Was Beyonce Lip-Syncing “Star Spangled Banner” at Presidential Inauguration?

Beyonce’s performance of the National Anthem at the 57^th Presidential Inauguration stunned the audience in two ways: first for its quality and second for allegations from the Marine Band that she didn’t actually sing live.

Word that the “Single Ladies” singer wasn’t performing live surfaced today, after Master Sgt. Kristin DuBois of the U.S. Marine Band revealed to multiple news outlets that Beyonce asked for a backing track not long before her performance. DuBois stated: "It's not because Beyonce can't sing. We all know Beyonce can sing. We all know the Marine Band can play."

So, why, exactly was a backing track even used? A Marine Corps spokesperson later clarified the matter, explaining that the singer did not have sufficient time to rehearse with the band. Instead, the pre-recorded music was added for the musicians – not Beyonce. The spokesperson said: "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."

Billboard explained that pre-recorded music is regularly created for Presidential Inaugurations in case of bad weather. Additionally, other performers at the event, such as Kelly Clarkson, were fully live. Beyonce, it was also revealed, only rehearsed with the band the Sunday before the event.

Have you seen the performance? Where do you stand on this issue – was the pre-recorded music for the band or for Beyonce? If you have yet to see her performance and want to determine the veracity for yourself, watch it here: