I Am... World Tour
Encyclopedia
I Am... World Tour is a live DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....

/CD concert film
Concert film
A concert movie, or concert film, is a type of documentary film, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by a musician ....

 by American R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...

 recording artist Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...

 who also produced, directed and edited the concert film for her own Parkwood Pictures. The DVD was filmed in presence of more than a million of fans during her worldwide I Am... Tour, running from March 2009 through February 2010, in support of her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. The DVD release is a combination of performances from the tour, including guest appearances from Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...

 and Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

, as well as backstage moments. A more intimate side of Knowles is also shown on the DVD.

Knowles explained that the idea of filming her worldwide performances came when she realised that she was feeling lonely. Knowles edited the DVD for 9 months and it serves as her directorial debut. She promoted the DVD by appearing on several shows, including ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

's Nightline
Nightline
Nightline, or ABC News Nightline is a late-night news program broadcast by ABC in the United States, and has a franchised formula to other networks and stations elsewhere in the world. It airs weeknights, usually for 31 minutes. Created by Roone Arledge, the program featured Ted Koppel as its main...

 and by holding a screening of her DVD in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, in presence of several fans and artists such as, Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...

, Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...

 and Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Kate Hudson is an American recording artist, actress and spokesperson. She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the third season of American Idol coming in seventh place...

 on November 21, 2010. Prior to the release, numerous trailers kept dropping on Knowles' official website in the month of November. I Am... World Tour premiered exclusively on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

 on November 25, 2010 as a 90-minute Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...

 special.

The DVD was released in three separate editions; the standard, deluxe and Blu-ray. In the United States, the standard edition was only made available exclusively at Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...

 on November 26, 2010. The deluxe edition was released in several countries around the world on the same date. The Blu-ray edition was released from December 3, 2010 in a list of selected countries only. I Am... World Tour debuted at number one on the Billboard Music DVD Chart, giving Knowles her second consecutive number one DVD in the United States. It also certified double platinum by the RIAA. In just five weeks of release, I Am...World Tour became the best-selling music DVD of 2010.

Background and release

I Am... World Tour features performances from Knowles' I Am... Tour, in support of her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce, released in November 2008. Knowles explained that the idea of filming her worldwide performances came when she realized that she was feeling lonely, stating "there was one moment I was in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 and I was in this huge suite and I looked out the window and there were just thousands of people walking and I couldn't believe my life... I guess I was a bit lonely and I wanted to talk to someone so I opened up my computer and I just talked." Additionally, Knowles revealed that the DVD will show more of her intimate side. The album's track listing was confirmed on November 12, 2010. Both Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...

 and Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

 make guest appearances on the DVD.

In November 2010, there was a sweepstakes to win tickets to an exclusive screening of the DVD. In the United States, the standard edition of the DVD was only released exclusively at Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...

 stores on November 26, 2010. The deluxe edition of I Am... World Tour includes the concert DVD, a live audio CD, an exclusive documentary and a 40 page four-color booklet of never before seen photos of her journey around the world along with a live soundtrack, made available on November 30, 2010 in several countries. The Blu-ray edition was released on December 7, 2010.

Production and composition

Produced, directed and edited by Knowles for her own Parkwood Pictures, the I Am... World Tour concert film is an immersive entertainment experience, weaving together peak concert and tour footage from 108 shows that took place in 78 cities, 32 countries and 6 continents in presence of 1.1 million fans around the world. The show is a combination of performance clips from the tour, as well as backstage moments. Several songs were shortened from their actual live length and some songs such as "Me, Myself and I" were omitted completely. Several interludes in the show have also been omitted and instead transitions are made with behind the scenes footage.

I Am... World Tour also serves as the directorial debut for Knowles. On this occasion, she confessed that it was a lot of work for her, nevertheless she was very happy and eager for her fans to see her DVD directed by herself. She explained, "I'm so excited - this is my directorial debut. I am just thrilled that my fans are going to be in the theatre with me and I can't wait for everyone to see it. It took me nine months to edit because I wanted to show a little bit of each show, each performance on tour, and it was 116 shows, so you can only imagine how much work it was, [but] it was worth it." At the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 screening of the DVD, Knowles further explained that she was completely "hands-on", deciding which moments made the final cut and which ones wound up on the cutting-room floor, stating "It was hard work. I learned so much. I have a new respect for directors and I think I would like to do more of it." Some of the behind-the-scenes footage were shot by Knowles' on her laptop.

The DVD captures concert footage from cities in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

, South American and the United States, all edited into one extraordinary concert. However, I Am... World Tour was significantly recorded at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

's larger O2 Arena, a few months after the Vegas concert
I Am... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas
I Am... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas is a live CD/DVD by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. It was shot at the Encore Theater, Las Vegas, on August 2, 2009 during a stint of her worldwide I Am… Tour...

. Weaved into this concert are highlights that give a rare glimpse into the dynamic and personal world of Knowles. A live CD of the concert, a behind-the-scenes documentary of her life along the tour and a 20-page book of exclusive photos are all included in the package. I Am... World Tour also showcases Knowles' talent as a filmmaker, director and producer. In short, it is meant to create the ne plus ultra (nothing more beyond) Knowles concert experience, seen from her perspective.

In addition to offering behind-the-scenes glimpses into Knowles' intimate world on tour, the film also features dazzling performances of more than twenty number-one hits in the world's largest venues, transformed for the stage, guest appearances by Kanye West and Knowles' husband Jay-Z, spectacular staging
Staging (theatre)
Staging is the process of selecting, designing, adapting to, or modifying the performance space for a play or film. This includes the use or absence of stagecraft elements as well as the structure of the stage and its components....

, choreography
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...

, lighting and production values. In between performances of Knowles' hit singles, "If I Were a Boy
If I Were a Boy
"If I Were a Boy" is a pop song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. It was composed by Toby Gad and BC Jean. Jean initially recorded her version of the song which was rejected by Jean's record company. Knowles then recorded a new version for her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce...

", which included a medley with Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...

's "You Oughta Know
You Oughta Know
"You Oughta Know" is a alternative rock song, which also is known for its grunge effect styles in it. The instruments held in it are guitars, electric guitars, drums and drum machine...

", viewers get glimpses of her childhood from old video footage. The footage transitions from the Knowles dancing up a storm in her childhood home, to sleepless nights on tour where she worries about her health after nine consecutive days of touring, rehearsing and recording. Despite her struggles, the weariness is never displayed onstage when she glides through Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...

 classics, "Bootylicious
Bootylicious
"Bootylicious" is a song by American R&B group Destiny's Child. It was written and produced by Rob Fusari, Falonte Moore, and band member Beyoncé Knowles for the band's third studio album Survivor , and contains a prominent sample from the 1981 recording "Edge of Seventeen," as written and...

" and "Survivor" and asks for a guest appearance from Kanye West. For the song "Single Ladies
Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
"Single Ladies " is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. It was released by Columbia Records on October 12, 2008 as the album's lead single, and appeared with "If I Were a Boy" as a double A-side single, demonstrating the...

", Knowles' performance is accompanied by YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....

 footage of fans mimicking her moves, and even a quick video clip of US President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

 partaking in the fun.

In some of the raw moments captured in the documentary, Knowles appears completely bare. She told Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...

"I wanted to do something a little different with the film ... I wanted people to re-experience the show in a different way. Everyone that had been to the show -- I wanted them to see things that they didn't get to see. I figured it would be cool for everyone to see it from my point of view. It's a peek behind the curtain ... honestly, more than no makeup, the emotions and just being so real and raw, I don't think I'd be able to let down my guard the way I did if anybody was in the room." The last few minutes of the film get very sentimental, with a performance of Etta James
Etta James
Etta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...

's classic "At Last" set to the backdrop of Civil Rights-era footage, followed by a close-up moment when Knowles admits that her life can be overwhelming, although she is blessed, stating "I'm grateful... I'm alive and I'm living my dreams." The film's final performance shows Knowles performing "Halo
Halo (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Halo" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce . Columbia Records released the song as the fourth single of the album, to mainstream radio in the United States on January 20, 2009. It was composed by Ryan Tedder, Evan Bogart, and...

" and sees her paying tribute to Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...

, and splices in footage of an old video from the night she attended her first Michael Jackson concert as child. At the end of the performance, the whole production wraps as Knowles throws up the Roc sign and exits the stage.

Marketing and promotion

A thirty-four second promo trailer of I Am... World Tour was launched on several websites as of the beginning of November 2010. The concert film premiered exclusively on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

 on November 25, 2010 as a 90-minute Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...

 special. One year ago, over Thanksgiving itself, the network aired I Am... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas
I Am... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas
I Am... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas is a live CD/DVD by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. It was shot at the Encore Theater, Las Vegas, on August 2, 2009 during a stint of her worldwide I Am… Tour...

, shot at the Encore Theater, Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

, on August 2, 2009 during a stint
I Am... Yours
I Am... Yours was a 2009 Las Vegas revue show by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé Knowles, in support of her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce. The concerts were held at the Encore Theatre in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show was deemed "an intimate encounter" as Knowles portrayed a more raw and...

 of her worldwide I Am… Tour
I Am… Tour
I Am… Tour was the third worldwide concert tour by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles, to promote her third studio album, I Am… Sasha Fierce . The tour was announced in October, 2008 and the first dates were revealed in December, 2008. The tour kicked off in late-March 2009 with five...

. Several other trailers kept dropping on Knowles' official website in the month of November.

Knowles made an appearance at the School of Visual Arts
School of Visual Arts
The School of Visual Arts , is a proprietary art school located in Manhattan, New York City, and is widely considered to be one of the leading art schools in the United States. It was established in 1947 by co-founders Silas H. Rhodes and Burne Hogarth as the Cartoonists and Illustrators School and...

 Theater in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 City's Chelsea neighborhood on November 21, 2010 to premiere her I Am...World Tour concert film. On November 22, 2010, she held a screening of the DVD in New York, in presence of Knowle's parents and artists such as Mary J Blige, Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Kate Hudson is an American recording artist, actress and spokesperson. She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the third season of American Idol coming in seventh place...

, Amel Larrieux
Amel Larrieux
Amel Larrieux is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter and keyboardist. Larrieux rose to fame in the mid 1990s as a founding member of the duo Groove Theory along with Bryce Wilson. After leaving the group in 1999, she released her debut solo album Infinite Possibilities the following year on...

, Tyson Beckford
Tyson Beckford
Tyson Craig Beckford is an American male model and actor, best known as a Ralph Lauren model. He was also the host of both seasons of the Bravo program Make Me a Supermodel.-Biography:...

, Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...

, AJ Calloway
AJ Calloway
A.J. Calloway is an American television personality. He is best known for being the former host of popular B.E.T. music video countdown show 106 & Park: B.E.T.'s Top 10 Live. After co-hosting the show for five years with Free , he left the show on July 28, 2005. Calloway decided to leave the show...

. During the occasion, Knowles stated "I worked for 9 months editing this film and I hope you guys are proud of it. I hope ya’ll treat it like a concert and dance and have a good time." Additionally, in an interview with the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...

 on the same day, Knowles revealed that this DVD will show more of her intimate side, stating "I felt like I've done so many different things, it's time for me to show a bit of who I am. The hardest thing was showing that, because a lot of things that I filmed, I filmed in my computer, and I would never have gotten so open if someone else was in the room." On November 23, 2010, Knowles was interviewed by Cynthia McFadden on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

's Nightline
Nightline
Nightline, or ABC News Nightline is a late-night news program broadcast by ABC in the United States, and has a franchised formula to other networks and stations elsewhere in the world. It airs weeknights, usually for 31 minutes. Created by Roone Arledge, the program featured Ted Koppel as its main...

 where she stated "I feel like I wanted the fans to be able to see the things that I see... It's a lot of things that I reveal about myself that I would never give to another director." On December 1, 2010, Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...

offered a six-foot tall version of the poster signed by Knowles to one of the first ten people who posted a qualifying comment on the related post on their Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...

 wall concerning the giveaway of the first ten copies of the DVD.

Critical reception

Andy Kellman of Allmusic awarded the DVD three out of five stars and stated "for anyone but the most devout fans of Beyoncé, this will be overkill, and it doesn't have as much of the playfulness such as the pleasing diversions as the I Am... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas
I Am... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas
I Am... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas is a live CD/DVD by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. It was shot at the Encore Theater, Las Vegas, on August 2, 2009 during a stint of her worldwide I Am… Tour...

set. Simon Gage of Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...

awarded it four out of five stars, complimenting Knowles' dance moves and praising her vocal capabilities, going on saying that she is "probably the most electric performer since Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...

" and calling her the "Queen of R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...

". She also praised the quality of songs, "Crazy In Love", "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
"Single Ladies " is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. It was released by Columbia Records on October 12, 2008 as the album's lead single, and appeared with "If I Were a Boy" as a double A-side single, demonstrating the...

" and "Halo
Halo (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Halo" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce . Columbia Records released the song as the fourth single of the album, to mainstream radio in the United States on January 20, 2009. It was composed by Ryan Tedder, Evan Bogart, and...

". Andy Gill of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...

was much less impressed with the DVD, qualifying it as an "unsatisfying, incoherent entertainment experience" even though she liked the way "the visual spectacle put everything in perspective". Online music service Rhapsody
Rhapsody (online music service)
Rhapsody is an online music store subscription service, launched in December 2001, and available in the United States only. On April 6, 2010, Rhapsody officially declared its independence from RealNetworks. Downloaded files come with restrictions on their use, enforced by Helix, Rhapsody's version...

, praised Knowles' performances and wrote in its review, "Like the best live albums, it just makes you want to actually be there." Ian Drew of Us Weekly
Us Weekly
Us Weekly is a celebrity gossip magazine, founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, who sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986. The publication covers topics ranging from celebrity relationships to the latest trends in fashion, beauty, and entertainment...

complimented the "high-energy performances" of Knowles on her Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...

 songs and enjoyed the black-and-white behind-the-scenes footage. He also added that the singer is "most revelatory when tearing up over [her] missing husband Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...

 on the road." Scott Kara of The New Zealand Herald
The New Zealand Herald
- External links :* * *...

awarded it three out of five stars, stating that the good thing about the DVD is that it has a "wider range of songs", nevertheless they do not have the same "rump-rattling power" of the songs in The Beyoncé Experience
The Beyoncé Experience
The Beyoncé Experience was the second worldwide concert tour by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé in support to her second solo album B'Day. According to Vibe, the tour grossed over $18.1 million.-Background:...

simply because some songs are too short in duration, for instance "Bootylicious
Bootylicious
"Bootylicious" is a song by American R&B group Destiny's Child. It was written and produced by Rob Fusari, Falonte Moore, and band member Beyoncé Knowles for the band's third studio album Survivor , and contains a prominent sample from the 1981 recording "Edge of Seventeen," as written and...

."

Accolades

The concert film received a nomination for a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Variety – Series or Special in 2011. I Am... World Tour is currently nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video
Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video
The Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video is an accolade presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally named the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality videos or musical programs...

 at the 54th Grammy Awards
54th Grammy Awards
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It will be broadcasted on CBS. Nominations were announced on November 30, 2011 on prime-time television as part of "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live! – Countdown to Music's Biggest Night", a...

, which will be held on February 12, 2012.

Chart performance

According to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...

, I Am... World Tour has shipped over 200,000 copies in less than four days in the US, giving the DVD a 2x Platinum certification. Accordingly, the live album debuted at number one on Billboard Music DVD Chart
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...

. It has spent 9 non-consecutive weeks at number one in its 15 weeks charting. As of December 26, 2010, I Am... World Tour has sold 139,000 copies in the United States. In Brazil, I Am... World Tour shifted more than 60,000 copies in its first week of sales and achieved a platinum certification by Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos
Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos
The Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos is an official representative body of the record labels in the Brazilian phonographic market.- About :...

 (ABPD). On December 6, 2010, I Am... World Tour debuted at number 6 on the Australia Top 40 Music DVD Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...

, with more than 7,500 copies sold in the first week and hence achieved a gold certification on the same date and it has so far reached Platinum for 15,000 copies sold.

Track listing

Live Instrumentals Album

A live instrumentals album was released digitally February 2, 2011, and on doubled sided vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...

 February 22. This is Knowles third release of this nature but the first live instrumental album to have a physical release. The album does not feature the mixes used in the DVD; it instead uses the actual performance versions although some are edited. "Get Me Bodied" does not feature its intro as it was performed in a disjointed manner but does feature the extended mix's dances in their entirety. "If I Were a Boy" does not include its verses from "You Oughta Know". "Ego" and "Crazy in Love" do not include the space allotted for the rap verses of Kanye West and Jay-Z, respectively. Single Ladies" is only the main finale song and also does not include any of its medley elements with "Shout". "Ave Maria" does include the full performance featuring Sarah McLachlan's "Angel". "Sweet Dreams" is included in its entirety although its performance was not featured in the DVD.
  1. "Crazy In Love" - 4:11
  2. "Freakum Dress" - 4:07
  3. "Get Me Bodied" - 3:59
  4. "Smash Into You" - 4:11
  5. "Ave Maria" - 5:59
  6. "Broken-Hearted Girl" - 3:23
  7. "If I Were a Boy" - 2:51
  8. "Diva" - 2:46
  9. "Radio" - 3:03
  10. "Ego" - 3:18
  11. "Hello" - 3:29
  12. "Irreplaceable - 5:54
  13. "Sweet Dreams" - 2:14
  14. "Say My Name" - 2:53
  15. "At Last" - 2:57
  16. "Listen" - 2:58
  17. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" - 3:36

I Am... Tour

To promote I Am... Sasha Fierce, Knowles embarked on a worldwide tour with several performances. Knowles' I Am... Tour kicked off in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 on March 26, 2009, in support of the album. The European leg of the tour started on April 26, 2009, in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...

, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...

 and ended on June 9, 2009, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. On June 21, 2009, she began the third leg of the tour in the United States and finished in August with a 4-day stint
I Am... Yours
I Am... Yours was a 2009 Las Vegas revue show by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé Knowles, in support of her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce. The concerts were held at the Encore Theatre in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show was deemed "an intimate encounter" as Knowles portrayed a more raw and...

 at Encore Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...

. Starting on September 15, 2009, the fourth leg began in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 and finished on September 24 in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

, Australia. Knowles then went on performing in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the United Kingdom, before finishing the 2009 portion of the tour on November 24 in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

. The tour had its final leg in 2010, visiting Latin America. Starting on February 4, 2010, in Florianópolis
Florianópolis
-Climate:Florianópolis experiences a warm humid subtropical climate, falling just short of a true tropical climate. The seasons of the year are distinct, with a well-defined summer and winter, and characteristic weather for autumn and spring. Frost is infrequent, but occurs occasionally in the winter...

, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, she visited five other places before ending in Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...

 on February 18, 2010. According to Pollstar, the tour earned $17.2 million between January 1, and June 30, 2010, which added onto her total of $86 million for her first 93 concerts in 2009, brings the tour total to $103.2 million for the 97 shows. While Knowles was on tour, she played at a Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...

 residency at the Encore Theater in Las Vegas. Titled I Am... Yours
I Am... Yours
I Am... Yours was a 2009 Las Vegas revue show by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé Knowles, in support of her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce. The concerts were held at the Encore Theatre in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show was deemed "an intimate encounter" as Knowles portrayed a more raw and...

, the August 2, 2009, show was recorded and later released as a DVD, audio CD and television special in late November 2009.

Personnel

Credits are taken from the album's liner notes.

Managerial
  • Executive producer
    Executive producer
    An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...

     - Beyoncé Knowles
  • Director - Beyoncé Knowles
  • Editor
    Editor
    The term editor may refer to:As a person who does editing:* Editor in chief, having final responsibility for a publication's operations and policies* Copy editing, making formatting changes and other improvements to text...

     - Beyonce Knowles
  • Photography
    Photography
    Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...

     - Ed Burke


Performance credits
  • Vocals - Beyoncé Knowles
  • Contributing artists - Jay-Z
    Jay-Z
    Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...

    , Kanye West
    Kanye West
    Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...


Charts

DVDs Chart (2010–2011) Peak
position
Australia Top 40 Music DVD Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...

6
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

ian DVD Chart
1
Belgium DVD Chart (Flanders)
Ultratop 50
Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995...

6
Belgium DVD Chart (Wallonia)
Ultratop 50
Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995...

10
Dutch DVD Music Top 30 Chart
MegaCharts
MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top...

1
Turkish DVD Music Top 20 Chart 1
Irish Top 10 Music DVDs
Irish Recorded Music Association
Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:...

4
Italian DVD Chart
Federation of the Italian Music Industry
The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy....

5
New Zealand Music DVD Chart 4
Polish DVD Chart
Polish Music Charts
The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies...

-
Sweden DVD Chart
Sverigetopplistan
Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association ....

7
Swiss DVD Music Top 10 Chart
Swiss Music Charts
The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...

6
US Billboard Music DVD Chart 1
UK Music Video Chart 5


Albums Chart (2010–2011) Peak
position
Italian Albums Chart
Federation of the Italian Music Industry
The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy....

63
Mexican Albums Chart 89
Portugal Albums Chart
Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa
The Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa is currently the only recording industry association in Portugal. Created in 1989, it succeeded GPPFV and UNEVA ....

8
Spanish Albums Chart 15
UK R&B Albums Chart
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...

37
US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart 40

Certifications

Country Certification
Australia (ARIA
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...

)
Platinum
Brazil (ABPD
Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos
The Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos is an official representative body of the record labels in the Brazilian phonographic market.- About :...

)
Platinum
United States (RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...

)
2× Platinum
Poland (ZPAV
Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry
The Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry is the organization that represents the interests of the music industry in Poland, and the Polish chapter of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry...

)
Gold

Release history

The Standard Edition DVD was made available exclusively at Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...

only in the United States on November 26, 2010. The Deluxe Edition of I Am... World Tour including the concert DVD, a live audio CD, an exclusive documentary and a 40 page four-color booklet was made available everywhere on November 30, 2010 in several countries. The Blu-ray Edition was released on December 7, 2010 in selected countries.
List of release dates, record and format details
Country Date Format
Australia November 26, 2010 DVD/CD
(Deluxe Edition)
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
China
Croatia
France
Germany
Ireland
Netherlands
Sweden
Switzerland
United States DVD
(Standard Edition)
Denmark November 29, 2010 DVD/CD
(Deluxe Edition)
France
Hungary
New Zealand
Norway
United Kingdom
Canada November 30, 2010
Japan
Italy
Greece
Hong Kong
Korea
Mexico
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Spain
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
United States
Australia December 3, 2010 Blu-ray
Netherlands
United States December 7, 2010
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