On Monday, President Barack Obama was sworn into his second term in the White House and the inauguration featured performances from James Taylor, Kelly Clarkson, and Beyonce. Beyonce sang the National Anthem, or we at least think she did. Following the performance, reports have surfaced that Beyonce lip-synced the song.
“All music is pre-recorded for the ceremony because there are so many eventualities and conditions that day,” said Kristin DuBois, a representative for the United States Marine Band. “We performed, live, the band. But we received last-minute word that Beyonce was going to use the pre-recorded vocal track. Those were the instructions we were given. We don’t know what the reason why.”
It was reported by the Washingtonian that the band was not playing when the song was being sung at the inauguration ceremony. Also, Beyonce posted a picture on her Instagram account that showed her holding sheet music for “The Star Spangled Banner” in a studio. During her performance, Beyonce pulled out her earpiece, which shocked some people, but it obviously was not needed anyway.
Kelly Clarkson sand “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” and it was reported by TMZ that she did not lip-sync the performance.
A statement was released by the Marine Corps Band about Beyonce’s performance that said: “The Presidential Inaugural Committee requested that the Marine Band accompany Beyonce Knowles-Carter in the performance of the Star-Spangled Banner at the 2013 Inaugural Ceremony. However, there was no opportunity for Ms. Knowles-Carter to rehearse with the Marine Band before the Inauguration so it was determined that a live performance by the band was ill-advised for such a high-profile event. Each piece of music scheduled for performance in the Inauguration is pre-recorded for use in case of freezing temperatures, equipment failure, or extenuating circumstances. Regarding Ms. Knowles-Carter’s vocal performance, no one in the Marine Band is in a position to assess whether it was live or pre-recorded.”
