How Beyoncé's “Freedom” reaffirms Kamala Harris' identity

From Charli xcx memes to fan-made covers incorporating her famous “coconut tree” quote, Kamala Harris’ last-minute presidential run against Republican nominee Donald Trump has had a fascinating and outsized relationship with pop music.

Several progressive singers, including Ariana Grande and Olivia Rodrigo, have pledged their support. Katy Perry offered the current vice president one of her latest singles, “Woman's World,” for her campaign, but Harris appears to have declined. Meanwhile, Harris's staff has found ways to use pop music to appeal to Gen Z voters, including having Megan Thee Stallion perform at a rally in Atlanta and going all-out on brat memes. This flood of memes and coconut “remixes” has nearly overshadowed the most important music-related decision for Harris's candidacy: her campaign song.

Last month, it was reported that Beyoncé had given the Harris campaign (now Harris-Walz) permission to use her song “Freedom,” featuring Kendrick Lamar. Since then, the stirring, gospel-tinged anthem from her 2016 album lemonade has provided the soundtrack to Harris' campaign appearances and will inevitably be heard several times at the Democratic National Convention this week. There is even speculation that Beyoncé herself might perform.

The modern campaign song has developed a character of its own in electoral politics – and is subject to scrutiny. Most of these songs have already gained popularity outside of the campaign, so they must be lively enough to re-engage voters. They must also be memorable and expressive, embodying the candidate's values ​​and promises. But are they really useful? What does it mean when a song belongs to a campaign?

Even after Trump took office, Democrats were able to use pop music against the right – not just the big hits themselves, but also the support of the artists who produce them. Conversely, there is a Wikipedia page of musicians who have spoken out against Trump's use of their music in the campaign and against his presidency. However, the results of the 2016 presidential election have caused the public to question the power of pop music in this area.

Despite this skepticism, Dana Gorzelany-Mostak, an associate professor of music at Georgia College, argues that music can be an effective medium for politicians. “Even if it doesn't drive people to the polls, music is a way of showing how you are in the world and connecting with others,” she says.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

For a campaign like Harris', which focuses on “good vibes” and likeability when it comes to political discussions – the vice president just unveiled her policy agenda – Harris' campaign playlist offers an interesting insight into what she stands for and the support she has from which demographics. As Jonquilyn Hill wrote for Vox, Harris's proximity to Beyoncé may even be a clue as to how she plans to behave.

I spoke with Gorzelany-Mostak to learn more about Harris' music choices and the general function of campaign songs. Her book, Tracks on the Trail: Pop Music, Race, and the US Presidencyreleased last year, highlights notable campaign songs and shows how these musical moments are used to express one's race.

Since when have songs become so popular in presidential campaigns?

The election of 1840 was a turning point for the campaign song. Supporters of Whig candidate William Henry Harrison promoted singing as a campaign-worthy activity and published small pamphlets called “Songsters” with pro-Harrison lyrics. These lyrics, inspired by the candidate, were set to popular tunes of the time.

How is a campaign song selected? Is the candidate even directly involved in this process?

It depends on the campaign. In 2008, Barack Obama's staff had the candidate's taste in music in mind when they compiled his playlist. There was a continuity between the artists he discussed in interviews during the campaign and his campaign playlist, which included Earth, Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder and the Isley Brothers. Donald Trump is known for choosing his own soundtrack for campaign rallies, and when he's not working, he DJs on his iPad at Mar-a-Lago.

What function do campaign songs have and why are campaign songs important?

Candidates use music to sonically express their identity and to create a sound that appeals to the public while providing insight into their character and beliefs.

A campaign song is more than just its lyrics. Candidates must think about the myriad ways in which songs can convey messages in political contexts. This means considering the artist's biography, the makeup and character of their fan bases, the connotations associated with the song's genre, and of course the meanings a song has acquired through its presence in other media. While experts give preference to the spoken word or images, sound and music can be equally powerful persuaders.

All in all, election campaign music is pure eyewash. I don't think it converts people or drives them away.

In Traces on the trailYou write about candidates expressing their racial identity through music. What do you think Kamala Harris is trying to express by choosing songs by prominent black women from past and present times?

Black women artists form the backbone of Harris' 2024 rally playlist – Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Lizzo, Megan Thee Stallion. Harris elevates a matrilineal paradigm of black excellence that spans 60 years.

This is a striking contrast to the classic rock-dominated Republican National Convention last month, where a band of aging male rockers played covers of the Eagles, Kenny Loggins, Grand Funk Railroad, Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers. Trump has questioned Harris's leadership abilities and her ethnic identity, so Harris is using her soundtrack to disrupt that narrative by drawing on the very identity he is criticizing.

Harris' previous campaign song, “Work That” by Mary J. Blige, is much more lighthearted and fun in tone and message than Beyoncé's “Freedom,” which is a more stern, urgent song. How do you think these songs reflect the differences in these campaigns or even the general political climate?

“Freedom” does indeed convey a certain sense of urgency. But more broadly, Harris' playlist reminds voters that they can acknowledge the country's painful history, commit to the serious work that needs to be done, but still sing, laugh and dance with her on the road to victory.

Much of Harris' playlist consists of dance music, from Diana Ross and The Brothers Johnson to Dua Lipa and Bruno Mars, not to mention the more recent sounds of Charli xcx. For people on the right, disco might signal the dangers of hedonism. But as a genre with its roots in the leisure culture of the Latinx, Black, and gay communities, it also points to a rich history of resistance and hope—even if those sounds have long been domesticated, as evidenced by their presence on your mom's gym playlist.

Not surprisingly, some of Harris' videos, set to the music of Charli xcx, show the candidate laughing, dancing, or in the middle of a gaffe—Trump himself has even criticized Harris' laughter. By peppering her playlist with uninhibited expressions of joy and pleasure that are Black, queer, and/or female, Harris succeeds in wresting the reins from the male-centered gerontocracy, if only on the dance floor.

I think there's a dissonance between the casual, lighthearted tone of Harris' campaign and the way she was memed by Gen Z with the severity of a song like “Freedom” – not to mention that “Freedom” is hardly one of Beyoncé's most popular songs. Do you think this choice was a misstep?

Despite its tougher tone, I think “Freedom” is a good fit for Harris. It brings together many narratives that align with her campaign message and the presidential brand she wants to build.

“Freedom” has an almost devotional tone, as it draws on gospel symbolism and lyrically references the spiritual “Wade in the Water.” In the spiritual, water represents the possibility of escape during times of slavery. In “Freedom,” water also appears in the form of “rain” and “tears.” This alludes to the aftermath of Beyoncé's personal turmoil and the cultural trauma of New Orleans post-hurricane and black communities affected by mass incarceration. The song also includes samples of the voices of a prisoner and a mid-century preacher, as well as Jay Z's grandmother speaking of her own hardships in 2015.

By choosing “freedom,” Harris locates herself and the 2024 election in the tradition and soundworld of these transhistorical struggles, both personal and political.

It seems that Beyoncé's co-signature may be more powerful than the song itself.

Beyoncé herself is a symbol of female power, perseverance and vitality. Her music defies categorization. She writes her own rules and reinvents herself on a regular basis. So it's no surprise that Harris wants to fit into such a narrative as she embarks on her own reinvention from prosecutor to district attorney to attorney general to senator to vice president and finally president of the United States.