Beyoncé Enlists Post Malone, Shaboozey, Blue Ivy for NFL Halftime Show

Beyoncé showed up for her hometown of Houston with her long-awaited NFL halftime performance during the Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans Christmas Day football game.

For her first live TV performance in four years, dubbed the “Beyoncé Bowl,” the singer put on a meticulously composed and executed show, featuring for the first time Post Malone, Shaboozey and her daughter Blue Ivy Carter debuting tracks from “Cowboy Carter “. in live environments.

As always, a bespoke Beyoncé performance is shrouded in mystery. It was rumored to be a staggering 20-minute epic; Stan accounts circulated old photos of Miley Cyrus claiming she was in Houston to play; and Beyoncé herself profited from poking fun at the potential buffering issues that plagued the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson Netflix fight last month.

But it was instead a masterful tour of selected cuts from her sprawling opus, which was released earlier this year. It’s a challenge to top even your most sensational performances, yet Beyoncé manages to outdo herself time and time again. The performance began with a segment in which Beyoncé, decked out in a white fur coat with a matching cowboy hat, rode in on a white horse to the tune of “16 Carriages,” making her way through the stadium and dismounting before launching into “Blackbird ,” where she was joined by Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts and Brittney Spencer.

She switched to a live setting on the track, singing “Ya Ya” before moving to the stands filled with dancers, a marching band and Blue Ivy Carter for “My House.” As she strolled down a runway following a medley of “Riiverdance” and “Sweet Honey Buckiin’,” Shaboozey appeared to deliver her portion, followed by a duet with Malone for “Levii’s Jeans” next to a truckload of denim skin.

In a display of true splendor, Beyoncé sat on the back of a car seat for “Jolene” and took a moment to address the crowd before the live debut of “Texas Hold ‘Em.” “I’m so honored to be in Texas right now,” she said. “It’s only right that we do ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ for the first time in Houston, Texas this Christmas. You guys have to help me sing!” An epic hoedown began, complete with line dancing, with Blue Ivy participating in the finale.

As Beyoncé was lifted into the air on a platform at the end of the set, she offered some parting words. “Merry Christmas, God bless you, thank you very much.” She pointed her fingers at the ground as a banner unfolded beneath her. “Bang,” it said. Bang, actually.