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As the DNC’s (wrongly) rumored ‘special guest,’ Beyoncé, and pop fandom, stole the show

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As the DNC's (wrongly) rumored 'special guest,' Beyoncé, and pop fandom, stole the show

As a lifelong music enthusiast who grew up idolizing artists like Beyoncé and Pink, I can’t help but feel a mix of disappointment and intrigue about Thursday night’s Democratic National Convention. While it was heartwarming to see Pink perform with her daughter, Willow, the anticipation for a Beyoncé appearance was palpable and left many fans feeling let down.

Odds are, she’ll sing for Kamala Harris at some point.

In January 2013, she sang the national anthem at President Obama’s second inauguration, while in November 2016, she performed “Formation” at a late rally for Hillary Clinton. Moreover, she has granted permission to Harris to use her song “Freedom” as a campaign theme in 2024, and she issued a cease-and-desist order to Donald Trump for using the same melody in a social media video.

On Thursday, just prior to receiving her party’s presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention, Harris made an appearance on stage accompanied by the playing of “Freedom”.

Although many assertions circulated online, intensifying as the event neared — even TMZ, who seldom make mistakes, claimed it — Beyoncé herself was not present to give a live performance at Chicago’s United Center.

7:01 p.m. Pacific, roughly two hours following TMZ’s exclusive announcement about the pop sensation gracing the convention, I learned from The Hollywood Reporter that Beyoncé’s representative had clarified she was never scheduled to perform there. The report of a performance, it seems, was unfounded.

In just a few moments, a wave of disappointment swept across social media, leaving one feeling somewhat disheartened for the pop star who had indeed graced Chicago with their presence.

Stepping onto the stage alongside my 13-year-old daughter Willow, I delivered a heartfelt acoustic rendition of “What About Us.” This catchy pop tune can be interpreted in two ways: it could symbolize a personal romantic breakdown, or – if you look at it from a slightly different perspective – it mirrors the plea of a people seeking change and improvement from their leaders.

As a movie buff, I’d put it like this: “You know, we’ve sung about love and pain, with a guitarist strumming along and three harmonious voices echoing our thoughts. It’s been us, but what about all those times you promised you had the solutions?”

When Willow began a verse alone, Pink subtly wrapped her daughter’s back with her right arm, preparing to offer support just before the vast audience – a famous figure entrusted with a political role, yet also a mother steadfast in guarding her little one.

In my view, even though I was seated at the United Center, it seemed that the crowd appeared somewhat subdued during the live broadcast on CNN, as if Pink’s performance was more like a warm-up, eagerly awaiting the anticipated main event.

And who could blame them?

Without a doubt, Beyoncé stands as the most electrifying live performer of her generation. She’s like a one-person dynamo, packed with both vocal and physical prowess that can brighten up a venue and reduce it to embers within mere minutes.

So what are we to conclude by the fact that she didn’t show up?

If you’re disposed to assume the best of the Democrats, you might argue that the DNC aimed to prevent Harris’s significant night from being overshadowed – they have so much faith in her message that they believed viewers would be more interested in her than the celebrities she drew in.

To clarify, Pink is a prominent pop artist who consistently delivers impressive live performances that fill stadiums annually, such as her recent concert at SoFi Stadium in October and upcoming one at Dodger Stadium next month. However, unlike Beyoncé or Taylor Swift (another well-known music titan who recently defied rumors of appearing), Pink doesn’t seem to be the focus of intense parasocial relationships that some fans may have with those artists.

By inviting Pink and the Chicks, who delivered an off-key yet endearing rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner” to kick off the events, it appeared that the DNC was banking on the traditional notion that music can function as a vibrant beacon to attract attention towards the main topic at hand.

However, popular fandom today doesn’t function as you might think, where unquestioning loyalty to a favored idol outweighs all else. The Democrats’ openness to speculation about Beyoncé and Swift reveals a significant misapprehension of the role music plays in the lives of their intended electorate. In simpler terms, they didn’t fully grasp how music influences their voters.

Who initiated the gossips about Beyoncé’s performance on Thursday night? Who failed to disprove these rumors before they overshadowed the DNC’s true storyline? (After the convention concluded, TMZ rephrased the lyrics of Bey’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” from X: “We need to reveal our hidden cards, down, down, down … we made a mistake here.”)

It was mentioned earlier that Beyoncé might perform for Harris prior to the election. Here’s hoping that this event doesn’t bring you any closer to comprehending the allure of QAnon conspiracy theories.

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2024-08-23 09:01

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