Beyoncé Slammed For Singing National Anthem At Cowboy Carter Tour

Beyoncé's decision to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" on the opening night of her Cowboy Carter Tour has left her fans divided.

Many fans took to social media to share their thoughts about the singer's inclusion of the national anthem in her tour's setlist.

Although many felt she shouldn't have included the national anthem in her setlist, she still received support from others.

The "Texas Hold 'em" songstress kicked off her Cowboy Carter Tour on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

The tour's opening night lived up to expectations as Beyoncé thrilled her fans for three hours with outstanding stunts, electrifying choreography, and jaw-dropping costumes.

However, her decision to perform the country's national anthem sparked an online debate among fans after Pop Base posted a video of the performance on X.

Fans opposed to the singer performing the national anthem highlighted the current political climate, citing policies adopted by the Donald Trump-led government.

One person said, "All this during Trump's administration.... So weird and tone deaf," while another person opined, "Honoring American Nationalism while Trump's deporting babies. She's a sellout."

A third critic added, "No shade, but with everything going on in our country right now this feels like the last song we should be singing," while a fourth wrote, "This is SUCH a weird thing to do. I feel like only in America would a pop star sing the national anthem at their own concert."

Another angered fan questioned Beyoncé for singing the national anthem, knowing that a slave owner wrote it.

They wrote, "Beyoncé built a whole brand around 'black excellence' and 'freedom' yet had no problem singing the national anthem written by a slave owner that literally celebrates the death of enslaved people... you can't preach liberation while cosigning a song rooted in black oppression."

However, many people defended Beyoncé amid the criticism, with one person stating that the critics missed the point behind her singing the national anthem and infusing it into her song, "Freedom," which was used as an anthem during the George Floyd protests.

The fan wrote, "The dark twist to the national anthem going into Freedom ohh people are forever missing the plot I fear."

Another person with similar sentiments shared, "People don't understand the artistic vision of singing the national anthem halfway until it gets to freedom. Some of you guys are f-cking stupid yo."

A third person gushed over Beyoncé's performance, writing, "That voice. That control. Nobody holds a moment like her," while another fan added, "Beautiful song by a beautiful lady."

The "Crazy in Love" singer's performance of the national anthem was one of the night's standout highlights.

Beyoncé also brought her youngest daughter, Rumi Carter, out on stage while performing "PROTECTOR."

The move was especially symbolic as it came nearly a month after controversial rapper Kanye West viciously attacked Rumi and her twin brother, Sir Carter, in several posts on X.

Rumi features on "PROTECTOR" as she says, "Mom, can I hear the lullaby, please" in the track.

The seven-year-old shone in a sparkly, gold dress and flaunted her braided hair while on stage.

She was visibly excited as she faced thousands of fans at the sold-out concert venue. Rumi waved at the crowd, hugged her mom, and was then ushered out by her older sister, Blue Ivy.

Many fans loved the cute moment when Beyoncé brought Rumi out on stage and gushed about the young star on social media.

One person wrote on X, "Oh, she knows she is a star."

Another fan added, "She's so happy to be on stage."

Meanwhile, a third person noted, "Rumi's excitement is absolutely tear-jerking. She's so freaking cute."

Another not-so-good highlight from the opening night of the "Cowboy Carter Tour" was a fight that broke out at the VIP lounge as the night's activities wrapped up.

As fans began leaving the venue, an argument erupted between two women. One, dressed in a denim shirt, shorts, and white cowboy boots, was walking away when another woman approached and knocked her hat off. The situation quickly escalated.

A third woman, wearing a denim maxi dress, tried to step in and calm things down but was unable to de-escalate the situation.

Moments later, the woman who slapped the hat off aggressively shoved another attendee to the ground, not once, but twice. Several more individuals joined the chaos before a man intervened to break it up.

"I'm mad," a shocked witness was heard saying, according to the Daily Mail. Another onlooker joked, "Another show after the Beyoncé show?"

Eventually, two of the women involved, including the one who initiated the altercation, walked away, bringing the fight to an end. "She assaulted her," a man nearby said.

It remains unclear whether anyone was seriously hurt or if law enforcement was involved.