashed boldly on the screen as the lifelong Texas reminded everyone she was indeed raised on country, despite typically recording R&B, pop or hip-hop.

In fact, just as many if not more cowboy hats than a Luke Bryan concert could be spotted in the crowd, a feat certainly worthy of earning the “American Idol” judge’s high-five, plus it was incredibly refreshing to see such a diverse audience populate one of the genre’s performances, representing every culture imaginable and a variety of queer identifications.

Still, Beyoncé’s multi-faceted evening could perhaps most accurately be described as an American roots revue, also incorporating everything from rhythm and blues to psychedelic soul,
folk and bluegrass, often built on the foundation of Black artists and further illustrated as clips of forefathers Chuck Berry, Little Richard and others appeared throughout an interlude.

Besides the massive portion presented off the “Cowboy Carter” collection, such as “Alligator Tears,” “Levi’s Jeans” and Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” Mrs. Carter made fairly frequent forays onto the electronic side of dance floor, including “Renaissance” tracks “America Has A Problem,” “Cuff It” and “Alien Superstar,” each stocked with enough symbolism to spark a college thesis.

There was even a stretch of shortened but no less satisfying flashbacks consisting of the classics “Crazy In Love,” “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It),” “Love On Top,” “Irreplaceable” and “If I Were A Boy,” which naturally led to massive sing-a-longs.

“Say a prayer for what has been/ we’ll be the ones that purify our father’s sins/ American requiem/ them old ideas are buried here,” brought it all to a topical and triumphant end during “Amen” as Soldier Field saluted the breathtaking Beyoncé and went back out to the weary world ready to change it for the better.

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For additional information on Beyoncé, visit Beyonce.com.

For a list of upcoming Live Nation concerts, visit LiveNation.com.

Upcoming shows at Soldier Field include Beyoncé (May 17-18); AC/DC (May 24); The Weeknd (May 30-31); Kendrick Lamar and SZA (Jun. 6); Blackpink (Jul. 18); Oasis (Aug. 28); My Chemical Romance (Aug. 29); The Lumineers (Aug. 30); System Of A Down and Avenged Sevenfold (Aug. 31-Sept. 1). For additional details, visit SoldierField.com.