Topline
Speculation is swirling that superstar musician Beyoncé could make a surprise appearance at this week’s Democratic National Convention to publicly back Kamala Harris’ presidential bid, after the pop star and frequent Democratic supporter gave Harris permission to use her song on the campaign trail—and a top party official did not rule out a Beyoncé appearance.
Beyonce performs at a concert for Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Nov. 4, 2016.
Key Facts
Neither Beyoncé nor her team have hinted that she may appear at the four-day event in Chicago this week, but that hasn’t stopped rumors from circulating that she may use the convention to formally throw her support behind Harris.
Beyoncé gave Harris permission to use her song “Freedom” earlier this year and Harris used it at several campaign stops before it appeared in her first campaign ad last month.
The song was also played at the DNC Monday when Harris walked out on stage at Chicago’s United Center and some delegates sported cowboy hats and “Cowboy Kamala” sashes in reference to Beyoncé’s latest album—”Cowboy Carter.”
On Tuesday morning, Democratic Party Chair Jaime Harrison would neither confirm nor deny to CBS Mornings that the superstar is slated to appear, saying instead “Everyday, she’s in here singing ‘Freedom.’”
Fans on social media have fueled rumors—still without evidence—that Beyoncé may perform at some point before Harris’ closing speech on Thursday night, and news outlets including the Washington Post and CNN have speculated on her potential appearance.
Despite allowing use of her music, Beyoncé has not yet publicly endorsed Harris as she did Joe Biden in 2020, Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Barack Obama in 2012 (she also performed at his Inauguration and Inaugural Ball in 2013).
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What To Watch For
If Beyoncé does show up. She does not have any public performances scheduled for the week, though she did launch a new whiskey brand, SirDavis, Tuesday morning.
Will Taylor Swift Visit The Dnc?
The other superstar musician who’s driving speculation about whether she could back Harris is Taylor Swift, and rumors of a DNC performance from her also are circulating—though as with Beyoncé, there’s still no evidence she’ll endorse Harris. Swift has a concert set for Tuesday in London, but then isn’t scheduled to perform again until November, potentially leaving room for a DNC stop later in the week, fans have speculated. Swift has been vocally against Donald Trump in the past and supported Biden in 2020, but has stayed quiet so far this election cycle. Earlier this week, Trump shared an AI-generated image of Swift lending her support to the Republican alongside a short post saying, “I accept!”
Forbes Valuation
We estimated Beyoncé’s net worth at $760 million as of May.
Further Reading
Mary Roeloffs is a Forbes reporter who covers breaking news with a frequent focus on the entertainment industry, streaming, sports news, publishing, pop culture and climate change. She joined Forbes in 2023 and lives in Dallas. She’s covered Netflix’s hottest documentaries, a surge of assaults reported on social media, the most popular books of the year and how climate change stands to impact the way we eat. Roeloffs was included on Editor & Publisher Magazine’s “ 25 Under 30” list in 2023 and worked covering local news in the greater Boston area from 2017 to 2023. She graduated with a double major in political science and journalism from Northeastern University. Follow Roeloffs for continued coverage of streaming wars, pop culture news and trending topics.
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