Beyoncé set to join Kamala Harris at Houston campaign rally
Harris has been using the singer's song 'Freedom' during her campaign events
By Alim Kheraj
As we draw closer to the American election, Democratic presidential hopeful, current Vice President Kamala Harris, is pulling out all the stops, including inviting Beyoncé herself to join her at an upcoming campaign rally.
After initially being reported by The Washington Post, it was confirmed by The New York Times, who spoke to two people briefed on the plans, that Queen B would be in attendance at the event, which is taking place today (25 Oct) in Houston, Texas. It remains unclear whether the singer is set to perform, although country music icon Willie Nelson will also be in attendance.
Harris is expected to speak about abortion rights during the rally, a direct response to the fact Texas is currently one of the most restrictive states in the US when it comes to abortion following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Of course, this is not the first time that reports have cropped up that Beyoncé would appear alongside Harris at a political event.
Ahead of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in August, rumours began flying that the ‘Single Ladies’ singer would be in attendance. However, when the event occurred, Beyoncé was nowhere to be seen, with a representative sharing that she was “never scheduled” to attend.
Still, an appearance at the event today would make sense: Beyoncé is, famously, from Houston Texas, after all. Likewise, the singer has previously granted Harris permission to use her song ‘Freedom’, taken from 2016’s album Lemonade, during her campaign events.
It also wouldn’t be the first time the singer has backed the Democrats. In 2020, she endorsed President Biden during his successful presidential campaign.
She similarly performed a cover of Etta James’s ‘At Last’ at the inauguration ball for President Barack Obama in 2009, and later sang the American national anthem during Obama’s second inauguration in 2013.
Harris is, of course, scooping up the celebrity endorsements. In September, Taylor Swift threw her support behind the presidential hopeful.
In a post on Instagram, the ‘Shake It Off’ singer wrote: “I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”
The 2024 US presidential election takes place on 5 November.