Carrie Underwood to perform at Trump's second inauguration
Donald Trump invited Carrie Underwood to perform during the inauguration ceremony for his presidency in the USA. Before starting her career in earnest, she sang in church. What else do we know about the singer?
On 20 January 2025, Donald Trump will be inaugurated as President of the USA for the second time. Such important ceremonies have their special programme. One of its highlights is the performance of esteemed music stars. During Joe Biden's inauguration, attendees heard Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez. It is now known that this year Carrie Underwood will take the microphone.
In an interview with "The Guardian" in 2019, the singer said she was staying "as far away from politics as possible." What else is worth knowing about the artist?
Accepted Donald Trump's invitation. Once joked about the politician
Carrie Underwood came into the spotlight in 2005 when she won the fourth season of American Idol. She grew up in Oklahoma, where she sang in the local church. She focuses on country music but also has pop pieces to her name and does not shy away from Christian music. She has won many awards, including eight Grammy awards. In February, Underwood will debut in a new role as a judge for the upcoming season of American Idol.
The singer has never hidden her religious beliefs - she is a member of the Evangelical Church. Although she said in 2019 that she keeps her distance from politics, two years earlier, during the Country Music Association Awards gala, she parodied her song "Before He Cheats," jokingly suggesting that Donald Trump's tweets could cause a nuclear war.
Controversies
Carrie Underwood's agreement to sing during Trump's inauguration caused a wave of criticism - to the extent that she decided to issue a statement on the matter.
"I love our country, and it's an honour for me to be asked to sing during the inauguration and be a small part of this historic event," emphasised the singer, as quoted by "New York Times".
The whole situation also worries Underwood's fans, belonging to the LGBTQ+ community, who have strongly supported the singer for years and now fear for their future after Trump's victory.
