Looks like Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign rally in Houston over the weekend didn’t quite hit the right note.
Thousands of fans showed up, lured by rumors that Beyoncé—Houston’s own pop superstar—would not only make an appearance but would perform. After all, she’s a 32-time Grammy winner, a music icon, and arguably one of the biggest names in the entertainment world. But instead of dazzling the crowd with a live performance, Beyoncé stepped up to the mic, gave a short speech endorsing Harris, and then left the stage.
That was it. No “Single Ladies,” no “Crazy in Love,” not even a few lines of “Freedom.”
And the fans- who were actually there for Beyonce, NOT Kamala, let her know it:
Imagine paying $10 mil to get booed at your own rally
It is being reported Beyoncé received an estimated $10mil to endorse & perform in Houston, Texas for Kamala Harris
Beyoncé spoke for ONLY 3 minutes & DID NOT perform resulting in chaos of minutes of boos across the arena pic.twitter.com/rzHenrlX8Y
— Kylie Jane Kremer (@KylieJaneKremer) October 26, 2024
To add a little extra surprise, the actual musical performance for the evening was by country legend Willie Nelson. Now, Nelson’s a national treasure in his own right, sure. But if you were expecting to see Beyoncé, the shift from pop royalty to Willie—who’s pushing 81 and singing country classics—was quite the change in vibe. Fans hit social media to express their disappointment, feeling they’d been lured in with the promise of a “free Beyoncé concert,” only to be served up what some called “a bait-and-switch” with a side of “washed-up Willie.”
30,000 People were mad as hell once Beyonce left the Kamala Rally without performing…total bait & switch operation pic.twitter.com/AVqWhDAPAh
— Alex Stein #99 (@alexstein99) October 26, 2024
And while Harris didn’t technically promise a Beyoncé concert, it’s clear the campaign knew exactly what they were doing by fueling rumors of her appearance. Beyoncé’s recent music was even used in promotional materials, with the campaign blasting out tracks like “Freedom” and “Lemonade” to pump up the base. It’s not the first time the Democratic playbook has relied on big celebrity names to bring in crowds. They’ve done it before, with Beyoncé herself showing up for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 rally and Barack Obama’s second inauguration in 2013. But this time, fans got just a taste of Beyoncé and left feeling shortchanged. It’s safe to say their brilliant plan backfired.
One disappointed attendee put it perfectly: “She can’t even deliver on promises to her own followers with a Beyoncé performance, but yes, she will totally close the border and stuff.” Others on social media accused the campaign of a classic bait-and-switch move, which seems to be a running theme lately. For all the talk of “freedom,” “unity,” and “change,” there’s a growing sense that the message lacks a bit of substance behind the spectacle.
In the end, Harris’s rally wasn’t about uniting a crowd or delivering on actual policy but rather counting on star power to drum up some hype. And when it comes to mixing politics and pop culture, the shine seems to be wearing thin. Fans got a night of dashed expectations, Willie Nelson classics, and the realization that they probably won’t be seeing Beyoncé on the campaign trail anytime soon.
