‘I’ve never been so tense before a performance’

On June 17 and 18, Beyoncé will perform in Amsterdam for the first time in five years. The superstar plays his latest album two nights in a row at the Johan Cruijff Arena Renaissance and their biggest hits. Five concert-goers explain why they’re fans and what ‘Queen B’ means to them.

Davey DeWitt (41)

English teacher at a secondary school in Amsterdam, lives in Oud-West

“My fandom began in the 1990s when Beyoncé was a part of Destiny’s Child. Then I already had something like this: the woman is in the middle, she knows what she is doing. I’ve been a huge fan of Destiny’s Child since their first CD.

This is my fifth time seeing him perform live, but this tour is special. The album she’s promoting with this tour, Renaissance, the LGBTQ community has many influences. There are also several references to the gay scene in their lyrics. I’m gay myself, and that means listening to his music takes a lot of recognition. It’s great to see that she cares so much for our community.

around release Renaissance Last year it was very quiet, she didn’t do any promo or release any images around the album. This leaves everyone very curious as to how the show will turn out; I have never been so tense before a performance.

I’m going to a concert with my boyfriend and my two best friends. All four of us sat down at the computer to get maps. It was a little sweaty, but we’re so glad we’re there. people go to her concert all out – It’s almost a kind of gay pride. We’ve been picking out our outfits for months: it’s going to be a sparkly suit, a pair of fabulous sunglasses and a matching sparkly bag.”

Carmen Lamptey (29)

Study leader HKU for theater teacher training, director and developer of arts education, living in Zuidost

“I listened to Beyoncé when I was seven or eight years old. There are other artists whose music I already listen to now, but he is one of the few who still releases new music.

When I listen to Beyoncé, I see something invincible in me. On days when I feel bad and don’t feel like it, I listen to his music and think, Come on i’m that girl, I think that’s what’s so special about him as an artist: he’s had such a huge impact on so many people.

This is partly in the lyrics of his songs. I am Ghana-Dutch myself and with the album The Lion King: The Gift I admire how she invigorates elements of African culture. Art by people of color is often portrayed as ‘multicultural’. Beyoncé gives it a platform and shows that art matters too.

Off the top of my head this will be the fourth or fifth time I’m going to see her. I’m going with my sister, among other people, with whom I also went to Paris a few years ago to see a performance of my idol. In addition to being Beyoncé for who she is, she’s committed to a lot more. She is an activist standing up for the equality of black people in a white, western world. She is a feminist and plays the role of a mother very well. When we talk about intersectionality, I think Beyoncé is at the head of it.

Martin Brons (29)

Director of Strategy at &.agency, win the west

“I became a fan of Beyoncé when I was 15, actually when I came out. Beyoncé can perform like crazy and is a true artist. She performs like no one else who is still alive, so in that sense I see her as the Michael Jackson of our times. I also think his music is fantastic. It has ballads that you can just put on as background music, but it also has great club songs to dance to.

The style of his music is very different and innovative. The songs in his latest album are a mix of all kinds of genres like hip-hop, disco, house and pop. What I really like about her is that she is a black woman who has built an amazing career that she is responsible for from A to Z.

This will be my ninth time seeing him live. I’m going with two colleagues and a former colleague. In our office, Beyoncé is really a thing, we’re all so crazy about her. So his music is regularly played on Friday afternoon drinks and news is constantly sent to each other.

i think i Renaissance Discover his best and most experimental album to date. It’s a little more disco, and I also think it’s great that it gives a platform specifically to the black gay man. What I’m waiting for the most is her number hot Will be seen performing live. I’ve always loved dancing to it.

Ruben Neuhaus (28)

Digital Media Advertiser, lives in Noord

“I go to both concerts. The only person I would pay that much money to see her perform live is Beyoncé. The shows are very well made: she dances well, her voice sounds beautiful, it’s really Worth it for me. When I’m not totally comfortable in my skin, I always come back to Beyoncé’s music. It gives me the energy I need and boosts my confidence.

My brothers introduced me to his music. I was then twelve years old, he is nine years older. I haven’t stopped listening since then. It’s always innovative, a little different from what we already know. Her previous albums were mainly pop in style, and over time it became more and more R&B. I was growing up at the same time myself, so it’s like her music and I grew up with each other.

Beyoncé has quickly found her sound. I’ve been working quite a bit on that too, so I think it’s great to see that. The way she uses her position to help others is really cool. I’m gay myself and my mother is black, so it’s really an amalgamation of parts of my identity that I find in Beyoncé’s music.

Every year, before International Beyoncé Day, which is held annually at Club Nyx in Amsterdam, I host a preparty, This is my own song for Beyoncé.”

Russ Dickman (27)

Actress and holistic coach, lives in Zuid

“I’m not really a diehard fan of anyone in the world, but I would make an exception for Beyoncé. I sang in elementary school Survivor Full Destiny’s Child fervor. But how you adore someone as a child isn’t as deep as the admiration you might feel for someone later in life.

From the moment I hit puberty, and turned from girl to woman, my admiration for Beyoncé grew. I often found support in them when I faced a setback. Then, for example, I was rejected for one role, and sometimes I thought: well, Beyoncé won’t give up either, we’ll keep going, you can do it. The way I look at her has always had a lot to do with how seriously I take my craft and chase my dreams as an actor.

When I think of Beyoncé, to me she primarily stands for believing in yourself and what you are capable of as a person – even if it takes a good marketing team and lots of money. Are. Keep working hard to achieve your goal.

From the age of about fifteen, I was infatuated not only with his music, but especially with his live performances. I have experienced firsthand how difficult it is to play alone on the floor, let alone sing, dance, and be pure. In addition, she is also involved in the entire performance of the performance. I think it’s very clever how she does it at this level.”