A little technical difficulty didn’t stop Carrie Underwood from having her inauguration moment.
The country star was all set to perform “America the Beautiful” after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president on Monday — until the song’s backing track cut out before the singer could even begin.
For a brief moment that felt much longer, the inauguration audience suffered in awkward silence until Underwood mouthed to an audio technician that she was going to continue on without the music.
Underwood forged ahead, urging the crowd, “You know the words. Help me out here.”
With the help of backing vocals from the Armed Forces Choir and the inauguration audience, Underwood sang “America the Beautiful” a cappella. When Underwood finished her performance, she was met with a congratulatory handshake from President Trump and former President Joe Biden.
However, even though the singer pivoted and belted her heart out, the internet began to flame Underwood for the uncomfortable, impromptu moment.
One person on X said: “Shoutout to the gay who pulled the plug on the audio before Carrie Underwood sang.”
Another said: “Carrie Underwood is a lot more entertaining if you mute the TV.”
Others compared Underwood’s performance to another inauguration performer, Beyoncé, saying, “This is how you do it.”
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