Carrie Underwood has kept quiet about her political views for years, but that silence seems to have been broken. According to People, the country singer will be performing at President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday, Jan. 20th.In a statement to the outlet, Underwood provided insight into the reason she agreed to perform.
“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,” she said. “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 singer is not known for being outspoken about her political beliefs. Underwood spoke with The Guardian back in 2019 briefly about how people “try to pin her places politically.”
“I try to stay far out of politics if possible, at least in public, because nobody wins,” she told the outlet. “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.”Although Underwood hasn’t explicitly taken a political stance in the past, fans had their own opinions about what her views might be. Her 2018 song “The Bullet” was thought to be about gun control, which Underwood addressed during her interview.
“Immediately people said, ‘Oh you have a song about gun control!’ It was more about the lives that were changed by something terrible happening,” she explained. “And it does kind of bug me when people take a song, or take something I said and try to pigeonhole or force me to pick a side or something. It’s a discussion—a long discussion.”
In the song, Underwood sings, “You can blame it on hate or blame it on guns / But mamas ain’t supposed to bury their sons / Left a hole in her heart and it still ain’t done / The bullet keeps on goin.”
Some Fans May Find Carrie Underwood’s Decision Surprising
It may come as a surprise to some fans that the country star has chosen to perform at Trump’s inauguration, considering she made fun of the President-elect years ago while hosting an awards show.In 2017, Underwood hosted the Country Music Association Awards with Brad Paisley. The two performed a parody of “Before He Cheats, changing the lyrics to “before he tweets.” The reference appeared to come from Trump’s outlandish social media presence.
Although Underwood will perform at Trump’s inauguration, many artists have refused to perform for him. Some will not even allow him to use their music during rallies.
In an article by Rolling Stone, the outlet listed some of the many celebrities that have denied the use of their music. Some of these artists include Beyonce, Celine Dion, Foo Fighters, ABBA and Phil Collins.
