WASHINGTON – Now that the pomp and circumstance of Inauguration Day has passed, the nation is left to wonder: Did Beyonce lip sync the national anthem?
The answer is yes, according to The London Times.
A spokesperson for the Marine Corp Band told the Times that the singer pre-recorded the track in a studio prior to the big day. In fact, all inaugural music is pre-recorded in case weather conditions or other circumstances could interrupt the program.
For reasons unknown, Beyonce decided to use the studio version instead of singing it live.
Us magazine reports that the star didn’t rehearse with the Marine Corp Band until the night before, which is pretty typical of celebrities with packed schedules.
“We had Kelly [Clarkson] in over the weekend to rehearse and record,” band director Col. Michael J. Colburn told Buzzfeed. “Beyonce, she’s getting ready for the Super Bowl, so we didn’t have a chance to do anything with her until last night.”
A representative for Beyonce did not immediately respond to requests for comment, The Associated Press says. Kelly Clarkson’s representative says she sang live to perform "My Country, `Tis of Thee."
Beyonce did have time to upload onto Instragram a few photos of herself in the studio Sunday. Click here and here to see them.
The Twitterverse was instantly abuzz following “The Star-Spangled Banner,” with some people speculating on whether the near-perfect performance was actually a hoax. Their disappointment is palpable now that the lip syncing has been confirmed:
NOOOOOOOOOOO ð ð ð Beyonce lip-synched her inaugural performance: r29.co/VgkwNA
— refinery29 (@Refinery29) January 22, 2013
Really Beyonce? After all those dramatic facial expressions and ripping out of the earpiece? Oh dear
— Tristian Morris (@bigstraps) January 22, 2013
Beyonce lip-synching the Star Spangled Banner makes me question fundamental truths of human existence.
— The Fix (@TheFix) January 22, 2013
The use of a recording is typical in big events. In 2009, cellist Yo-Yo Ma was questioned about "hand-synching" for Obama’s first inauguration. Ma said instruments weren’t functioning properly in 19-degree weather.
Watch a video of Beyonce below:
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