I remember watching “American Idol” way back when (2005, to be exact) when a young lady named Carrie Underwood entered the competition. It was a long time ago, but I remember thinking she wasn’t bad and had a chance to survive a few rounds. Little did I know she would eventually win that year’s title and go on to become a country music superstar.
Flash forward to today, January 20, 2025—Inauguration Day. Things were going swimmingly, and many of us were thrilled to see Donald Trump take oath the office and end one of the most disastrous presidencies in modern history—Joe Biden’s.
But then, uh oh… A technical malfunction. The music wouldn’t play. Was this an ominous sign—would it mar what was already a wonderful day?
Nope. Underwood proved that she’s not only a great singer, but she’s a pro, and she has class. She pulled out her metaphorical Louisville Slugger and smacked it right out of the park:
Tapped to perform “America The Beautiful” at the inauguration, held inside the Rotunda at the U.S. Capitol, Underwood was escorted inside and awaited her musical cue to begin singing in front of Trump, his family, distinguished politicians and other celebrities.
But no cue would come.
Underwood quickly ascertained that the accompanying instrumental track was not working, leaving her to improvise. “If you know the words, help me out here,” she prefaced before singing a cappella.
And boy did she sing it:
Here is the splendid @carrieunderwood performance at the Trump Inauguration. This is what a professional looks like. With grace, when the military band audio failed, she sang her song with the audience. All American and perfect. pic.twitter.com/Qce0AHj6fJ
— Raymond Arroyo (@RaymondArroyo) January 20, 2025
Being a person who shivers at the thought of singing in public, I can’t imagine what that moment must have been like, when she was standing in front of President Trump, former commanders-in-chief and their spouses, and leaders from all around the country… and her music wouldn’t cooperate. I might have simply run away, but she handled the moment and to my mind, delivered a magnificent performance. In fact, my guess is it was probably more moving than it would have been had the music played.
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The internet seemed to agree:
Now that is a flex. Imagine being so talented that when technology fails, you just go, “Fine, I’ll do it live!” and crush it a cappella in front of thousands. Carrie Underwood doesn’t need auto-tune; auto-tune probably takes notes from her.
Also, let’s just appreciate the… pic.twitter.com/OjYd5yoCV6
— Johnny 2.0 (@johnny_ver_2) January 20, 2025
The tweet continues:
Also, let’s just appreciate the symbolism here—America the Beautiful, stripped of all the overproduced noise, performed raw and real. Honestly, it feels like the perfect metaphor for what this country could use right now: less manufactured chaos, more genuine unity. A little harmony, anyone?
And the crowd participation? Classic “we the people” energy. Makes you wonder: when’s the last time the government pulled off something half that impressive without a glitch?
Wow. Carrie Underwood just pulled off the greatest improvisation since Donald Trump shouted “fight, fight, fight” after getting shot in the ear.
Chills.pic.twitter.com/6egjtRFLid
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) January 20, 2025
What a day. Underwood’s performance may not be the most politically significant moment of these historic times, but it was moving to watch.
Well played, Carrie, well played.
