Beyoncé Performed With a Bleeding Ear at Tidal X: 1015 Because She's Beyoncé

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I watched Beyoncé live at the Tidal X: 1015 benefit concert in Brooklyn this weekend, but I didn't realize she was bleeding until my friend texted me.

"THEY SAID SHE WAS BLEEDING ON STAGE?" my friend wrote emphatically shortly after Beyoncé 's first set of the evening. (Queen B performed "6 Inch" and "Haunted" with dazzling new choreography and set pieces. She closed the show with a glowing performance of “All Night" and an impassioned voting call-to-action.)

I didn't see any signs of pain or struggle on Beyoncé's end—and I had great seats too. But my friend was right: Bey had a malfunction during a dance move, causing an earring to rip out of her ear lobe. Bleeding ensued—and not just a few drops. A large chunk of Bey's ear was red, and it looked extremely painful. See it for yourself, below:

And yet Beyoncé didn't flinch. She didn't scream, cry, or even miss a beat. In fact, Beyoncé's Tidal X: 1015 set was one her most exciting performances ever—and this is Beyoncé. She was so nonchalant about her injury that the people who were literally there—up close and personal—had no idea it was happening.

But that's Beyoncé for you. She is an impenetrable show-woman who doesn't stop for anyone or anything—even blood. When she lost her heel on stage, she kept going. When her hair was caught in a fan, she kept going. When she tumbled down a large flight of stairs, she kept going. This level of dedication to the art of performance is what makes Beyoncé in a class of her own. Watching her in action is truly like a religious experience. Her razor-sharp dancing, pitch-perfect singing, and heart-stopping stage presence are unparalleled. In her case, the show must—and always will—go on. Bloody ear lobes, be damned.