NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� In Vice President first 2024 presidential campaign video, a familiar rhythm rings out. The clip, which touches on issues of gun violence, health care and abortion, is soundtracked by 叠别测辞苍肠茅'蝉 鈥淔reedom,鈥� a cut from her 2016
鈥淲e choose freedom,鈥� Harris says in the clip, as powerful chorus kicks in: 鈥淔reedom! Freedom! I can鈥檛 move / Freedom, cut me loose! Yeah.鈥�
It's for Harris. She used 鈥淔reedom鈥� during her first official public appearance as a presidential candidate at her campaign headquarters in Delaware on Monday, and again on Tuesday at the beginning and end of her rally in Milwaukee.
As a whole body of work, 鈥淟emonade鈥� has been celebrated as an instant-classic, a game-changing collection of songs and visuals that function as an examination of personal plight and societal injustice, where revenge songs about infidelity sit next to displays of
Omise鈥檈ke Tinsley, academic and author of 鈥淏eyonc茅 in Formation: Remixing Black Feminism,鈥� says Beyonc茅 has performed 鈥淔reedom,鈥� in particular, in ways that have made it clear it is a political song. 鈥淪he performed it at Coachella; it segued into 鈥楲ift Every Voice,鈥� the Black national anthem," she says. It was used by activists ahead of the 2016 presidential election, and 鈥渋n 2020, it was taken up by activists again. In the wake of ... It鈥檚 a song of hope. It鈥檚 a song of uplift."
How the 鈥淔reedom鈥� campaign video came together
Beyonc茅 gave permission to Harris to use the song on Tuesday, a campaign official confirmed to The Associated Press who was granted anonymity to discuss private campaign operations.
The Biden-Harris creative team wrote the script for Harris' video on Tuesday, based on her speech at campaign headquarters on Monday. Harris recorded the voiceover while on the road in Indianapolis Wednesday afternoon.
What is 叠别测辞苍肠茅'蝉 鈥淔reedom鈥� about?
Kinitra D. Brooks, an academic and author of 鈥淭he Lemonade Reader," says much of 叠别测辞苍肠茅'蝉 album 鈥渇ocuses on the infidelity of the partner, but it鈥檚 really about her learning to love herself and coming to her own and then being able to deal with other ramifications of coming into her own."
鈥�'Freedom' is so important because it shows that freedom isn't free. The freedom to be yourself, the political freedom... it's the idea that you must fight for freedom, and that it is winnable," she adds, referencing some of the lyrics in the chorus: 鈥淚 break chains all by myself / Won鈥檛 let my freedom rot in hell / Hey! I鈥檓a keep running / 鈥機ause a winner don鈥檛 quit on themselves.鈥�
The musical legacy of 鈥淔reedom鈥�
Arriving in the back-half of 鈥淟emonade,鈥� 鈥淔reedom鈥� samples two John and Alan Lomax field recordings, which document Jim Crow-era folk spirituals of Southern Black churches and the work songs of Black prisoners from 1959 and 1948, respectively.
Brooks calls it a kind of 鈥渋nheritance." 鈥淚t's necessary that Beyonc茅 is using, you know, the cadence and the rhythm and the foundation of spirituals and things like that in a song called 鈥楩reedom,'鈥� she says, because it is part of a greater tradition of Black Americans imagining new ideas and concepts around freedom.
鈥淔reedom鈥� also features the L.A. rapper at the top of his game having recently released the No. 1 hit song 鈥淣ot Like Us鈥� in the midst of his beef with Drake. Brooks says, 鈥淟amar has that momentum, the momentum of winners."
鈥淭hese are winners that Kamala is evoking,鈥� Tinsley agrees. 鈥淗ow does Kamala use music and prominent musical voices to inspire people to take a black woman seriously? I think Beyonc茅 and Kendrick Lamar are both voices that make that message clear.鈥�
鈥淗arris is taking their energy and incorporating it into her own campaign,鈥� Brooks adds. 鈥淩emember the population she wants: She wants young people.鈥�
Does 鈥淔reedom鈥� differ from other campaign songs?
Eric T. Kasper, academic and co-author of 鈥淒on鈥檛 Stop Thinking About the Music: The Politics of Songs and Musicians in Presidential Campaigns," says there is a long history of presidential campaign songs having a title or hook about freedom or liberty: In 1800, John Adams used the song, 鈥淎dams and Liberty" and Thomas Jefferson used 鈥淭he Son of Liberty.鈥� In 1860, Abraham Lincoln used 鈥淟incoln and Liberty.鈥� As recent as 2012, Mitt Romney used Kid Rock's 鈥淏orn Free.鈥�
鈥淭he use of a song with that type of title, or a hook with lyrics referring to liberty or freedom, often tries to portray the candidate as supporting voters鈥� personal autonomy and security from government overreach,鈥� he says.
Is it an effective campaign song?
鈥淒emocrats across the board have been saying freedom is at stake,鈥� says Tinsley, 鈥淎nd this literally makes that into a refrain. (She鈥檚) associating her campaign with a literal call for freedom and a reminder that that鈥檚 what鈥檚 at stake.鈥�
Kasper says there is a benefit to campaign songs where 鈥渢he musical artist is popular, as the candidate may use the song to connect their campaign to a popular celebrity,鈥� and 鈥渋f the artist supports the candidate, as that can turn into a type of celebrity endorsement.鈥�
Luminate, a data and analytics company, found that on-demand streams of 鈥淔reedom鈥� increased 1300% in the U.S. from Sunday to Tuesday, following Harris鈥� use of the song at her campaign events.
What is 叠别测辞苍肠茅'蝉 history with Democrats?
In 2013, Beyonc茅 at the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Three years later, she and her husband Jay-Z performed at a pre-election concert for Hillary Clinton in Cleveland.
鈥淟ook how far we鈥檝e come from having no voice to being on the brink of history 鈥� again,鈥� Beyonc茅 said at the time. 鈥淏ut we have to vote.鈥�
鈥淚f we remember at the end of Hillary Clinton's (campaign,) they were still trying to get certain populations out. They brought out Beyonc茅 at the last minute,鈥� says Brooks. Harris differs, because she's utilizing Beyonc茅 early on, appealing to 鈥渢he many populations that are Beyonc茅 fans, who are people the Harris campaign needs: people of color, queer folks, young people, etc.鈥�
Last year, Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff attended 叠别测辞苍肠茅'蝉 in Maryland after from Queen B herself. 鈥淭hanks for a fun date night, @Beyonce,鈥� Harris wrote on Instagram.
How have other pop stars engaged with Harris?
Since President Joe Biden of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday, quickly endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to take on Trump and encouraging his party to unite behind her, the world of pop music has similarly embraced the VP.
Support poured in from Janelle Mon谩e, John Legend, Katy Perry and Charli XCX, whose inspired the Internet trend of (As a result, Harris鈥� campaign quickly set its X banner photo to the striking Shrek-green color of Charli鈥檚 鈥渂rat鈥� album cover.) On TikTok, users have remixed Harris鈥� speeches into songs by Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Carly Rae Jepsen and more.
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Associated Press Writer Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
