Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour has everyone talking, but not just about Queen Bey. Returning with arguably the biggest tour of the summer, Beyoncé is touring the world supporting her Album of the Year-winning record, “Cowboy Carter,” giving the hive a chance to finally hear the music on stage. While her outfits and various renditions of her hit songs have already gone viral since the tour kicked off last week, the big star of the concert is seemingly not Beyoncé at all, but her youngest daughter, Rumi.
All over the internet, the BeyHive is sharing more clips and moments of Rumi than of the entire concert. The fandom and general audiences alike are truly taken with the 7-year-old, as she takes to the stage during one of the most emotional parts of the show, when Bey sings “PROTECTOR,” a song dedicated to her.
Far more than just an adorable moment, though, Rumi’s moments have resonated deeply with those in the arenas and at home, speaking to something much deeper and beautiful about the human experience, who gets to be innocent in this world and how important it is to stay a kid for as long as we can.
A New Favorite Member of the Carter Family
Many diehard Beyoncé fans have gone so far as to call Rumi’s moment the “best part” of the concert. There is something so pure about Rumi on stage, particularly in her freedom, that is connecting with us more than ever. She is just so taken with the crowd, smiling ear to ear and waving at the Beyhive, giving off pure joy that only a child can have.
As one user said on TikTok, they said that Rumi is doing “whatever the hell” she wants to do on the stage, making it the “best part” of the concert. “Rumi has been the highlight of this whole concert,” they said to the camera.
Some fans even went on to call Rumi their “favorite Carter.”
Innocence is Priceless
What is most striking about Rumi’s appearance is how her innocence is so movingly on display, on arguably one of the biggest stages in the world. The sheer power of that simply cannot be denied.
In a world that too often forces Black children to grow up way too soon, here, we have this beautiful 7-year-old shining her light in front of all of us, jumping up and down and cheering. In times such as these, Rumi’s appearance is more than just cute. It feels powerful, and yes, important.
“She is so innocent and pure and full of joy, and we were like that too,” one TikTok user wrote through tears. “When I see that baby on stage, I cry every time, because one, I know how cruel people are, but two, I was not allowed to be like that.” The user then gets incredibly vulnerable about the way she grew up and even the ways she parented, saying that we often force our children to “shrink.”
“To see a child that is so loved and safe that she can be on that stage and just be fully present in her body, a fully embodied child ... it tells me why I cry,” they added.
The Eternal Beauty of Mother and Daughter
Beyond just the pure happiness and the joy that Rumi emanates, as one user points out, the audience also gets to witness a special moment between mother and daughter, as Rumi finally gets to see with her own two eyes the culmination of all of her mother’s hard work.
On stage during one of the biggest concerts of the year, Beyoncè not only brings Rumi on stage, but bows down to her, getting on her level, and sings to her a song all about their lineage, their bond, and how she will always guide her. How can you not reach for the tissues when witnessing a moment that?
“This was by far one of the most wholesome videos I have ever seen from a celebrity on the internet,” one user wrote, saying that it was “so healing” for them and that isn’t even their mother.
“I feel like Rumi gets a front row seat to all of the hard work that us the audience don’t get a chance to see, and she might not have never understood that until tonight when it came full circle,” the user added.
Yes, Rumi is a celebrity child, and seeing them on stage will certainly thrill any fan of celebrities (look at the massive response to Blue Ivy’s epic appearances), but something about Rumi’s presence is hitting on a deeper level. That innocence, that sheer happiness and outlook only a child can have, is sacred. It’s something we all experience at some point in our lives to varying degrees, and we all lose it at some point. It remains one of life’s cruelest ironies: Once we are old enough to truly understand the fleeting beauty life has to offer us, our innocence is all but gone.
What a gift, then, for us to get to see to Rumi Carter in this way. The fact that Beyoncé and the Carters do not owe any of this vulnerability to us, and are entitled to whatever privacy they wish to maintain, makes this decision an even more impactful one. In a tour celebrating a piece of art all about reclaiming what is rightfully ours, connecting to our family history, and leaving a legacy for those coming after us, there simply couldn’t be a grander gesture than to give the most intimate moment of the show to the purest light. Bravo.