Did she or didn’t she? – Beyonce causes lip-synching stir

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Never mind President Barack Obama’s inauguration address or what Michelle Obama was wearing at the ball. Was Beyonce lip-synching the US national anthem on Monday, or wasn’t she?

The Grammy-winning singer remained silent on Tuesday amid a media storm over whether she was lip-synching, singing over her own pre-recorded track, or performing live when she delivered a flawless version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” to hundreds of thousands of people in Washington and millions watching on television.

President Obama applauds after singer Beyonce performs the National Anthem during the public ceremonial inauguration on the West Front of the US Capitol. AFP

A spokeswoman for the US Marine band first told US news outlets on Tuesday that the “Single Ladies” star “decided to go with the pre recorded music at the last minute” and that, to the spokeswoman’s knowledge, she was not actually singing the anthem.

But the US Marine band later backtracked, saying in a statement: “Regarding Ms. Knowles-Carter’s vocal performance, no one in the Marine Band is in a position to assess whether it was live or pre-recorded.” The statement said the band and Beyonce, whose surname is Knowles-Carter, had no chance to rehearse together before Monday’s inauguration “so it was determined that a live performance by the band was ill-advised for such a high-profile event.

“Each piece of music scheduled for performance in the Inauguration is pre-recorded for use in case of freezing temperatures, equipment failure, or extenuating circumstances, the Marine Band added.