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Listen To Beyonce When She Tells You This
This election is a train wreck. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are considered unlikable at record-breaking levels, and for many, it might seem like either outcome is bleak enough to justify staying home on Nov. 8. Well if you're one of those people, Beyoncé has something to say to you. At the end of her set at the Tidal X concert on Saturday night, Bey left her fans with an optimistic view of this election and the future, reminding the primarily-young crowd of the power they hold as the country's youth vote.
It can be easy to feel helpless and to just want to block the world out, but doing nothing right now is not an option y'all. I know it seems like things are bad, but if you think they can't get worse, just ask your grandparents. Remember Barack Obama is our president — you made that happen. Young people made that happen. We are not helpless. The fire is still burning. Please go out and vote this November. So many people have died and sacrificed so much for us to have our voice. We have to use it. Get in formation. Use our voices to do something great for our children.
She's right about the influence millennials have had on politics over the past few elections. It was this group that propelled Obama to his 2008 victory and to his 2012 re-election. Bernie Sanders showed us again how much of an impact young voters can make when his campaign, considered to revolve around a "fringe candidate" in the beginning, exceeded everyone's expectations by becoming a serious competitor for the Clinton camp.
Beyoncé's decision to speak out about Election Day is a continuance of her more political presence in pop culture. She strayed from seriously delving into social issues for the first decade of her career. When she surprise-dropped her now-legendary visual album BEYONCE in 2013, she instantly became known as a feminist icon mostly because of her song "***Flawless" which sampled an excerpt of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's speech "We Should All Be Feminists." With the release of her latest album Lemonade, peppered with lyrics and images alluding to police brutality, Bey entered the arena of racial rights.
Now, if you're wondering who the singer is rooting for this election — though, let's be honest, it's pretty obvious — she was spotted at a fundraiser for Clinton in May of last year, where she donated $2,700. So, yes, Beyonce is likely #WithHer and wants you to be, too.