In the words of Beyoncé’s colorist, Rita Hazan: “Beyoncé always wanted [her hair] to be lighter,” she tells ESSENCE. But, with the icon kicking off her Cowboy Carter tour this week, she’s found an updated Western compliment to the previous tour look she coined as “Renaissance blonde”. Introducing, the Western wave.

So when opening night of Cowboy Carter rolled around, I knew this would be more than music. This moment rooted in history, rebellion and redefinition meant something special, especially for those of us who’ve witnessed her evolution from day one.

Beyoncé packed the SoFi Stadium show with an impactful Jimi Hendrix reference, multiple cameos from Blue Ivy, and visual commentary about America Beyoncé performs at night one of her Cowboy Carter tour at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 28,