T in the Park review: Beyoncé

Beyoncé Main stage *****

"YOU know there's musical royalty at a festival when, backstage, even the other artists and the harried organisers stop, form a respectful cordon and clap as the A-lister makes the short walk from dressing room to main stage.

So it was when Beyonc came to Kinross-shire. Fresh from her triumphant performance at Glastonbury two weeks ago, the American pop megastar knows that British festival crowds aren't only here for the beer, rain and rock bands. Show them enough pizzazz, enough hits – and enough booty-shaking excitement – and even the most stick-in-the-mud Primal Scream fan will genuflect before the Single Lady with the famous "jelly".

The First Lady of chart-bothering R&B opened with Crazy In Love. Not just a peerless pop single, it presented Team Beyonc with a golden opportunity to show off their manifold skills. A phalanx of dancers shook their booties. An all-female, all-in-white band blasted out the familiar riff.

And Beyonc – dressed in a black sequinned cocktail slip over big, jelly-taming pants and nose-bleed high tails – stalked the stage like Tina Turner's hot daughter. Make that hot granddaughter.

Single Ladies was next, prompting a huge moment of sisterhood as half the Balado crowd wiggled their ring fingers in the air. Even some of the blokes managed to get in touch with their feminine side.

She repeated the crowd-pleasing tricks that worked so well at Glastonbury: a Destiny's Child melody, well-chosen cover versions (Kings Of Leon's Sex On Fire, Lady Gaga's Telephone), and some choice repartee. "Scotland!" said Beyonc. That was enough to have T In The Park coming over all a-tremble.

At the end, she played her joker: Mrs Jay-Z wheeled out ber-ballad Halo, descended into the photographers' pit like a big-haired angel, and was at her regal touchy-feely best with the ecstatic crowd. It was, as they say, emotional. Coldplay would have to go some to top Queen B.

• Follow our live coverage of T in the Park throughout the weekend at scotsman.com/titp2011