Music

Beyoncé's Renaissance Movie Setlist Omits One Of Her Biggest Hits

Justice for 4.

by Jake Viswanath
WARSAW, POLAND - JUNE 27: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY)(EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Beyoncé performs onstage during t...
Kevin Mazur/WireImage/Getty Images

Spoilers ahead for Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé. Soon after the Nov. 25 premiere of Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour concert film in Los Angeles, it was reported that the singer cut some songs — and fans were “sweating” while awaiting what they were.

Two days later, Variety reported the movie’s full setlist, and just like Taylor Swift did with her Eras Tour movie, Beyoncé cut five songs for her concert film.

With a runtime of two hours and 50 minutes, Beyoncé theoretically had enough time to include the entire concert without cutting any songs, as the show typically ran just over two and a half hours.

However, unlike Swift, Bey includes behind-the-scenes footage depicting how the show was created, plus personal videos of her struggles, like recovering from a knee surgery, and triumphs, such as Blue Ivy Carter’s tour debut and the Destiny’s Child reunion.

Despite Deadline reporting that “most of the Renaissance album” made the film, it turns out that every song from the album was included, and some of her older songs got the chop instead, including one surprising hit.

If you need to prepare yourself before heading to the movie theater, here are the five songs that aren’t included in Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour movie — plus all the performances that made the final cut.

“1 + 1”

Beyoncé performs onstage during the "RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR" on October 01, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. Kevin Mazur/WireImage/Getty Images

Many of the film’s cuts come from the tour’s “ballad-heavy prelude” before she begins performing songs from Renaissance, starting with the opening track from her 2011 album 4, “1 + 1.”

“I’m Goin’ Down”

At the end of “1 + 1,” Beyoncé goes into a passionate rendition of Mary J. Blige’s “I’m Goin’ Down,” a cover of Rose Royce’s 1976 track. But since “1 + 1” got the chop, Bey’s version was inevitably cut as well.

“I Care”

While many songs from 4 made the Renaissance Tour setlist, most were cut from the film, including her seminal breakup anthem “I Care.”

“Rather Die Young”

Beyoncé performs onstage during the "RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR" on October 01, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. Kevin Mazur/WireImage/Getty Images

The 4 omissions continued with “Rather Die Young,” a song Beyoncé had never performed on tour before this year.

“Love On Top”

Perhaps most surprisingly, Beyoncé edited out one of her biggest hits, “Love On Top,” from the film, including the sample of Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” and the epic, never-ending singalong that happened at every show.

“River Deep, Mountain High”

Some fans thought that Bey’s cover of “River Deep, Mountain High” would be cut from the film, given that she only added it to the setlist after Tina Turner’s death. However, it turns out that she does play a snippet of her rendition (not the full performance) later in the film while speaking about Turner’s influence on her career.

The Renaissance Tour Movie’s Full Setlist

Kevin Mazur/WireImage/Getty Images

While those five songs didn’t make the cut, the full setlist, according to Variety, does include the famous Big Three: “Thique,” “All Up In Your Mind,” and “Drunk In Love,” which Beyoncé only played at select shows during the tour. If you didn’t experience that coveted trifecta at your stop, at least the film has you covered.

  • “Dangerously in Love 2”
  • “Flaws and All”
  • “I’m That Girl”
  • “Cozy”
  • “Alien Superstar”
  • “Lift Off”
  • “Cuff It”
  • “Energy”
  • “Break My Soul + The Queens Remix”
  • “Formation”
  • “Diva”
  • “Run the World (Girls)”
  • “My Power”
  • “Black Parade”
  • “Savage” with Megan Thee Stallion
  • “Partition”
  • “Church Girl”
  • “Get Me Bodied”
  • “Before I Let Go”
  • “Crazy in Love”
  • “River Deep, Mountain High”
  • “Love Hangover (Diana Ross Intermission)”
  • “Plastic Off the Sofa”
  • “Virgo’s Groove”
  • “Naughty Girl + Love to Love You Baby”
  • “Move”
  • “Heated”
  • “Kitty Kat”
  • “Thique”
  • “All Up in Your Mind”
  • “Drunk in Love”
  • “America Has a Problem” with Kendrick Lamar
  • “Pure/Honey”
  • “Summer Renaissance”