Royalty may not have a place in American politics, but there’s still one queen who can command the American political stage as if it does. And that’s Queen Bey.
Ahead of the Democratic National Convention’s final night, rumors swirled of a surprise Beyoncé performance. Many believed she’d close out the four-day event by singing “Freedom,” her 2016 hit that’s become something of an anthem for the Harris-Walz campaign.
“Freedom” did close out the event after Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ speech — just not in the form of a live performance.
Much to the likely dismay of the delegates who came dressed in the theme of Beyoncé’s latest album “Cowboy Carter,” Beyoncé wasn’t there in person. The Grammy Award-winner’s song played over the speakers as 100,000 balloons dropped on the crowd, and Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, alongside vice presidential candidate Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen, took their bows on stage.
Beyoncé wasn’t the only person whose name was circulating as a surprise performer in Thursday’s finale. Some also thought Taylor Swift would make an appearance after wrapping up the European leg of her Eras Tour in London on Tuesday. Plus, TMZ had reported that Chicago police were advancing security measures and remained on high alert earlier that day because of a celebrity guest.
But although music’s two leading ladies did not make an appearance, other celebrity guests did make their way onto the stage Thursday.
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That includes the Chicks, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, who sang an a cappella version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” as they did virtually at the 2020 DNC. The trio has long been vocal about their left-leaning politics but have seen a complicated history after publicly opposing then-President George W. Bush and the Iraq War in 2003.
Two other celebrities who have been close to politics — at least, on-screen — and graced the stage Thursday were Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn. The pair co-starred in the ABC political drama “Scandal” as Washington, D.C.-based crisis manager Olivia Pope and President Fitzgerald “Fitz” Grant, respectively. Goldwyn crashed Washington’s speech to ask the crowd to take out their phones and record the room saying the Harris quote, “When we fight, we win.”
Pink also performed her song “What About Us” alongside her daughter and a group of others. She recorded the song as a political protest in 2017 from the perspective of Americans who feel abandoned or forgotten in today’s society.
Actress Eva Longoria and comedian DL Hughley also spoke on the final night of the DNC ahead of Harris.
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