You know the 2024 United States presidential election is a truly momentous event when Beyoncé releases the closest thing to a music video in years just to get the people to the polls. The legendary singer rang in election day with the visuals to her Cowboy Carter song, “Bodyguard,” sneaking in a couple of calls to vote throughout.
For fans, who have badgered Beyoncé for years to release the visuals for her album Renaissance to the point where it has become an inside joke, this can only mean one thing: Queen Bey will give them what they want if they vote. It may not be your typical election strategy, but it’s undoubtedly effective where the Beyhive is concerned.
“So Beyoncé is saying she will release the visuals if Kamala wins,” one fan inferred. “She said VOTE and she’ll drop the visuals,” another agreed (the matching use of Zachary Campbell memes is pure coincidence).
What is less likely to be a coincidence was the timing of the video’s release. It came in the middle of the night, just a few hours after Trump, yet again, mocked Beyoncé’s appearance at a Houston rally for Kamala Harris‘ presidential campaign on Oct. 25. The mere mention of the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer’s name drew boos from the crowd of Trump supporters at the Republican candidate’s final rally in Pittsburgh on Monday.
She tried to get stars to come in and they wouldn’t do it, actually. She would go and get Beyoncé… Beyoncé would come in, everyone is expecting a couple of songs, and there were no songs, there was no happiness, it’s just like ‘Give me my check, I want to get out of here.”
In Houston, Beyoncé took to the stage hand-in-hand with Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland to deliver a speech in support of the Democratic candidate. “I’m not here as a celebrity, I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother,” she said, highlighting Harris’ vision for a future where women “have the freedom to control our bodies” and where the world is not divided. Beyoncé then introduced the vice president as “the next president of the United States,” as Harris joined her on the podium. Trump hasn’t stopped talking about it since, mentioning it at nearly every stop of his campaign.
The singer doesn’t seem too bothered. She’s been busy urging her fans to vote while putting on complex Halloween displays. Yes, because the “Bodyguard” video also served as the reveal of her fourth and final costume for this spooky season, as she dressed up as different Pamela Anderson characters, including Baywatch (naturally transformed into “Beywatch”) and Barb Wire starring Pamela Anderson Bee. Poking fun at the Beyhive’s incessant requests for visuals, the artist also attended the “No Visual Awards” while replicating Anderson’s iconic 1999 MTV Video Music Awards outfit, puffy pink hat, white corset, and bedazzled leggings and all.
Well, they got their visual now, even if it doubled as both an election campaign advert and an elaborate Halloween costume.
Published: Nov 5, 2024 07:45 am