Beyoncé, backed by a choir, kicked off the Kobe Bryant memorial at Staples Centeron Monday, capping a friendship that had lasted for decades. But she stopped singing almost immediately and invited the audience to join her in song.
“I’m here because I love Kobe. And this was one of his favorite songs,” Beyoncé said as she introduced a spectral rendition of “XO,” from her 2013 self-titled album.
“In the darkest night hour (in the darkest night hour) / I’ll search through the crowd (I’ll search through the crowd) / Your face is all that I see,” she sang, surrounded by string players and a small choir all clad in white, before transitioning to “Halo,” a tearjerker from 2008’s “I Am .