Night one of the 2024 Democratic National Convention featured several major music moments, including the use of “Freedom,” Beyoncé‘s song from her 2016’s Lemonade.
Titled “Freedom,” Monday night (8.19) started with a new campaign ad for Vice President Kamala Harris and her running-mate, Minnesota governor Tim Walz. Above the music, actor Jeffrey Wright provided the narration: “What kind of America do we want?” he asks. “One where we’re divided, angry, depressed? C’mon! We’re Americans! Fascism? We conquered it. The Moon? Landed on it. The future? Building it. Freedom? Nobody loves it more.”
While the advert launched on Monday night, Harris has been using “Freedom” since her presidential campaign began in July (following Joe Biden’s decision not to seek re-election. During her first public appearance after securing Biden’s endorsement, Harris walked out to the podium while “Freedom” played. And not long after, her campaign dropped an official launch video featuring the song.
According to Beyoncé’s representatives, the superstar singer/songwriter gave Kamala permission to use “Freedom” several hours before her presidential campaign launch event in July. As a result “Freedom” saw a big uptick in streams, increasing 1,300% according to data from Luminate (which powers the Billboard charts).
Keep up with the latest trending music news by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Author: Al Denté
Photo: Office of the Attorney General of California – Public Domain