Beyoncé brings her 'Cowboy Carter' Christmas Rodeo to NFL halftime show

"It's only right that we do 'Texas Hold 'Em' for the first time in Texas, on Christmas." So declared Beyoncé toward the end of a stunning performance during the halftime show of the Houston Texans-Baltimore Ravens game on Christmas Day – a special, one-of-a-kind showcase for her album Cowboy Carter that fans had been waiting months to see and enjoy.

Beyonce 'A COWBOY CARTER CHRISTMAS.'

Courtesy Photo

Beyoncé was presented as a "hometown hero" at a special Christmas Day NFL game on Netflix, prior to the "Beyoncé Bowl." Fittingly, the longer performance and live debut of numerous Cowboy Carter tunes seemed completely independent of the halftime show environment, a must-see live event that was streamed internationally, dominated social media, and happened to take place during a football game.

Beyoncé appeared on a white horse backstage, singing "16 Carriages" and made her way to the field at NRG Stadium with golden locks gracing the sides of her face, introducing an all-white western style that continued over throughout the performance. After dismounting and stepping forward, she launched into her soulful rendition of "Blackbiird," accompanied by band members and backup vocalists, followed by her four co-singers on the track: Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts.

Finally on stage, Bey burst into an exciting version of album favorite "Ya Ya," with a marching band providing exuberant energy as she sashayed down the field and into the end zone. Beyoncé sang her 2023 hit "My House" live for the first time, followed by a couple of Cowboy Carter back-half gems: "Riiverdance" and "Sweet ★ Honey ★ Buckiin'." The latter included Shaboozey, who made his triumphant cameo appearance a few weeks after tying the all-time Hot 100 record with his own hit "A Bar Song (Tipsy)."

The speed then slowed, Bey posed in front of a pickup truck, and she broke into "Levii's Jeans" - with Post Malone waiting for her in the vehicle's bed. Posty, wearing a diamond-encrusted white jacket and (of course) jeans, gave us a few seconds of poignant duet with Bey, both celebrities beaming as they sang the song for the first time together.

After playing her interpretation of "Jolene" while driving downfield in a convertible, she broke into Cowboy Carter's No. 1 smash, "Texas Hold' Em," with her daughter, Blue Ivy, dancing by her side. "Now I need all my cowboys to the dance floor!" Bey shouted moments before rising to the stadium's roof, where he finished the performance in mid-air on a small white stage to thunderous ovation from the home fans.

The concert was Beyoncé's first live appearance with her Cowboy Carter album, which was released in March, topped the Billboard 200 list in April, and earned the diva another Grammy nomination for album of the year. Beyoncé spent 2023 touring in support of her 2022 full-length Renaissance album, but has yet to tour following Cowboy Carter. However, she did tease an announcement for Jan. 14, 2025.

Netflix's two Christmas Day games are the first of their type, and the streaming service plans to keep the festive tradition going until at least 2026. Beyoncé has performed at big NFL halftime shows before: she headlined Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans in 2013, reuniting with Destiny's Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, and she returned for Super Bowl 50 in 2016, performing at halftime alongside Coldplay and Bruno Mars.