ByMaggie McGrath
ByMaggie McGrath,
Forbes Staff.
T
here was a moment towards the beginning of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s $400 million-grossing Cowboy Carter Tour this summer when the Grammy-winning artist wrapped up her rendition of the Star-Spangled banner with lyrics from the Paul McCartney’s civil rights anthem “Blackbird”— “You were only waiting for this moment to be free”—to transition to “Freedom,” her certified-platinum collaboration with Kendrick Lamar. As she sang, the megascreen behind Knowles-Carter flashed the words: “Never ask permission for something that already belongs to you.”
