Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s summer tour makes couples therapy feel like karaoke night

Ever look across a crowded room and see a beautiful couple gazing into one another’s eyes as they chant the refrain of C-Murder’s “Down for My N’s” and think, “Wow, those two must really be in love”?

That was the vibe on Friday night at Maryland’s FedEx Field where Beyoncé and Jay-Z were plowing through the hits — including a duet of C-Murder’s vintage New Orleans rap anthem, delivered with gusto, as if pop’s mightiest power couple were recycling a Louisiana blood oath into the coolest marriage vows of all time.

It almost felt voyeuristic. But when it comes to the dynamics of star-worship, the punk maestro Kim Gordon probably said it best: “People pay money to see others believe in themselves.” On Friday night, a big crowd had paid big money to see if two superstars still believe in their marriage. Beyoncé had famously blasted her husband for his infidelity on her 2016 masterstroke, “Lemonade,” and in 2017, Jay responded with an act of contritiontitled “4:44.” Now, they’re touring in the wake of “Everything is Love,” a new joint album penned under their family name, the Carters.