US Vice President Kamala Harris prepares to address campaign staff at her campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, on July 22, 2024. Harris won a key endorsement from Democratic heavyweight Nancy Pelosi in her November run against Donald Trump after Joe Biden was forced to shockingly withdraw from the 2024 presidential race on January 22. As the endorsements piled up, Harris, 59, made her first public appearance since Biden’s announcement at a White House ceremony, where she warmly praised the outgoing president’s “unparalleled” achievements.
ERIN SCHAFF/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
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ERIN SCHAFF/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris made her first official public appearance as a presidential candidate, making a statement in song. On Monday (July 22), the day after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed VP Harris, the 2016 anthem “Freedom” featuring Kendrick Lamar from Beyoncé’s sixth studio album was played as VP Harris entered her Delaware campaign headquarters. lemonade.
According to a CNN source, Beyoncé’s representatives quickly approved the use of the Grammy-winning theme song as soon as Harris’ team reached out about playing the song during the campaign, a record-breaking move given the superstar’s usually strict approval policy.
“Freedom” takes inspiration from the history of the American civil rights movement, marching under the banner of black resilience and strength. Beyoncé sings, “I’ll break my chains alone / I won’t let my freedom rot in hell / Hey! I’ll keep on running, cause winners don’t give up on themselves,” concluding the throaty chorus. Beyoncé and guest Lamar famously performed the song at the 2016 BET Awards in a rare and moving performance. Vice President Harris, a huge Beyoncé fan, linked the theme to her own political ethos as she kicked off her campaign just four months before Election Day. “I know that in this election, each of us is faced with a question: What kind of country do we want to live in?” VP Harris said in her speech at the headquarters.
Queen Beyonce and the vice president have maintained a close relationship since Harris entered public office. Vice President Harris attended Beyonce’s record-breaking Renaissance World Tour in 2023. The night out, worth more than $1,500 per ticket, was later revealed to have been a personal gift from Beyonce herself. Knowles-Carter and her husband Jay-Z have long supported Democratic candidates. In 2016, Beyonce performed at a rally for then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, and in 2013 and 2009, she was invited by then-President Barack Obama to perform at his inauguration and inaugural ball, respectively.
Harris’ presidential bid has been all over the internet in the first few days, with many millennial and Gen Z users creating fancams of her with songs by Beyoncé, Charli XCX and Taylor Swift as the soundtrack. Over the weekend, Charli XCX posted to X, “Kamala is a brat.” Now, the addition of Beyoncé’s endorsement could start a trend of popular musicians endorsing Democratic candidates.
