The reports are in: Beyonce lip-synced “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Monday’s inauguration ceremony.
Related: Get The Look: Beyoncé At The 2013 Presidential Inauguration
According to a U.S. Marine Band spokeswoman, the international superstar went against her original plans to sing the patriotic tune for reasons unknown to the rep. Page Six reports:
“All music is pre-recorded for the ceremony because there are so many eventualities and conditions that day. 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 [sic] reason why.”
The Washingtonian stated that “it was evident that the band wasn’t actually playing during the song,” a claim that the rep also confirmed. Fellow inaugural artists Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor endured the harsh weather conditions to deliver their performances of “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” and “America The Beautiful,” respectively.
While Beyonce’s camp has yet to respond to the new claims out today, her decision to opt for a pre-recorded version of the National Anthem (à la Whitney Houston) isn’t all that “shocking,” seeing as how it was her voice. But, the singer’s dramatic earpiece pull deserves a major sideye…
Check out the awesome performance below!
