Could Beyoncé and Taylor Swift perform at the DNC in Chicago? The reasons why they might not
The Democratic National Convention will begin on Monday, and organizers are firming up the program for the event. Will Beyoncé and Taylor Swift perform?
The Democratic National Convention will take place from Monday, Aug. 19 to Thursday, Aug. 22 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, where Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will formally accept the party’s nomination to be the candidates for the November election.
The main speakers for the event include President Joe Biden, former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
According to the New York Times, the convention will also feature celebrity performers, among them John Legend, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Jimmy Eat World, and Lil Jon.
There has been a lot of speculation regarding the attendance of two of the biggest singers in the world- Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, due to perceived ties with Democratic Party.
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Could Beyoncé and Taylor Swift perform at the DNC in Chicago? The reasons why they might not
Beyoncé has allowed the Harris camp to use her song “Freedom” in its campaign ads, and her mother, Tina Knowles, has already supported the candidacy of the vice president. The singer endorsed Biden’s White House bid in the last election.
For her part, Swift has not been shy in showing her political colors, and supported the Biden-Harris ticket in 2020.
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Despite the artists’ links to the Democratic Party, they may not perform at the convention. Neither of the two has formally endorsed Harris, and they have never performed at the event in the past.
According to political consultant James Carville, who has worked as a strategist for past Democratic campaigns, harnessing the star power of the two most popular celebrities in the world could backfire on the party. In an interview with commentator Bill Kristol, Carville warned that the convention could “get overrun” by the presence of the megastars.
He clarifies that there is nothing wrong with the two celebrities: it just boils down to their relatability. “If you get people saying these people are all too cool for me, I can’t fit in that, then you’re going to lose. Just remember all of that,” he advised.