The New York Post is reporting Beyoncé’s performance of the national anthem at President Obama’s second inauguration on Monday was everything it should be: soaring, moving, symbolic and musically superlative.

It also wasn’t live.

The R&B diva only pretended to sing, lip-syncing the words to a backing track. What the listeners heard was a version she had recorded at a Marine Corps studio in Washington on Sunday night, a spokeswoman for the Marine Band said.

The spokeswoman, Master Sgt. Kristin duBois, said the weather was good and the Marine Band had no trouble with intonation during most of the prelude and ceremony, nearly two and half hours of music. Still, at the last minute, she said, the band received word that Beyoncé would use a recorded version of the national anthem.

“We don’t know why,” Sergeant duBois said. “But that is what we were instructed to do so that is what we did. It’s not because Beyoncé can’t sing. We all know Beyoncé can sing. We all know the Marine Band can play.”

A publicist for Beyoncé did not immediately return telephone calls and e-mail messages from the paper.

Read more about it here.

There’s no word yet on whether Beyoncé plans to lip-sync during her upcoming Super Bowl 47 Halftime Show appearance in New Orleans on February 3.




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