Singer Carrie Underwood stunned the audience at President Donald Trump’s inauguration by launching into a cappella rendition of “America the Beautiful” when a technical issue disrupted her performance.
Underwood wowed the crowd with her professional prowess, leaving many questioning if the performance could have gone any better.
During the historic inauguration inside the Rotunda at the U.S. Capitol, Underwood was escorted inside and awaited her musical cue.
The music star waited to begin singing in front of Trump, his family, distinguished politicians, other celebrities, and millions of viewers around the world.
However, her cue did not come.
After a long silence, Underwood realized that her accompanying instrumental track was not working.
Due to the technical issue, the “American Idol” winner-turned-judge was forced to improvise.
“If you know the words, help me out here,” she said before singing a cappella.
WATCH:
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
Underwood was showered with praise on social media.
Several applauded how she handled the situation.
“This pretty much sums up the spirit of America,” one person wrote to X.
“When you’re faced with a problem, you don’t stop.
“You keep moving ahead — proudly.
“Kudos to @carrieunderwood. Well done!”
“This was badass,” another person wrote.
“That was a super awkward moment, but Carrie Underwood worked through it like a champ!” another user posted on X.
“Now that is a flex,” one impassioned fan wrote.
“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.”
Last week, Underwood, who is known to be removed from the political scene, confirmed she would be performing at Trump’s inauguration.
In a statement, the country superstar said:
“I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event.”