How Freedom by Beyonc Became a Campaign Anthem Emmett G. Price III discusses the history of political campaign music and what makes Freedom such a versatile and poignant song.
By
Bryan Parys
August 21, 2024
Beyonc performing during a stop on her Renaissance Tour in 2023.
Image by Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0
Political campaigning is often described as theater, with its use of rousing speeches, dramatic TV ads, and, over the last few election cycles, social media. The addition of music, then, can make it feel like a form of musical theater. And while it's not accurate to say that candidates win or lose based on their choice of musical accompaniment, the right song at the right time can go a long way in generating enthusiasm about a specific campaign.
This has certainly been the case for Kamala Harris, who chose Freedom by Beyonc as her campaign song for the 2024 presidential election, featuring it in her first campaign ad, and most recently in a second ad that debuted at the Democratic National Convention.
Presidential campaign music goes all the way back to the founding of the United States, and many of those early songs were popular melodies set to new lyrics about an aspiring candidate. But songs were also used to criticize rivals. Consider the high drama employed by sixth president John Quincy Adams when he sensed that his reelection tides were turning toward his opponent Andrew Jackson. Enter the song Little Ye Know Who's Coming, which claims that, should Adams lose, Fires a-comin'.
Music can capture people's hearts, minds, and attention better than political speeches or political tracts. Music helps people feel what is intended, sometimes better than politicians can say it.
- Emmett G. Price III, Dean of Africana Studies
Over the years, the trend of penning songs directly about candidates shifted to using popular songs as a way for campaigns to join themselves to a cultural moment. A notable early example was when, in 1932, Franklin Delano Roosevelt used the 1929 hit Happy Days Are Here Again by Milton Ager and Jack Yellen as his campaign music. Such attempts are not always successful, however, as artists have often objected to the use of their music for political gain. Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Abba, Heart, and many others have had to send cease-and-desist notices to campaigns that try to use music without artist consent.
Emmett G. Price III
For her part, Beyonc was quick to grant permission to the Harris campaign. Emmett G. Price III, dean of Africana Studies, describes the song as a bonafide anthem for an end to discrimination, prejudice, racism, and the various forms of human-on-human oppression and trauma. In the following interview, Price discusses why this choice has been so effective for the Harris campaign so far, and he offers some context for Beyonc s artistic significance in this American moment.
What are your general thoughts on the significance of this song choice at this particular cultural moment?Emmett G. Price III: Campaign songs have been a fixture in the United States political landscape from the very beginning of the democracy. George Washington remixed the British monarchy's God Save the King, with the insertion of God Save Great Washington. John Adam's ran with Adams and Liberty and James Madison leveraged Huzzah for Madison, Huzzah. These selections have both overt and subtle messaging that aim to help spread the agenda, esprit de corps, and energy of the campaign while also building connection, solidarity, and excitement with potential voters.
Vice President Kamala Harris's selection of Beyonc 's 2016 hit, Freedom is no different. Released as the fourth track on Beyonc 's fifth studio album, which was also released as a 65-minute film-Lemonade- Freedom, which features Kendrick Lamar, has captured the hearts and minds of civil rights, human rights, equal rights, and justice advocates since its release. A bonafide anthem for an end to discrimination, prejudice, racism, and the various forms of human-on-human oppression and trauma, Freedom is the perfect selection by Vice President Kamala Harris who stands in solidarity with a number of intersectional liberation movements.
The world first heard Freedom in relation to its narrative of fighting for oneself in the wake of infidelity. In 2020, it became one of the songs that people rallied around during the aftermath of George Floyd's murder. What is it about this song (or its message) that has made it such an adaptable anthem without ever losing its poignancy?Price: Let's state the obvious. This song was presented to the world by one of the twenty-first century's most influential cultural icons and perhaps one of the top-10 greatest performers of all time. When Beyonc offers human beings who are suffering language like I'ma keep running, cause a winner don't quit on themselves, this changes the very nature of personal narrative, personal reality, personal responsibility, and personal integrity. Then you add one of this generation's greatest hip-hop visionaries, Kendrick Lamar, who adds, Open our mind as we cast away oppression, yeah, open the streets, and watch our beliefs. All of this on top of an amazingly produced track that invokes power, mystique, and veneration-powerful!
Black music has always done this across the various subgenres across the diaspora, reminding us that Black people across the diaspora are brilliant, resilient and hopeful. So, it makes sense that this would be our anthem when we put our physical bodies on the line during COVID to stand against the brutality that killed George Floyd. It makes sense that this would be the rallying cry as we stood with our LGTBQ+ siblings in solidarity against homophobia and transphobia. It makes sense that this is the anthem as we stand with our internation
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Liberty University on why broadcast technology isn't just a technical invest...
08/05/2026
COW Jobs: UGC, On-Camera Video Content
Brie Clayton May 7, 2026
0 Comments
UGC, On-Camera Video Content
April 17, 2026Documentary Editor - US,......
07/05/2026
Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...
07/05/2026
Multi-year partnership positions Victory+ as a free home for Dallas Cowboys orig...
07/05/2026
From sideline reporting to directing and producing, the talented sophomore is building a well-rounded foundation for a career in live sports production
In the ...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital has received two Future Best of Show awards at NAB Show 2026. The COBALT blueCORE platform was recognized by TV Tech, and the COBALT PACIFIC ULL-...
07/05/2026
ESPN analyst Mina Kimes will host the televised semifinals and finals of the 202...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI, the global film streaming platform, has selected Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner. Bitmovin's encoding infrastru...
07/05/2026
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the U.S. Soccer Federation have announced...
07/05/2026
Angel City Football Club (ACFC) and Victory have announced a regional broadcast partnership bringing live match coverage to fans across the greater Los Angeles...
07/05/2026
Spiideo has announced the launch of AI Highlights inside Spiideo Play, its automated sports production platform. AI Highlights combines video, event data, audio...
07/05/2026
Leostream Corporation has announced a unified remote access ecosystem for high-p...
07/05/2026
The Atlanta Dream has partnered with Victory to stream all locally broadcast Dream games for free, expanding the team's digital distribution strategy and g...
07/05/2026
Riedel Communications has announced the appointment of Marc Engroff as Chief Fin...
07/05/2026
SES and ARD, Germany's largest public broadcasting network, have announced a long-term extension of their satellite distribution partnership through 2039. U...
07/05/2026
UpLight Technologies delivers a flexible video and lighting system for a new televised sportLaunching the Pro Cheer League required more than creating a compell...
07/05/2026
Full Day Productions and GSE Worldwide have announced Spikes Under the Lights, a...
07/05/2026
Seit dem Start im Jahr 2023 hat DJ (Beta) das personalisierte H rerlebnis von 94...
07/05/2026
Da quando stata presentata nel 2023, DJ (beta) ha aiutato a definire un'esperienza d'ascolto pi personalizzata per 94 milioni di utenti Spotify Premi...
07/05/2026
Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalized listenin...
07/05/2026
Desde o lan amento em 2023, o DJ (beta) j ajudou a deixar a experi ncia de ouvi...
07/05/2026
From our earliest days, Spotify has been built on a simple principle: Great audio should be easy to reach. It's what's driven us to expand from music to...
07/05/2026
Asian and Pacific Islander artists continue to shape the global soundscape, pushing creative boundaries and connecting with fans worldwide. This Asian & Pacific...
07/05/2026
Company announce long-requested choir instrument
In the latest expansion of their Symphonic Elements series, UJAM have introduced an all-new vocal instrumen...
07/05/2026
Modular-inspired sound generation with digital control
Buchla have introduced Ziggy, a new compact synthesizer built around the company's complex oscill...
07/05/2026
Combines analogue voices with digital synthesis and sequencing
Polyend have announced Drums, a new hybrid analogue and digital drum machine that combines sy...
07/05/2026
Control surface now officially supports four DAWs
When Nektar launched the Panorama CS12 control surface, it worked exclusively with Apple's Logic Pro, ...
07/05/2026
In the first quarter 2026, SGL Carbon generated consolidated sales of 184.5 million, which was 49.8 million, or 21.3%, lower than in the prior year (Q1 2025: ...
07/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Greenerwave achieve precise and fast ESA antenna characteriz...
07/05/2026
Two multi-role L3Harris products - the Red Wolf launched effects vehicle and SK...
07/05/2026
L3Harris will be developing key features of a secure and resilient digital infra...
07/05/2026
Alysa Liu and Shohei Ohtani Help Drive Viewership as 91 of the Top 100 Broadcast...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards at 2026 NAB Show
Manufacturer Recognized by TV Tech and TVBEurope for Innovation in signal processing
Cobal...
07/05/2026
Software and hardware platforms, AI power and user-friendliness on show...
07/05/2026
Intinor will demonstrate its latest technical enhancements for the Direkt series at BroadcastAsia 2026. With a continued focus on reliable contribution and remo...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI has chosen Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner, replacing MUBI's legacy on premises encoding setup to improve scalab...
07/05/2026
Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2026 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next.
...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
At BroadcastAsia 2026, Interra Systems will demonstrate its latest innovations in automated quality control (QC), real-time monitoring, and captioning. The comp...
07/05/2026
At this year's Broadcast Asia, PlayBox Neo is set to unveil recent innovations across its PlayBox Neo Suite and integrated range of broadcast media solution...
How Freedom by Beyonc Became a Campaign Anthem Emmett G. Price III discusses the history of political campaign music and what makes Freedom such a versatile and poignant song.
