Carrie Underwood is reportedly very upset that she didn’t receive the same “respect” as previous inauguration performers like Beyoncé, who sang at Barack Obama‘s 2013 ceremony, and Lady Gaga, who performed at Joe Biden’s in 2021. To add to her frustration, the American Idol winner and country music star, 41, faced a major technical glitch that caused several moments of awkward silence during Donald Trump‘s swearing-in as the 47th President of the United States this week.
According to sources, Underwood is still fuming over this incident. After the Grammy winner was swiftly escorted to the indoor stage area, the planned start of “America The Beautiful” fell silent. The speakers emitted no sound, resulting in uncomfortable silence and confusion.
Carrie Underwood Is Allegedly Upset She Didn’t Receive ‘The Same Respect As Beyoncé Or Lady Gaga’ For Her Inauguration Performance
Everyone in the room, including the “Before He Cheats” hitmaker, glanced around uncertainly, unsure of how to proceed. Despite the challenge, she powered through, delivering the song acapella with her impressive vocals. As reported by The Daily Mail, the “All-American Girl” singer was “furious” due to the disregard shown and the technical glitch that took place.
The outlet noted that Underwood was disappointed that she did not receive a suitable “stage or platform even like previous performers,” as this inauguration ceremony was held indoors due to the weather. An insider dished: “Carrie was dissatisfied with her performance at the event, primarily due to the limited space she was given, which left her feeling cramped and uncomfortable.”
They added: "Her anxiety was high throughout the performance, and she felt that she was not afforded the same level of respect or admiration that previous performers, such as Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, had received." The source went on: "She felt as if she was ushered in and out and had a mini hissy fit afterward."
According to the tipster, Underwood is "used to playing at massive venues with a stage to herself. She was not given a stage or a platform even." They also shared: "She felt like she was literally just in a room with people all around her and a microphone. This threw off the acoustics."
However, an additional source told The Daily Mail that this likely won't get Underwood down much longer. "She will eventually laugh about it and take it for what it was, but she is disappointed that it wasn't more of a moment as the moment she was searching for got altered with the technical difficulties," they said."
They added, regarding the mom of two: "Though it isn't her day, and she just wanted to add to the day and not upstage anything, she was annoyed of how it turned out." Ultimately, Underwood (who will serve as a judge on American Idol for the first time for its upcoming season) was "proud of herself" that she prevented a "total disaster."
