Beyoncé’s long-awaited visuals are finally here and she’s using the occasion to remind everyone to get out and vote. The star released an upbeat short for her Cowboy Carter song “Bodyguard” this morning—just as Americans across the country began to line up at the polls.
The visual, titled “Beywatch,” sees Beyoncé in her best Pamela Anderson get-up—because just two referential Halloween costumes weren’t enough—as she mouth the lyrics to her hit song. She references Anderson’s infamous 1999 MTV Video Music Awards outfit—pink feathered hat and all—and switches between a black bodysuit and some red swimwear that nodded to Anderson’s role in Baywatch. Putting aside the fact that Anderson herself is actually Canadian, how much more American can you get than country music, Baywatch, and voting? Sometime the best way to guard your own life is to vote.
Based on the length of the video (and the fact that it concludes with the words “Happy Beylloween”), it’s safe to assume that this isn’t the official Renaissance visuals fans have been begging for. Still, it’s the first music video of any kind we’ve seen from Yoncé since 2021’s “Otherside” clip from her Black is King album.
In fact, the singer happened to poke fun at the mystery surrounding the visuals from her two most recent albums. She posted a series of images to her Instagram, one of which where she posed in front of a faux MTV VMAs backdrop that read “No Visual Awards.”
Last month, Beyoncé spoke about the lack of music videos for her last two albums, saying “I thought it was important that during a time where all we see is visuals, that the world can focus on the voice.” Perhaps, she’ll release the entirety of her Renaissance visuals if Vice President Harris ascends to the presidency.
Beyoncé’s “Beywatch” follows an appearance at a Houston Kamala Harris rally late last month. The singer and her Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland both delivered speeches during the event which highlighted the Vice President’s promise to protect reproductive freedom. Over the summer, Beyoncé granted Harris permission to use her 2016 song “Freedom” in an official campaign capacity.
“We are so happy to be standing here on this stage as proud country Texan women, supporting and celebrating the one and only Vice President Kamala Harris,” Beyoncé began her speech. “A woman who’s been pushing for what this country really needs right now: unity. It’s impossible to not feel the energy in this room. The positivity, the community, the humanity.”
She continued, “I’m not here as a celebrity, I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother. A mother who cares deeply about the world my children and all of our children live in, a world where we have the freedom to control our bodies, a world where we’re not divided.” Beyoncé finished off her remarks, saying “Imagine our daughters growing up seeing what’s possible with no ceilings, no limitations. We must vote, and we need you.”