Former Lion Nate Burleson pouring his new vodka in metro Detroit over Father's Day weekend
When Nate Burleson was released by the Detroit Lions in 2014, fans questioned what would become of LionBlood Clothing Co., the wide receiver's clothing line centered on the Detroit team's mascot.
It's been more than a decade since Burleson's time with the Lions, yet he's maintained the LionBlood Clothing Co. and his sense of Detroit pride, and this weekend, he's expanding the brand with a new venture — LionBlood Vodka.
A collaboration with Ferndale distillery Valentine Distilling Co., LionBlood Orange Vodka is a made-in-Michigan, small-batch blend of Valentine vodka infused with notes of blood orange and elderflower. The former NFL star and Emmy Award-winning media personality approached Rifino Valentine, founder and president of Valentine Distilling Co. to create 'a vodka like no other,' according to a news release.
"A lion sleeps in the heart of all of us,' Burleson said in the release, again nodding to the Lions' mascot. 'We hunt for what we want in this world, so the time is now. Remember to savor every sip and conquer your jungle.'
The collaboration launches just in time for Father's Day, and Burleson, a father of three, is encouraging all dads to join him in metro Detroit for the celebration.
Following an 11-year NFL career, the last four seasons with Detroit, Burleson became an analyst for the NFL Network. He joined "The NFL Today" on CBS in 2017 and has been a co-host of "CBS Mornings" since 2021.
On Friday, June 13, Burleson will be pouring drinks and mingling with guests for a meet-and-greet at Belle's Lounge in Ferndale from 6-9 p.m. On Saturday, June 14, he'll sign bottles of LionBlood Orange at Kroger in St. Clair Shores from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
The events offer an opportunity to enjoy a Michigan-made spirit with a Lions icon and a true champion of Detroit pride.
Visit valentinedistilling.com for more information.
Friday, June 13, 6-9 p.m. - Belle's Lounge, 161 Vester St., Ferndale
Saturday, June 14, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. - Kroger, 22801 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ex-Lion Nate Burleson pouring new vodka in metro Detroit this weekend
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Politico
20 minutes ago
- Politico
In the streets
Presented by With help from Eli Okun and Bethany Irvine Good Sunday morning. Happy Father's Day. This is Zack Stanton. Get in touch. YOUR SUNDAY LISTEN: Within President Donald Trump's orbit, Richard Grenell is a jack of all trades. He's a special presidential envoy (if you're unclear what exactly that entails, Grenell says his remit is 'whatever President Trump gives me, and that can change'), as well as head of the Kennedy Center, a former acting director of national intelligence and ex-ambassador to Germany. Add in his friendship with first lady Melania Trump, and you begin to get a sense of the unique role he occupies. On today's episode of 'The Conversation with Dasha Burns,' Grenell joins Dasha to talk about all of it and much more — his vision for the Kennedy Center, the divide he sees between what he calls 'normal gays' and other members of the LGBTQ+ community, what diplomacy means to him, why he's thinking about running for California governor and much more. Watch and listen to it now on YouTube Grenell on audience members booing Trump officials at the Kennedy Center: 'I'm all for having your First Amendment rights. I will go to the mat for making sure that you have your First Amendment rights. But do you want a world where 'Les Mis' is interrupted by boos because somebody just feels like that's their moment? I don't.' On 'Hamilton' canceling its Kennedy Center run: 'When we had … Lin-Manuel Miranda and the 'Hamilton' folks, his whole push to say, 'I can't be here' — 'Hamilton' cancels at the Kennedy Center. Why did he do that? He did that because he's intolerant. He doesn't want to perform for Republicans. … The intolerance from the arts community is one of the worst. … They talk about 'give everyone their voice,' 'be tolerant,' 'we wanna be diverse,' but you show up as a Republican, and you get booed. They're literally the most intolerant people.' On LGBTQ+ pride parades: 'I mean, you go to a pride parade, and it's embarrassing, to be honest. … It's real fringe, and it's too sexual. And I think that we have to start critiquing ourselves — and by the way, this is extremely popular with normal gays.' On Trump deploying the military to L.A.: 'I think Donald Trump saved Los Angeles, because it was clearly heading towards riots … So when Donald Trump decided to send in law enforcement and send in the National Guard and send in the military, there are a lot of Democrats in California who said 'Thank God.'' On talking with Russia about Ukraine: 'Russia is clearly the problem here, and we have to be able to get to them and have a nice conversation with them and say, 'What do you want?' I don't think that talking to Russia is [a] weakness, which a lot of people do.' Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts … Spotify … YouTube DRIVING THE DAY IN THE STREETS: A week that began with Trump ordering the Marines and National Guard troops to the streets of Los Angeles ended with massive protests against the president in the streets of cities across the country, with Army tanks rumbling down Constitution Avenue here in Washington, and with armed FBI agents sweeping a neighborhood in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, on a search for the gunman who allegedly shot two Democratic state legislators in their homes, killing Minnesota House DFL leader Melissa Hortman and her husband. This morning, that manhunt continues. The Minnesota Star-Tribune's Jeff Day and colleagues report that the suspect, Vance Luther Boelter, 'carried a manifesto that listed 'prominent pro-choice individuals in Minnesota, including many Democratic lawmakers.'' The list reportedly included 11 lawmakers from neighboring Wisconsin, per the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. On NBC's 'Meet the Press,' Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said that law enforcement has 'also put an alert out in South Dakota,' and that they believe the suspect is 'in the Midwest.' A gut punch of a headline: 'Like School Shootings, Political Violence Is Becoming Almost Routine.' NYT's Lisa Lerer notes the statements of shock and condolences from House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (shot and nearly killed in 2017), former Rep. Gabby Giffords (shot and nearly killed in 2011), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (whose husband, Paul, was bludgeoned and nearly killed in 2022), Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (whose house was set on fire earlier this year while he and his family slept inside), Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (whom a group of militia members plotted to abduct and possibly execute in 2020) and Trump himself (who survived two assassination attempts in 2024). 'In the past three months alone, a man set fire to the Pennsylvania governor's residence while Mr. Shapiro and his family were asleep inside; another man gunned down a pair of workers from the Israeli Embassy outside an event in Washington; protesters calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Boulder, Colo., were set on fire; and the Republican Party headquarters in New Mexico and a Tesla dealership near Albuquerque were firebombed,' Lerer writes. 'Slowly but surely, political violence has moved from the fringes to an inescapable reality. Violent threats and even assassinations, attempted or successful, have become part of the political landscape — a steady undercurrent of American life.' That threat of violence loomed over yesterday's 'No Kings' protests. After the shootings in Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz urged would-be demonstrators not to attend any rallies 'until the suspect is apprehended.' In Texas, officials arrested a man who made a credible threat against lawmakers who were to attend the No Kings protest in Austin; per the American-Statesman, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety 'said preliminary information suggested the man was politically 'far left-leaning' and sought to harm those with whom he disagreed politically.' But those worries did little to dampen turnout nationally, as 'millions of Americans across the country took part in the largest coordinated protests against the president since the start of his second administration,' as POLITICO's Gigi Ewing writes. Here in Washington, a demonstration gathered in Logan Circle and marched for several blocks. But mostly, the No Kings phenomenon skipped the nation's capital. 'Rather than give [Trump] the excuse to crack down on peaceful counterprotests in downtown D.C., or give him the narrative device to claim that we're protesting the military, we said, OK, you can have downtown D.C.,' Ezra Levin, co-founder and co-executive director of Indivisible, told POLITICO. Instead, the main event in D.C. was the massive parade to honor the U.S. Army's 250th birthday (which also happened to coincide with Trump's 79th). 'Planes roared over the heart of Washington on Saturday evening, tanks rolled along the National Mall, brass bands resounded and thousands of soldiers marched past cheering crowds, as the Army put on the largest show of military might in the capital in more than three decades,' as WaPo put it. 'Long lines formed in the heavy heat, as people waited to climb in the back of a Stryker armored vehicle, and kids clambered into front seats of attack helicopters, posing for parents snapping photos with their phones. Across the grass, combat medics demonstrated how they treat injuries in conflict zones. A face-painting stand was steps away from a display of 19th-century rifles. Red MAGA hats dotted the crowd.' Last night, as celebratory fireworks gleamed above the National Mall, people gathered to gawk on the block of 16th Street just north of Lafayette Square where, four years ago this month, the National Guard and U.S. Park Police used tear gas against nonviolent protesters so that the president could walk to St. John's Church and pose for a photo. That stretch of road, which bore the words 'Black Lives Matter' until earlier this year, was largely devoid of demonstrators, save for a few pressed up against the anti-scale fencing erected at Lafayette Square. Tourists stood in the street, marveling at the display in the sky. A newly married couple bolted out from the St. Regis to take wedding photos in the median before the show ended. An older couple, both wearing American flag t-shirts, got an early beat on any traffic, making the trek away from the Mall. The sidewalk in front of St. John's Church was empty, save for a homeless person in a sleeping bag. There were precious few signs of the plaza's recent history, even with the echoes to the current moment, with mass protests nationally, Trump deploying federal forces to American cities and the feeling again of a nation seemingly on the brink. (History, as they say, may not repeat, but often rhymes.) All of it felt strangely normal. Perhaps it is now. SUNDAY BEST … — Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter on Israel's strikes against Iran, on 'Fox News Sunday': 'We are going to deal with the nuclear program as best we can. We still have a few surprises up our sleeve. I think we've proven that over the past couple of days. We're determined to get this done. At this point, what we've requested from our ally, our greatest ally, the United States, is defensive posture.' — Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on U.S. support for Israel, on NBC's 'Meet the Press': 'I support the administration's actions in helping Israel defend itself. In terms of whether the administration should go further and engage in direct hostilities against Iran, that's not something I support. Now, I have to caveat that by saying I have not been able to get recently an intelligence briefing on whether Iran is trying to break out to get a bomb. But I think the United States should be very loath to engage in another war after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.' — Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on what it would take for him to vote for the 'big, beautiful bill,' on NBC's 'Meet the Press': 'Separate out the debt ceiling and have a separate vote on it. And I won't be the deciding vote on this. This is what I tell my supporters. If I am the deciding vote, they'll negotiate. If I'm not, they won't. So far they've been sending their attack dogs after me, and that's not a great persuasion technique. I will negotiate if they come to me, but they have to be willing to negotiate on the debt ceiling.' — Senate Majority Leader John Thune pitching the 'big, beautiful bill,' on 'Fox News Sunday': 'We will see where we finally end up in the Senate, but it'll be a major reduction in spending. … You have to start somewhere. And that's what this bill does.' TOP-EDS: A roundup of the week's must-read opinion pieces. 9 THINGS FOR YOUR RADAR 1. GREAT EXPECTATIONS: Trump is traveling to the Canadian Rockies today for the G7 meeting there as the world's economic powerhouses stare down a potentially calamitous tariff deadline and a burgeoning crisis in the Middle East. But Trump is unlikely to leave the three-day summit with a breakthrough on either front, POLITICO's Adam Cancryn reports. 'Trump officials are struggling to lock down trade pacts that they predicted were imminent in the wake of a first deal with the U.K. nearly a month ago. Even early chatter of a deal with Japan by this week's conference appears unlikely, said two people close to the White House, granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. And now, with the U.S. occupied by turmoil in the Middle East, Trump aides and advisers are tempering expectations for what the G7 may ultimately produce.' To wit: 'In a sign of how difficult it could be to present a united front, the summit isn't expected to produce a single joint leaders' statement, or communiqué,' WSJ's Natalie Andrews and colleagues report. 'Instead, the leaders will likely agree to separate statements on topics that Canada has identified as priorities, such as fighting foreign interference in elections and transnational crime and securing supply chains for critical minerals.' 2. HOW IT HAPPENED: 'Inside Trump's Extraordinary Turnaround on Immigration Raids,' by NYT's Tyler Pager and colleagues: 'On Wednesday morning, President Trump took a call from Brooke Rollins, his secretary of agriculture, who relayed a growing sense of alarm from the heartland. Farmers and agriculture groups, she said, were increasingly uneasy about his immigration crackdown. … She wasn't the first person to try to get this message through to the president, nor was it the first time she had spoken to him about it. But the president was persuaded. … 'Inside the West Wing, top White House officials were caught off guard — and furious at Ms. Rollins. Many of Mr. Trump's top aides, particularly Stephen Miller, his deputy chief of staff, have urged a hard-line approach, targeting all immigrants without legal status to fulfill the president's promise of the biggest deportation campaign in American history. But the decision had been made.' Staggering statistic: 'U.S. could lose more immigrants than it gains for first time in 50 years,' by WaPo's Andrew Ackerman and Lauren Kaori Gurley 3. MIDDLE EAST LATEST: Facing some criticism from within the Republican Party over how the 'America First' agenda fits into the increasingly tenuous Middle East conflict unfolding, Trump defiantly told The Atlantic's Michael Scherer in a phone call yesterday: 'Well, considering that I'm the one that developed 'America First,' and considering that the term wasn't used until I came along, I think I'm the one that decides that.' (The term dates back several generations.) He continued: ''For those people who say they want peace — you can't have peace if Iran has a nuclear weapon. So for all of those wonderful people who don't want to do anything about Iran having a nuclear weapon — that's not peace.' … Over the course of our conversation, the president defended his efforts to bring an end to multiple conflicts despite growing violence in the Middle East. … He described the conflict in Gaza as coming to a close. 'Gaza is ready to fold — or just about ready to fold. We have gotten many of the hostages back,' Trump said. Not everyone in the MAGA universe shares the president's sunny outlook.' On the ground: 'The death toll grew Sunday as Israel and Iran exchanged missile attacks for a third consecutive day, with Israel warning that worse is to come,' per the AP. 'Israel targeted Iran's Defense Ministry headquarters in Tehran and sites it alleged were associated with Iran's nuclear program, while Iranian missiles evaded Israeli air defenses and slammed into buildings deep inside Israel. In Israel, at least 10 people were killed in Iranian strikes overnight and into Sunday … bringing the country's total death toll to 13. … There was no update to an Iranian death toll released the day before by Iran's U.N. ambassador, who said 78 people had been killed and more than 320 wounded.' 4. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Beg your pardon: To secure mercy from Trump, many prospective pardonees are taking a page out of the president's playbook, railing against the judicial system that has long drawn his ire in a bid to increase their chances of winning his favor, POLITICO's Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing and Jerry Wu report. 'The bulk of the over 1,500 clemencies the president has issued in his second term have been granted to celebrities, politicians, Trump donors and loyalists — including those convicted in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot — many of whom have used their platforms to make the case that the judicial system was manipulated against them for political reasons, just like the president himself.' 5. CALL LOG: Trump said in a Truth Social post yesterday afternoon that Russian President Vladimir Putin called him to 'very nicely wish me a Happy Birthday, but to more importantly, talk about Iran, a country he knows very well.' Trump said the two leaders spoke for roughly an hour but didn't spend much time discussing Russia's war in Ukraine, which 'will be for next week.' Putin is 'doing the planned prisoner swaps,' Trump indicated. 'He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end.' 6. JUSTICE LEAGUE: 'How Amy Coney Barrett Is Confounding the Right and the Left,' by NYT's Jodi Kantor: 'Her influence — measured by how often she is on the winning side — is rising. … Overall, her assumption of the seat once held by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has moved the court's outcomes dramatically to the right and locked in conservative victories on gun rights, affirmative action and the power of federal agencies. But in Trump-related disputes, she is the member of the supermajority who has sided with him the least. That position is making her the focus of animus, hope and debate. In interviews, some liberals who considered the court lost when she was appointed have used phrases like, 'It's all on Amy.'' 7. COME FLY WITH ME: 'Trump's FAA pick has claimed 'commercial' pilot license he doesn't have,' by POLITICO's Oriana Pawlyk: 'Bryan Bedford's biography at Republic Airways, the regional airline where he has been CEO since 1999, said until Thursday that he 'holds commercial, multi-engine and instrument ratings.' (By Friday, after POLITICO's inquiries, the word 'commercial' had been removed.) The FAA registry that houses data on pilot's licenses does not list any such commercial credentials for Bedford. … Questions about Bedford's credentials do not appear to threaten his prospects for heading the FAA … 'Bryan never misrepresented his credential; it was an administrative error that was immediately corrected,' DOT said in a statement.' 8. PERPLEXING PLAN: After Trump's surprise announcement last month to take Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac public, GOP lawmakers and the mortgage industry are raising questions about the administration's plans to maintain government control over much of the nation's housing finance system, defying expectations that it would back off, POLITICO's Katy O'Donnell reports. 'The insistence on preserving significant sway over the two mortgage giants, which were seized by the Bush administration during the financial crisis and placed in conservatorship, is setting up a potential rift with Republicans — and possibly even some administration aides who have long worked to reduce the government's footprint in the housing market.' 9. EMPIRE STATE OF MIND: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) railed against the political 'gerontocracy' in an appearance to boost Zohran Mamdani in the NYC mayoral race and thump Andrew Cuomo, the frontrunner in the contest, POLITICO's Jeff Coltin reports. AOC also used the rally as a chance to carry forward a message that she has been trumpeting alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) at their 'Fighting Oligarchy' rallies across the nation: 'In a world and a nation that is crying to end the gerontocracy of our leadership, that wants to see a new day, that wants to see a new generation ascend, it is unconscionable to send Andrew Cuomo to Gracie Mansion,' she said. TALK OF THE TOWN Donald Trump disclosed over $600 million in income and $1.6 billion in assets in a new financial disclosure, per WaPo. 'Both Trump and Vice President JD Vance … reported holding cryptocurrency, with Trump owning at least $1 million in ethereum and Vance holding at least $250,000 in bitcoin.' BUZZ OF THE HAMPTONS: The wedding of Alex Soros and Huma Abedin in the Hamptons on Saturday brought out a host of Democratic establishment stalwarts. Among the guest list: Hillary and Bill Clinton, Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Anna Wintour, Susie Tompkins Buell and plenty more. NYT's Teddy Schleifer and Jacob Reber have more TEE TIME: The Congressional Country Club hosted its 2025 Presidents' Cup this weekend, with Geoff Tracy and George Ballman coming away as the champions. The full results WELCOME TO THE WORLD — John Pence, general counsel of Frontline Strategies and a Trump campaign alum, and Giovanna Coia, a Trump White House alum, welcomed Ford James Pence on Tuesday. He joins big siblings Jack and … Another pic — Emilia Varrone, ophthalmology resident at VCU Health, and Andrew Hutson, senior media buyer at GMMB, on Thursday welcomed Liv (Livvy) Marie Hutson, who joins older brother Alfred Hutson. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) (6-0), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) (6-0) and Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.) … CNN's Dana Bash, Bianna Golodryga … Karl de Vries … Jana Plat … AP's Evan Vucci … Clifford Levy … MSNBC's Will Rabbe … Alyssa Farah Griffin … PBS NewsHour's Ali Rogin ... Sophie Vaughan … Marie Harf … POLITICO's Brian Faler, and Katherine Tully-McManus … Joseph Brazauskas … Richard Edelman … Team Lewis' Reagan Lawn … Susan Toffler … Wells Griffith … Jeff Green of J.A. Green & Co. … former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (5-0) … former Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) … former House Majority Whip Tony Coelho (D-Calif.) … former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell … Akoya's Corinne Gorda … Dan Schwerin … Eva Bandola Berg Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.


New York Post
21 minutes ago
- New York Post
Jalen Hurts weds Bry Burrows in scenic Napa Valley ceremony — 2 months after marriage bombshell
Jalen Hurts and wife Bryonna 'Bry' Burrows enjoyed a second wedding ceremony at the Four Seasons hotel in Napa Valley, Calif., over the weekend, as seen in photos obtained Sunday by The Post. The Eagles' Super Bowl-winning quarterback looked dapper in a white tuxedo jacket during the weekend-long festivities in wine country, as captured in the snaps. 10 Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts looks on during his wedding weekend in June 2025. BACKGRID 10 The lavish affair took place in Napa Valley. BACKGRID 10 The event comes two months after Jalen Hurts revealed in April 2025 that he and Bry Burrows are married. BACKGRID The lavish affair comes two months after Hurts, 26, revealed he and Burrows privately tied the knot in his cover interview with Men's Health, which was released in April. 'You can call her my wife,' Hurts told Men's Health in his interview. Page Six reported Sunday that Hurts and Burrows rented out the Four Seasons hotel for the weekend, adding 'a big dinner was held Thursday at the pool before Friday's barn party.' 10 The celebrations took place in wine country California. BACKGRID 10 An aerial shot of the grounds. BACKGRID 10 The ceremony took place Saturday. BACKGRID Hurts is flying high this offseason after he and the Eagles routed the Chiefs in Super Bowl 2025 in February, 40-22. Burrows, who met Hurts at the University of Alabama in 2016, celebrated with the quarterback on the field at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The newlyweds made their red carpet debut as husband and wife at the Met Gala in May. 10 Bry Burrows and Jalen Hurts in February 2025. Getty Images 10 The couple celebrated the Eagles' Super Bowl triumph in New Orleans. Getty Images 10 Bry Burrows and Jalen Hurts attend the Met Gala on Monday, May 5, 2025, in New York. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP 10 Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback Jalen Hurts looks to throw during practice at the NFL football team's training facility in Philadelphia, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. AP Hurts revealed their engagement last September at the start of Philadelphia's championship season. Hurts is enjoying some time off before the Eagles' training camp begins on July 22. The Eagles open the 2025 season against their rival Cowboys in Philadelphia on Thursday, Sept. 4.


USA Today
29 minutes ago
- USA Today
Beyoncé's global impact felt at London shows: 'I've moved to England because of Beyoncé'
Beyoncé's global impact felt at London shows: 'I've moved to England because of Beyoncé' Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" tour is keeping the momentum going in London, with fans from all over the world continuing to flock to the city to witness the international spectacle. The Grammy-winning singer kicked off her June 14 show at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday. The show marked her fifth of six shows at the stadium on her Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit Tour. Her last show in London is set for June 16, before she heads to Paris for three nights. And while the first U.K. show debuted over a week ago on June 5, fans continue to travel from across the globe, keeping the excitement alive for each show. 'I've moved to England because of Beyoncé' "I've moved to England because of Beyoncé. That was about 15 years ago," says Patrycja Lesiakowska, who attended multiple shows in London along with her best friend from London, Chichi Mbagwu. Lesiakowska says she became a huge fan back when Beyoncé released her 2006 album "B-Day," and she would go on to listen to that album and all the ones that followed on repeat. "I realized that she never came to Poland, and I needed to see Beyoncé live. I needed to witness it. I had a brother that lived in England. So I took my opportunity to move to England to see Beyoncé during 'Sasha Fierce.' And I signed myself up for college, went to university and stayed in England because I loved it," she says. "And I've seen Beyoncé ever since. But the best thing about it, I've also learned English because of Beyoncé." She says she used Google translate to understand her song lyrics and her interviews when she was 15 years old and would eventually learn the language. 'She taught me English' "So she taught me English. She changed my life. I'm here. I met my best friend. I got a career I wanted," Lesiakowska says. "I live in an amazing country and I have the opportunity to see Beyoncé all the time. But we actually follow her all over the world." Mbagwu and and Lesiakowska met through Beyoncé nearly 15 years ago when they both attended a House of Deréon launch in London and have remained friends since. They've attended her shows together over the years and plan to return to the stadium for her final London concert — their 52nd show together. "I feel honored that I'm able to witness it. I think it's such a huge moment and a huge movement," Mbagwu says. And while "Cowboy Carter" is rich with American history, the impact is profound all over the world. "I think it personally resonates a lot because I think there's been a lot of erasure of Black people," Mbagwu says. "A lot of culture comes from Black people, and I think that's kind of lost down the line in terms of, you know, appropriation. The artistry, the message behind the songs and the way she of invokes her art — it's artwork. Genuinely 'Cowboy Carter' is artwork." 'Attending Beyoncé's tour in London felt significant' Other fans traveled from Australia, Italy, the U.S. and everywhere in between. And it's clear no matter what pocket of the world, Beyoncé's impact and messages have not only been heard but felt. "London is a city that carries such a vibrant energy," says Brendan Thomas, who traveled from West Yorkshire, England, for the show. "It's a cultural melting pot where art, music and people collide in the most inspiring ways. Attending Beyoncé's tour in London felt significant because it's one of those cities where the audience truly matches her energy." He added: "The album feels deeply personal and unapologetic like Beyoncé inviting us into her world while reminding us of our own power. It resonates because it's not just music. It's a statement of freedom, resilience and joy." As fans know, Beyoncé first debuted her "Cowboy Carter" tour at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 28 with 39 songs on the set list. Her tour has been filled with family, fashion, different music genres, and most notably country music and cultural commentary. The June 14 show was no different as she debuted more looks and delivered another high-energy show. The nine-city tour will span the U.S. and Europe with the grand finale taking place in Las Vegas on July 26. Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network's Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.