Beyoncé: The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour

Beyonc�'s worldwide tour, "The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour," landed in its last stop on its first North American leg in Brooklyn this past weekend. The show found the pop queen dancing, singing, and very much posturing with everything she had. This is, of course, a standard for Beyonc�, who could quite easily be viewed as the greatest live performer of this generation.

To watch her is to see the product of decades of intense drive and dedication come to life as she pulls out big note after big note, impressive choreography, and a stage presence unlike any other. A dazzling icon in her own right, it is near impossible to find flaw in any part of her performance. So, why was I left feeling let down?

A little bit of recent history could possibly put "The Mrs. Carter Show" into the appropriate context. The last couple of years have been unconventional for Beyonc�, a woman who had previously seen nothing but complete media domination with almost every venture she set out on. A commercial, critical and fan-favorite on almost every level, the mythology of Beyonc� has progressed throughout her career. So, it was with some shock that not only did the lead single of her last album, "4," flop harder than just about any other recent single from a pop artist of her stature, but also all of the singles that followed had the same fate.

Once the Queen of Promotion, Beyonc� seemed rather laid back regarding the performance of the album and its singles. A couple of concerts here, a video there and that was about it. But this was all written off a few months later when it was announced at the VMA's that the singer had been pregnant through this album campaign. Fans quickly forgave these oversights and resigned themselves to wait until after her baby's birth for the Beyonc� they had come to worship. At the end of 2012, a few announcements seemed to signal that they would be getting just that.

Her coups included: an announcement as the Superbowl Halftime show headliner; a spot singing the national anthem at President Obama's inauguration; a massive $50 million Pepsi deal; a tour later in the year; chatter from recurring producers and songwriters. All of this led to the understandable conclusion that new music would be coming from Beyonc� sooner rather than later, and that the new era would more than make up for the strange situation that "4" had been.

Since then, however, it has been an unending series of disappointments and a nearing disrespectful level of aloofness from Beyonc�. No new single, no announcements regarding the coming album or anything else for that matter, and most frustrating, a tour without any real purpose. Which brings me back to the concert in Brooklyn this past weekend.

As the stage came to life with huge dance numbers "Run The World" and "End Of Time," my excitement level was at an incredible high. I had never seen Beyonc� before, and there was no doubt that she would perform her bootylicious heart out. And as mentioned before, there is no parallel to what Beyonc� can do on a stage.

But as the concert wore on as simply a format for her fans to worship her as a pop culture queen, all of those disappointments and frustrations from the last two years began bubbling up.

Why am I hearing this same song arrangement from 10 years ago? Haven't I already seen this visualization and dance routine in past concerts and performances? It appears that even being a huge fan of her music (And I am that, with only Madonna and Kylie Minogue place higher in my pop pantheon) could not infuse enough fun into the diva-centric show.

As each number projected a different version of monarchical posturing, the whole concert became increasingly self-indulgent. And with nothing new to offer fans, that self-indulgence quickly became narcissism. And this wasn't even the sort of artistic driven narcissism that the likes of Madonna and Lady GaGa can be faulted for. It all felt a little too derivative and money driven for that.

All of this isn't to say that there weren't highlights, or even that there were any missteps. An energetic "Why Don't You Love Me," the upbeat and impressive "Love On Top," and a faithful reproduction of the big hits like "Crazy In Love" and "Single Ladies" were all delivered with flawless execution. Beyonc�, as well her troupe of singers, dancers and musicians are professionals of the highest calibre, and there is no doubt that they give their all each night on this tour.

Which is why it breaks my heart to have to write a negative review for a pop star I put so much stock in. Someone with as much talent, drive, and commercial success as Beyonc� is capable of so much more than what this tour achieved. "The Mrs. Carter Show" is a decadent, explosive and massive show that highlights Beyonc� as a top notch performer, but offers little else for her legions of fans.