To film the final episodes of 'The Oprah Winfrey Show,' Oprah lined up appearances from her closest celebrity pals and commanded the first live performance of Beyonce's new single 'Run the World (Girls).'

Twenty thousand fans were present at the United Center in Chicago on Tuesday night (May 17) while Oprah recorded two of the final three episodes of her show, which has run for an impressive 25 years. Attendees included Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith, who hosted the monumental event, along with Michael Jordan, Stevie Wonder, Simon Cowell and Jerry Seinfeld.

Beyonce, decked out in a tuxedo-inspired outfit, took the stage, which was filmed by a fan, to give the first live performance of her 'Run the World (Girls)' single from her upcoming album '4.' The Diplo and Switch-produced track officially debuted two weeks ago, and currently rests at the No. 65 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The full-length video to accompany the new track will premiere on 'American Idol' on Wednesday night (May 18).

In a recent cover interview with Billboard, Beyonce explained that she wanted to try something different for the album's first single. "It's definitely riskier than something a bit more ... simple," she said. "I just heard the track and loved that it was so different: it felt a bit African, a bit electronic and futuristic. It reminded me of what I love, which is mixing different cultures and eras -- things that typically don't go together -- to create a new sound."

The release of Beyonce's fourth studio album is tentatively scheduled for June.



Listen to Beyonce's 'Run the World (Girls)'
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