Beyonce and Jay Z are proving that marriage and business can work together as they announced their headline tour for this summer. The power-couple’s “On the Run” tour will begin June 25th in Miami and end August 5th in San Francisco. The six-week tour will include 16 shows, with stops in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Toronto, New Orleans, Dallas, Seattle, and Los Angeles. The couple was first thought to be touring together after a rumor in early April, but the official announcement was a surprise. The couple announced their tour through social media, revealing a picture of the two in ski masks, reminiscent of their most recent collaboration “03 Bonnie and Clyde.” This will be the first time that Beyonce and Jay Z have toured together. Since the couple’s secret marriage in 2008, they have dominated the music industry. Combined, they have sold nearly 200 million records, have won 36 Grammys, and have a net worth of around $850 million. Beyonce and Jay Z most recently collaborated on the chart-topping song, “Drunk in Love.”The couple is aware of their influence, and is joining forces to give back while on tour. A dollar from each ticket sold will benefit the Shawn Carter Foundation, an organization that helps underprivileged students go to college. The “On the Run” tour will also promote Beyonce’s #BeyGOOD campaign, which aims to inspire charitable work, kindness, and community involvement. In an interview with the Prince’s Trust Organization, Beyonce said, “As a young child I was blessed to have the support of my family who encouraged me to reach for my goals. So many young people don’t have this. I am honored to partner the #BeyGOOD campaign to help young people beat the odds and create better lives for themselves.” Brothers Laurent and Larry Bourgeois, two of Beyonce’s back up dancers, voiced their excitement for the upcoming tour in an interview with the Huffington Post. "The last tour... it was a flawless tour," says Larry. "It was a new full album... it was just a lot of work," adds Laurent. When talking about Beyonce, the brothers said, "She doesn't know how to sleep. She's like us. Nobody knows behind-the-scenes." Larry added, "The thing you don't know about, is that Jay Z knows how to dance. He feels the music." Although the couple is not coming to Hawaii on their tour, students at BYUH still have their opinions about Beyonce and Jay Z. Haydin Meeks, an undeclared sophomore from Arizona said, “If my husband and I were both singers, why not go on tour together? I think it’s super cool that Beyonce and Jay Z are doing this.” Ivy Wade, a sophomore in International Cultural Studies from Indiana added, “I don’t care too much about it because it doesn’t impact my life at all. But, I’m sure they would throw a sick concert together! They’re a huge power couple in the music industry.” Tickets for the tour are 44 percent more expensive than the couple’s previous individual tours, with the average ticket costing $342.67, according to Forbes. General tickets went on sale on May 2nd.
Writer: Emily Halls ~ Multimedia Journalist
