PHILADELPHIA (AP) — According to three sources familiar with the situation, Beyoncé is set to make an appearance on Friday in her hometown of Houston at a rally for Vice President Kamala Harris.
The rally is particularly significant as Harris’ presidential campaign has embraced Beyoncé’s 2016 anthem “Freedom” as its rallying cry. The singer’s involvement is expected to inject a considerable amount of star power into the event, which emphasizes a central theme of the Democratic nominee’s campaign: the concept of freedom.
Harris plans to visit Texas—a state typically leaning Republican—only 10 days before Election Day, focusing her campaign on reproductive care, an issue that Democrats believe could be pivotal this election year. This aligns with her ongoing efforts to spotlight restrictive abortion laws enacted in Texas following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.
The presence of Beyoncé is anticipated to enhance attention surrounding the rally and Harris’ closing message. As part of her Houston visit, Harris will include women who have been impacted by these stringent abortion laws. She has campaigned in other states facing similar restrictions, including Georgia, which are among the seven most competitive states in this election cycle.
Harris has framed her campaign around the argument that former President Donald Trump poses a threat to essential American freedoms, spanning reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, and the right to safety from gun violence.
Beyoncé granted Harris permission early in her campaign to use “Freedom,” a powerful song from her landmark 2016 album “Lemonade,” in her initial advertisement. Since then, Harris has incorporated its vibrant chorus into her rallies as a walk-out song.
This isn’t the first collaboration between the Grammy-winning artist and Democratic politicians. In 2009, both Barack and Michelle Obama danced while Beyoncé performed at a presidential inaugural ball. Additionally, Beyoncé sang the national anthem at Obama’s second inauguration in 2013. In 2016, she and her husband, Jay-Z, performed at a pre-election concert for Hillary Clinton in Cleveland.
“Look how far we’ve come from having no voice to being on the brink of history — again,” Beyoncé expressed during that concert. “But we have to vote.”
A recent poll conducted by Ipsos for the anti-polarization organization With Honor revealed that 64% of Democrats view Beyoncé favorably compared to just 32% of Republicans. Overall, Americans generally have a more positive than negative perception of her, with 48% holding a favorable opinion versus 33% unfavorable.
Earlier this summer, speculation surged about whether Beyoncé would show up at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, especially on its final night when celebrity news site TMZ reported, “Beyoncé is in Chicago, and getting ready to pop out for Kamala Harris.” This rumor was based on unnamed “multiple sources in the know.”
About an hour after Harris delivered her speech, TMZ updated its report, humorously quoting Beyoncé: “To quote the great Beyoncé: We gotta lay our cards down, down, down … we got this one wrong.” Although Harris took the stage to the star’s song, it was the only time it featured prominently during the event.
Last year, Vice President Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, enjoyed a night out at Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour in Maryland, having received tickets directly from the star. “Thanks for a fun date night, @Beyoncé,” Harris posted on Instagram afterwards.
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Long and Kinnard reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report. Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP
