Carrie Underwood performed a stirring rendition of “America the Beautiful” after the official swearing-in of President Donald Trump at his inauguration on Jan. 20.
The Grammy-winning artist was joined by the Armed Forces Chorus and the United States Naval Academy Glee Club in performing the patriotic anthem.
The Inauguration Day performance took place inside the Capitol Rotunda after frigid temperatures in Washington prompted the ceremony to be moved inside from its traditional location on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol.
The country star confirmed on Jan. 13 that she would be performing at the 60th inaugural ceremony. She addressed her participation in a statement to TODAY.com that read, “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.”
Underwood concluded by saying, “I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”
The Oklahoma-born singer first rose to fame on “American Idol.” She won Season Four of “American Idol,” beating out fellow competitor Bo Bice to take home the trophy in 2005.
Since then, Underwood has scored hits including “Before He Cheats” and “Jesus, Take The Wheel” and won eight Grammys, including for best new artist and best female vocal country performance.
Over the years, Underwood has been largely private about her political views. In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, Underwood said, “I feel like more people try to pin me places politically. I try to stay far out of politics if possible, at least in public, because nobody wins. It’s crazy. Everybody tries to sum everything up and put a bow on it, like it’s black and white. And it’s not like that.”
It’s the first inaugural performance for Underwood, who was joined at the swearing-in ceremony by opera tenor Christopher Macchio, who performed “O, America!,” and country singer Lee Greenwood.