Superstar singer Beyonce took the stage at a rally for Kamala Harris in Houston last night, not to perform but to make her first public political appearance this election cycle at a pivotal moment for the Democratic presidential candidate.
Beyonce, a native of Houston, was greeted by roaring applause from the crowd of approximately 30,000 people attending Vice President Harris’ abortion rights-themed rally, accompanied by fellow former Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland.
Rather than singing, she spoke to the audience for several minutes.
“I’m not here as a celebrity. I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother,” Beyonce stated.
She then introduced Ms. Harris, who walked onstage to what has become her campaign anthem: the song “Freedom” from Beyonce’s 2016 album “Lemonade.” The two shared a long embrace before Beyonce exited.
According to national opinion polls, Ms. Harris’ earlier summertime lead over Republican challenger Donald Trump in the race for the November 5 election has nearly disappeared, with her campaign indicating she is now within the margin of error in the key battleground states that are likely to determine the outcome.
Instead of singing, Beyonce addressed the crowd for several minutes.
However, she has gained a significant edge over Mr. Trump among women, who many polls indicate make up a large portion of Beyonce’s audience. In a Reuters/Ipsos poll released late in August, Ms. Harris led Mr. Trump by 49% to 36%, a 13 percentage point advantage among female voters.
“Beyonce is one of the entertainment industry’s most powerful women at a historic time when (politically and positionally) the most powerful woman in the U.S. is running for U.S. President,” remarked Melvin L. Williams, a communications professor at Pace University.
Mr. Williams expressed uncertainty about whether Beyonce could reach voters who have hesitations about Ms. Harris.
“We must acknowledge that celebrities are great political advertisers, but they are not guarantors of political victory for candidates,” he added.
The rally in Beyonce’s hometown concludes a series of political appearances and politically charged artistic projects. In 2008, Beyonce’s husband Jay-Z organized a rally for Barack Obama, while Beyonce performed the national anthem and Etta James’ classic “At Last” at Obama’s 2009 inauguration.
Donald Trump has received endorsements from wrestler Hulk Hogan and musicians Ted Nugent and Kid Rock.
She also performed at a rally for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016 and endorsed Joe Biden and Ms. Harris in 2020 on Instagram.
Beyonce, who boasts 314 million followers on Instagram, gives Ms. Harris access to a demographic of the U.S. population, particularly young and Black voters, deemed crucial in a tightly contested race against Mr. Trump.
Various Hollywood celebrities, including actors Julia Roberts and Jane Fonda, and musicians Bruce Springsteen, Usher, and Lizzo are campaigning for Ms. Harris. In contrast, Mr. Trump has secured endorsements from Ultimate Fighting stars and other celebrities.
Young female residents of Houston had mixed feelings about the politically charged performance of the city’s biggest star.
“Beyonce is a national icon because at the end of the day, we all have our own views and values. Beyonce is courageous enough to uphold her values despite facing judgment,” said Nadira Smith, 27.
However, Sydney Mukavetz, 25, originally from Michigan and living in Houston for a year, expressed that she found the presence of celebrities at political rallies to be “a little weird.”
“It feels like an endorsement and a performance are very different,” she remarked.
