Did Beyonce’s performance of the Star-Spangled Banner sound a little too perfect yesterday at President Obama’s second inauguration ? According to Kristin Dubois, the Master Sgt of the Marine Corps Band, Beyonce lip synced to a pre-recorded version of the national anthem.
Dubois told ABC News :
“We all know Beyonce can sing. We all know the Marine Corps Band can play. We do not know why she decided to go with the pre-recorded music at the last minute.”
Of course, it isn’t uncommon for a musician to use a pre-recorded song when singing at a large outdoor event. It happens all the time at the Super Bowl and occasionally, apparently, at Presidential Inaugurations. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the violinist Itzhak Perlman used a pre-recorded song in 2009 because the weather conditions at the Washington Mall.
What is surprising, is that Beyonce may have been the only singer to lip syc during the ceremony yesterday.
James Taylor played live and Kelly Clarkson sang “My Country Tis Of Thee” without a backup tape.
News that Beyonce lip synced her version of the National Anthem shouldn’t come as a surprise to the singer’s Instagram followers. Beyonce sent out a photo of herself in the studio with some sheet music for the Star Spangled Banner earlier this month.
Here’s a video of Beyonce singing the National Anthem. Can you tell that she’s lip syncing?