Beyoncé reportedly granted Kamala Harris permission to use her 2016 anthem “Freedom” on Monday (July 22).
According to CNN, the icon’s team gave Harris the go-ahead to use the song just hours before it played during her campaign headquarters entrance. In footage shared online, the U.S. vice president walked out to the following lyrics: “Freedom, freedom, where are you? / ‘Cause I need freedom, too / I break chains all by myself.”
Beyoncé, who endorsed the Biden-Harris ticket in 2020, hasn’t formally given her stamp of approval to the current nominee; however, giving Harris the green light to use “Freedom” was certainly a step in that direction.
“Freedom” appeared on Beyoncé’s sixth studio album, Lemonade, and contained a guest verse from Kendrick Lamar. The record served as a call to action for Black women and later saw a surge in popularity amid the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 after George Floyd’s tragic death. It’s also worth noting that the visual companion contained cameos from the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner.
Credited as one of the track’s songwriters, British singer-songwriter Carla Marie Williams told The FADER about the creative process. “[Beyoncé] wanted it to be a female anthem, and we wanted to address certain issues. We met in the summer [of 2015], and [at] the beginning of 2016, we were still working on the second verse, trying to refine it,” she detailed.
Since Joe Biden announced that he was pulling out of the presidential race on Sunday (July 21), several celebrities have voiced their support for Harris. “It should’ve been your moment, Kamala, and you know it. You know you want to be the f**king president,” Cardi B shared in a throwback video uploaded to her Instagram on Monday. Lizzo, Lil Nas X and Plies are among the many others backing up the politician.