Queen Bey has had an incredible career so far, her Renaissance World Tour could bring in $2.1 billion in ticket sales, more than Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
Inside Beyoncé’s astronomical career – in numbers: the pop star has sold more than 200 million albums, boasts 88 Grammy nominations, and may make a whopping US$2.1 billion from her Renaissance Tour
She sold 60 million albums while she was with Destiny’s Child, is on her ninth solo road show in her career (including 2 with hubby Jay-Z), and has starred in 10 feature films, counting Obsessed
It’s Queen Bey time.
Beyoncé is out on the road for her Renaissance World Tour in support of her seventh studio album, 2022’s Renaissance, which is the multiplatinum superstar’s first full-length solo outing since 2016’s Lemonade.
To help pass the time while we wait for the royally talented artist to perform in our area – for those of us lucky enough to live at a tour stop – we’re offering up a little something we’re calling “Beyoncé by the numbers”.
It’s a stats-and-figures-based look at the career of this amazing entertainer who, in basically every category imaginable, ranks among the most popular music superstars of all time. We’ll also dish up some details about the current tour.
Here we go!
2.1 billion
Beyoncé performs onstage during the opening night of the Renaissance World Tour at Friends Arena on May 10, in Stockholm, Sweden. Photo: Getty Images
That’s as in dollars, folks. Yes, the Renaissance World Tour could reportedly bring in about US$2.1 billion in ticket sales, according to a Forbes article. That would make it the top-grossing road show of all time – some US$500 million more than the trek that currently sits at the No 1 spot, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
200 million
Beyoncé performs during the ABC telecast of the 94th Oscars in March 2022, in Los Angeles. Photo: Getty Images
Beyoncé has sold more than 200 million albums during her career, which squarely places her among the bestselling music artists of all time.
60 million
Beyoncé (centre) and Destiny’s Child perform during the half-time show of the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game in New Orleans, Louisiana, in February 2013. Photo: Reuters
Before launching her solo recording career, Beyoncé was part of the amazing group Destiny’s Child. That great vocal outfit was also a smash hit, selling some 60 million albums over the years.
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700
Beyoncé performs onstage during the opening night of the Renaissance World Tour at Friends Arena on May 10, in Stockholm, Sweden. Photo: Getty Images
How does one generate the top-grossing tour of all time? Well, a good start is by charging as much as US$700 for tickets, which is reportedly what some fans are paying to see Beyoncé this time around. (Currently, prices on Ticketmaster are listed as US$171-US$601, subject to change.)
88
Beyoncé at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in March 2021, in Los Angeles. Photo: TNS
The star led the field with nine nominations at the 65th annual Grammy Awards in February, pushing her career total to 88. The latter figure tied the all-time record for nominations with, appropriately enough, Beyoncé’s husband, Jay-Z.
32
US musician Beyoncé accepts the award for best dance/electronic music album for Renaissance during the 65th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 5. Photo: AFP
With her four victories at the 2023 show, Beyoncé passed Georg Solti for having the most Grammy wins in history. The singer now has 32 Grammys, compared to the Hungarian-British conductor’s total of 31. Next on the list is Quincy Jones with 28.
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10
Anika Noni Rose as Lorrell, Beyoncé Knowles as Deena and Jennifer Hudson as Effie in Dreamgirls. Photo: David James
By our count, Beyoncé has starred in 10 feature films, including 2006’s Dream Girls, 2008’s Cadillac Records and, our personal favourite Bey movie, the tense psychological thriller Obsessed from 2009.
Nine
Beyoncé and Jay Z perform during On the Run tour in September 2014, at Stade De France in Paris, France. Photo: TNS
The Renaissance World Tour is the ninth road show in Bey’s solo career, including the two she’s done with hubby Jay-Z (2014’s On the Run and 2018’s On the Run II) as well as the co-headlining Verizon Ladies First Tour with Alicia Keys and Missy Elliott in 2004.
Eight
Beyoncé performs at a Get Out the Vote concert for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, in November 2016. Photo: AP
That’s where Beyoncé ranked: eighth on Rolling Stone magazine’s 2023 list of the 200 greatest singers of all time, trailing only (in ascending order) Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Mariah Carey, Billie Holiday, Sam Cooke, Whitney Houston and – at No 1 – Aretha Franklin.
Seven
Beyoncé wearing an iconic piece from Kwk by Kay Kwok for her current tour. Photo: Handout
With the success of her most-recent studio album, 2022’s Renaissance, Beyoncé became the first solo artist to have their first seven studio albums debut at No 1 in the US.
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Five
Beyoncé performs onstage during the Pepsi Super Bowl 50 half-time show at Levi’s Stadium in February 2016, in Santa Clara, California. Photo: Getty Images
This will be the fifth time that Beyoncé has played at the Santa Clara stadium. She last performed there with husband Jay-Z with the On the Run II Tour in 2018. She also brought her solo Formation Tour to the venue for two nights in 2016. She made her Levi’s Stadium debut earlier that same year as part of the Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show.
One
US singer Beyoncé poses in the press room during the 59th annual Grammy Awards ceremony at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, US, in 2017. Photo: EPA-EFE
Queen Bey ranks as the No 1 winner of all time at several award shows, including MTV Video Music Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Bet Awards and the Soul Train Music Awards.
