Beyonce Didn't Show Up to the DNC (and That's a Good Thing)

Kamala Harris was the headliner

Where in the world was Beyonce? The finale of the Democratic National Convention had everyone wondering if the superstar would show up for Kamala Harris. Despite initial confirmation from TMZ (we’ll get to that later) that Beyonce was in Chicago and performing, the singer was nowhere to be found.

Four hours later, nothing. Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination for President of the United States as Beyonce’s “Freedom”, the campaign’s soundtrack, blared overhead. Social media was in a frenzy and the BeyHive was ready for war. But really, Beyonce’s absence was a good thing.

Kamala Harris was the headliner at the DNC. Nobody else.

In four weeks, Kamala Harris has been propelled to the head of the Democratic ticket. She’s had to fight sexism, racism and accusations of unfairness. What Harris has done has been nothing short of phenomenal. She’s a fundraising monster. She picked Governor Tim Walz, a guy from Minnesota most of us had never heard of, and brought him into our hearts.

After years of division, both inside the party and across the aisle, Harris and Coach Walz have done a great job promoting a message of unity. After years of low grade politically-related anxiety, it feels good to be optimistic and a sense of togetherness. It doesn’t matter if you’re a part of Women for Harris, South Asians for Harris, White Dudes for Harris or Republicans for Harris, this is a big tent.

It would have been great to see Beyonce perform “Freedom” live, especially if Kendrick Lamar came out for his verse. But that would have taken the spotlight away from Kamala Harris. She’s center stage. She’s the “Beyonce” of the party, so to speak.

In the past, the Democrats have been accused of being the party of elitists. Woke, avocado toast eaters who hug their electric vehicles. Don’t forget, it was an op-ed in The New York Times by actor George Clooney that helped catalyze the conversation around replacing Joe Biden. Cool, so rich and famous people get to decide elections? Politicians sometimes forget that between New York City and Los Angeles, there’s an entire country called America. Voters need to feel that there isn’t a velvet rope.

It’s no secret that the Democratic Party has the better roster of celebrities. Let’s be honest, the Republicans trotted out Hulk Hogan or Amber Rose at the Republican National Convention. Who and why? Exactly. Democrats need to balance their A-listers with everyday people.

Meanwhile, TMZ had to issue an embarrassing apology (almost as bad as when the site inaccurately killed off Lil Wayne in 2013) that its “sources” had given them wrong intel. Beyonce’s longtime publicist issued a correction to The Hollywood Reporter. Win for established journalism! We’ve gotten so accustomed to trusting TMZ as a news source that we forget its roots as intrusive paparazzi and exposing and humiliating celebrities. Maybe this will bring back some actual reporting and fact-checking.

It doesn’t matter who started the Beyonce at the DNC rumor. Was it a bored fan? Maybe Republicans trying to embarrass Harris? Russian operatives destabilizing American democracy at all costs?

What the Beyonce rumor did accomplish is that we collectively watched the DNC for four straight hours. It became must-see TV. Appointment viewing. My entire social media timeline was glued. When has that ever happened? An estimated 26.2 million viewers watched the historic moment as America nominated its first Black and Indian woman for President.

Kamala Harris is the star now.