Carrie Underwood performed “America the Beautiful” at President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday. Despite facing some backlash for agreeing to sing at the event, the American Idol star went ahead with her performance. Unfortunately, she encountered a significant technical issue.
The background music started but was abruptly cut off. An uncomfortable silence filled the Capitol Rotunda, and the crowd began to murmur as the production team scrambled to resolve the problem. Nevertheless, Underwood handled the situation with composure. After waiting for a moment, the country music icon decided to perform the song a capella.
Technical difficulties derail Carrie Underwood’s performance pic.twitter.com/2Nh7RhjHPI
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 20, 2025
“You know the words, help me out here,” Underwood said to the audience. The crowd quickly joined in, turning what could have been a major disaster into a memorable moment during the live broadcast. The singer received widespread praise for handling the technical hiccup so gracefully. Here are some reactions to the moment:
- “Who sabotaged Carrie Underwood? How rude. But the queen carried on regardless.” (source)
- “Carrie Underwood is an absolute professional! Outstanding job under pressure and technical difficulties. Such a great voice.” (source)
- “hilarious for this to happen to carrie underwood rn” (source)
Carrie Underwood sings ‘America the Beautiful’ a cappella after the soundtrack didn’t turn on.
Perfectly executed. pic.twitter.com/soACoVaRyj
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 20, 2025
- “Lol, why are they screwing over Carrie Underwood? Awkward silence…” (source)
- “SOMEONE PLUG IN THE AUX CORD FOR OUR QUEEN CARRIE UNDERWOOD!!!” (source)
- “Carrie Underwood’s music not working is so funny [crying emoji]” (source)
- “I’m glad there was a technical issue. I’d rather hear Carrie Underwood sing a cappella.” (source)
Trump, representing the Republican party, took the oath of office as the 47th president of the United States, after previously serving as the 45th. Despite his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election, Trump, now 78, triumphed in the 2024 election, defeating outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris. JD Vance will serve as his vice president.
