Beyoncé will perform alongside Harris at the rally in Houston

CNN
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Beyoncé will appear alongside Vice President Kamala Harris at a rally in Houston on Friday, a person familiar with the planning told CNN, the first joint appearance with the music icon whose anthem was the Harris campaign's soundtrack.

The performance, which will feature Beyoncé alongside Willie Nelson, is set to be one of the biggest closing acts of the campaign. Since Harris rose to the top of the Democratic ticket, the vice president's team has been working behind the scenes to negotiate a joint appearance before Election Day.

Beyoncé's team did not respond to CNN's request for comment.

Beyoncé almost endorsed Harris months ago, giving her permission to use her song “Freedom” as her official campaign anthem, as CNN first reported in July. Beyoncé, known for adhering to strict release guidelines for her music, quickly agreed to the Harris campaign's use of the anthem, which served as the backdrop for Harris advertisements and when she appeared on stage at the Democratic National Convention. Harris went to “Freedom” for the first time at her first official stop at her campaign headquarters, two days after she launched her presidential campaign.

At one point, rumors of Beyoncé's performance at the Democratic National Convention threatened to overtake Harris' acceptance speech. Campaign officials insisted that sending Beyoncé to Harris in Chicago was never the plan, even though they were sending conflicting signals at the moment.

Fans may be wondering whether Taylor Swift – who endorsed Harris in September – will join Harris at a campaign stop in this final phase of the election.

“Wouldn’t it be great?” A campaign official said of a Swift appearance and declined to answer the question.

That certainly won't happen with Beyoncé in Houston: Swift is scheduled to perform in New Orleans on Friday evening on the final leg of her “Eras” tour.

Although Friday marks Beyoncé's first official collaboration with Harris, the superstar has a long history of supporting Democratic candidates.

In 2013, she sang the national anthem at President Barack Obama's second inauguration. In 2016, Beyoncé and her husband Jay-Z headlined a pre-election concert for Hillary Clinton in Cleveland, Ohio, with her backup dancers wearing blue pantsuits to honor the woman who could have been the first female president.

“I want my daughter to grow up seeing a woman leading our country and knowing that her possibilities are limitless,” Beyoncé said at the time. “And that’s why I’m with her.”

In 2020, Beyoncé supported the Biden-Harris ticket and posted on her Instagram encouraging her followers to vote.

Harris is expected to address abortion rights in Houston as she seeks to draw a contrast with former President Donald Trump on the controversial issue ahead of Election Day, a senior campaign official previously told CNN.

During her speech, the vice president is expected to warn about the threat a second Trump term poses to women's reproductive freedom. Harris will also blame the former president for extreme abortion bans, including in Texas following the overturn of Roe v. Wade. She will be joined by women affected by the restrictive laws.

Democratic Senate nominee Rep. Colin Allred will join Harris in Houston to rally voters to unseat incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. While in Texas, Harris will also conduct an interview with popular podcaster Brené Brown as she continues to engage in media efforts to reach voters where they are.