Beyonce reportedly lip-synchs national anthem: Why we shouldn't care
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Here’s a truth bomb that will rock you to your very core: Sometimes, at big, important events, singers don’t actually sing.
An artist may choose to mouth along to a pre-recorded track during a “live” performance for any number of reasons. Maybe the weather is bad; maybe she simply isn’t feeling well. Whatever the excuse, though, lip-synching is about as ubiquitous as the common cold — especially if the singer in question happens to be performing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Jennifer Hudson did it at Super Bowl XLIII in 2009. Whitney Houston also did it when delivering her definitive version of the anthem in 1991.
Which brings us to Beyoncé, who reportedly used a pre-recorded track when she sang the national anthem at yesterday’s presidential inauguration. Though reps for the star and the United States Marine Band have not yet responded to EW’s requests for comment, a Marine spokesperson told the New York Times that Beyoncé did lip-sync the song — and that it’s standard procedure for inaugural performers to record their music in advance in case of bad weather. In 2009, for example, cellist Yo Yo Ma and violinist Itzhak Perlman chose to employ their backup track due to that Inauguration Day’s bitter cold and harsh winds.
When asked why Beyoncé didn’t do the anthem live, the spokesperson told the Times that she didn’t know — the weather was fine, by all accounts, and Kelly Clarkson reportedly performed her own inauguration song without a backing track. “That is what we were instructed to do so that is what we did,” the Marine explained. “It’s not because Beyoncé can’t sing. We all know Beyoncé can sing. We all know the Marine Band can play.”
But regardless of the reason, Bey shouldn’t be pilloried for lip-synching. If we want flawless perfection from our musicians, we’re going to have to accept the fact that sometimes that isn’t possible without backing tracks. (See what can happen when someone attacks “The Star-Spangled Banner” without the help of modern recording technology?) And even if this whole thing makes her dramatic earpiece removal seem pretty silly, hey — at least Beyoncé got the words right.
In what is surely the biggest Capitol Hill scandal to rock our nation since Watergate, it's now come to light that Beyoncé, beloved singer of the National Anthem at 44th U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama's second inauguration, was in fact duping honest, trusting Americans by lip-syncing the song.
The Times UK broke the news with a statement from the Marine Corp Band's spokeswoman. "We did pre-record it and it was Beyoncé's decision at the last minute to go with the pre-recorded version,” the spokeswoman said. "We pre-recorded all music as a matter of course and have done since time immemorial. This is our 54th inauguration… There is no question of there not being any music — it's not because the performer cannot do it."
We called Beyoncé's rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner" "suave" and "amazing," and her studio take on the song (and her hair!) still fits that bill. But, we can no longer award that praise to a live vocal that, like Manti Te'o's girlfriend, doesn't exist. Yes, the news is disappointing, but the slackjawed shock reverberating in the media right now isn't really necessary. Why? Bey wasn't the only musician to sub out live music yesterday. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma faux-played his cello as the wintry January weather would have made it difficult for even a master such as himself to perform. And, Whitney Houston's gold-standard Super Bowl "Star-Spangled Banner"? She lip-synched it, too.
So while you guys were all like
And
And at lunchtime, like
And
And just losing your **** left and right
We were like
And the overreaction made us like
Because, frankly, look at all the ****s Beyoncé gives.
A source very familiar with the situation tells CBS News that Beyonce performed the National Anthem live, but she pre-recorded a track of the song to sing over. The source said this is a standard performing practice. And the musical accompaniment by the Marine Band? A recording.
In 1991, Whitney Houston lip-synced her iconic interpretation of "The Star Spangled Banner" at the Super Bowl.
Oscar-winner and former "American Idol" contestant Jennifer Hudson did the same thing with the anthem at the Super Bowl in 2009.
Faith Hill also performed to a backing track for "America The Beautiful" at the same event in 2009.
At President Obama's first inauguration in 2009, Yo-Yo Ma's performance came into question over "hand syncing." The acclaimed cellist had said the instruments weren't working properly in the very cold weather.
But by late afternoon, the Marine Corps backed off that statement.
Marine Corps said in a statement that no one in their organization "is in a position to assess whether [Beyoncé's vocal performance] was live or pre-recorded."
"A source very familiar with the situation tells CBS News that Beyonce performed the National Anthem live, but she pre-recorded a track of the song to sing over. The source said this is a standard performing practice. And the musical accompaniment by the Marine Band? A recording."
at first i thought it was no big deal, but now that i think about it more, there's a time and a place where lip synching is ok but this wasn't one of them.
She could do it if she wanted to according to all the excuses. She might not have been able to sing over the live band. Lip-syncing or not, she can still sing.
A source very familiar with the situation tells CBS News that Beyonce performed the National Anthem live, but she pre-recorded a track of the song to sing over. The source said this is a standard performing practice. And the musical accompaniment by the Marine Band? A recording.
In 1991, Whitney Houston lip-synced her iconic interpretation of "The Star Spangled Banner" at the Super Bowl.
Oscar-winner and former "American Idol" contestant Jennifer Hudson did the same thing with the anthem at the Super Bowl in 2009.
Faith Hill also performed to a backing track for "America The Beautiful" at the same event in 2009.
At President Obama's first inauguration in 2009, Yo-Yo Ma's performance came into question over "hand syncing." The acclaimed cellist had said the instruments weren't working properly in the very cold weather.
There were even reports that speculated Madonna was lip-syncing during her appearance at the 2012 Super Bowl half-time show. "The only thing Madonna proved during the Super Bowl 46 show is her irrelevance; the halftime show was so obviously lip synced that it was painful," wrote SBNation's JP Starkey.
A source very familiar with the situation tells CBS News that Beyonce performed the National Anthem live, but she pre-recorded a track of the song to sing over. The source said this is a standard performing practice. And the musical accompaniment by the Marine Band? A recording.
In 1991, Whitney Houston lip-synced her iconic interpretation of "The Star Spangled Banner" at the Super Bowl.
Oscar-winner and former "American Idol" contestant Jennifer Hudson did the same thing with the anthem at the Super Bowl in 2009.
Faith Hill also performed to a backing track for "America The Beautiful" at the same event in 2009.
At President Obama's first inauguration in 2009, Yo-Yo Ma's performance came into question over "hand syncing." The acclaimed cellist had said the instruments weren't working properly in the very cold weather.
There were even reports that speculated Madonna was lip-syncing during her appearance at the 2012 Super Bowl half-time show. "The only thing Madonna proved during the Super Bowl 46 show is her irrelevance; the halftime show was so obviously lip synced that it was painful," wrote SBNation's JP Starkey.
@ Spin !
