Many inauguration watchers were impressed when Beyonce ripped out her earpiece while performing the national anthem—appearing to be the victim of audio problems—yet still nailed the song. Except, er, she wasn’t actually singing the song. A Marine Corps Band spokesperson tells TMZ and the UK Times that artists typically record a backing track before a live performance, just in case, but that Bey decided at the last minute—for reasons unknown—to lip-sync along to the pre-recorded track rather than sing live. Kelly Clarkson, TMZ notes, sang live.
“We all know Beyonce can sing,” says the rep. “We don’t know why she chose to use the pre-recorded track.” In an article apparently written before Beyonce’s lip-syncing became known, Us notes that the singer didn’t have time to rehearse with the band until the night before the inauguration, since she’s also preparing for her Super Bowl performance. The Washingtonian notes that people sitting close enough could tell Beyonce wasn’t singing, nor was the band actually playing. She herself may have offered a hint, having released a picture of herself in a recording studio with Marine Corps Band members the day before her performance. Click to see who else has used a pre-recorded track at an inauguration.
