As I stood in section 212 of Lincoln Financial Field listening to the impressive vocals of Beyoncé Knowles, I forgot that I was soaked to the bone and freezing cold. I was in the presence of one of the best performers in the world and could not have been happier. 

Beyoncé. Queen B. Sasha Fierce. Though she has many different names, it is commonly accepted that Beyoncé is a top-notch entertainer, singer, dancer and overall woman. Her 20 Grammys and 16 million albums sold speak for themselves. On Sept. 29, she graced Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field with her presence as one of her final stops on The Formation World Tour. 

Lauching last April, this tour spanned throughout the summer as Beyoncé performed almost 50 concerts nationally and internationally. Although I had already seen Beyoncé at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA, this past June, I was prepared to have a second life-altering experience, and jumped at the chance to go again. Queen B did not disappoint.

Despite the rain, the stage was set up just as it was at Gillette Stadium—J-shaped with a large, white, rectangular prism flanked by two large screens. Though the concert was set to start at 7:30 p.m., what kind of diva would Beyoncé be if she started on time? Instead, she enlisted DJ Khaled, American record producer, DJ and rapper, to get the crowd pumped up. 

This selection spurred controversy when The Formation World Tour first began, as people determined DJ Khaled unqualified to open for such an impressive entertainer. Despite the negative environment, DJ Khaled took the stage with confidence and declared to the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field that people told him he could not open for Beyoncé but here he was. 

If Beyoncé says he can do it, he sure can do it.

To be quite honest, DJ Khaled was a disappointing opener. He left me wanting more and became notorious for playing a 30 second clip of a song—“Trap Queen,” “All I Do is Win”—and then stopping the song right as the crowd was vibing. What I needed was Beyoncé, and what I got was a man in a tracksuit bobbing up and down on stage, yelling at me to wave my arms back and forth and to listen to his “Major Keys.” He definitely has talent and can interact with a crowd, but can’t a gal be able to listen to a full song without interruption? 

Frustrated beyond belief due to the lack of consistency and cohesion, I pretty much tuned DJ Khaled out 10 minutes into his performance, and gave my full attention to the crab fries I had bought. 

Finally, around 9 p.m., the lights went off and the rectangular prism which I then realized was a large, four-sided, rotating screen—lit up and all of the air escaped from my lungs as I awaited the entrance of none other than Sasha Fierce herself. As she walked out with her dance troupe to the song “Formation,” the crowd went wild and, from that point on, never seemed to regain the ability to control its emotions.

What I loved about Beyoncé’s performance was its versatility. She performed “Love on Top” acoustically and invited the audience to sing along with her. 

She featured solos of members from her all female band. She started with the “50 Shades of Gray” version of “Crazy in Love” and then seamlessly segued into the original, upbeat version we all know and love. 

At several points, the giant, cubic screen split to reveal dangling and spinning aerialists. A video montage of home movies played to the song “Blue,” a tribute to her daughter and to her marriage to Jay-Z. 

The song “Partition” included actual partitions on which her and her dancers danced. Each face of the 3-D screen displayed a different image or visual effect as it rotated. 

Fireworks erupted out of the top of the stage during certain songs. The end of her stage became a shallow pool of water where her and her dancers splashed and danced. 

She even managed to include a tribute to the late artist Prince by playing his song “Purple Rain” and creating a beautiful moment in which the entire stadium was covered by a purple haze of light, speckled with the flashlights and phones of audience members.  

Her finale of “Halo” left me in tears—partly because the concert was ending but mostly because of her vocal perfection.

The marriage of her music, old and new, impressive choreography and the amazing technology and visual effects created one of the best performances I have ever and will ever witness. 

Despite the inclement weather, she delivered an impeccable show, and I continue to be at a loss for words even several days later. Beyoncé is an all-around inspiring, devoted, empowering human being who effortlessly succeeds in uniting unique individuals.

If you ever have the chance to see her perform, 10/10 would recommend.