This time, the rumors were true: Beyoncé took the stage at Vice President Kamala Harris‘ rally in Houston on Friday for a performance of “Freedom.” Kelly Rowland joined the singer to help introduce Harris.
“We are at the precipice of an enormous shift. I’m not here as a celebrity. I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother,” Beyoncé said. “A mother who cares about the world our children live in, a world where we have the freedom to control our bodies, a world where we are not divided, our past or present or future.”
“We’re all part of something much bigger. We must vote, and we need you,” she added. “Let’s do this. Ladies and gentlemen, give a big, loud Texas welcome to the next president of the United States, Kamala Harris.”
Beyoncé and Rowland were introduced by the singer’s mother, Tina Knowles.
Before Beyoncé’s appearance, Willie Nelson delivered a performance of “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” and “On the Road Again.”
Though she did not perform Friday night, Beyoncé’s song “Freedom” has soundtracked much of the Harris-Walz ticket since this summer. Harris has been using “Freedom” — with Beyoncé’s permission — since her presidential campaign began in July (following Joe Biden’s decision not to seek reelection). At her first public appearance after securing Biden’s endorsement, Harris walked out to the podium while “Freedom” played. And not long after, her campaign dropped an official launch video featuring the song. In the aftermath, “Freedom” saw a big uptick in streams, jumping 1,300 percent, according to data from Luminate (which powers the Billboard charts). The campaign even launched a video ad using the track at the DNC.
Meanwhile, she threatened to send a cease-and-desist to the Trump campaign after the former president posted a clip of the song in a video of their own.
Friday’s appearance also comes months after rumors spread that Beyoncé was set to join Harris and perform at the DNC in late August. However, those rumors were later debunked by her publicist: “Focus on the win and register to vote. Do not report rumors. FOCUS.”
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