[View the story "From 'sacrilege' to 'so?': Reactions to Beyonce's lip syncing" on Storify ]From 'sacrilege' to 'so?': Reactions to Beyonce's lip syncing Storified by CTVNews.ca · Tue, Jan 22 2013 10:57:50
Performers do it all the time. It's hardly news. So why do people still express shock and disappointment when it's revealed that a certain live performance wasn't really live? Perhaps for a special event like a presidential inauguration, people expect a musical performance would not be pre-recorded. Perhaps people feel the event begs authenticity that would somehow be tarnished if any aspect of it was 'faked'. The majority of response to Beyonce's breathtaking rendition of 'Star Spangled Banner' seemed to be positive. Critic proof. Until Tuesday afternoon when Times of London reporter Nico Hines broke the news:
Beyoncé did not sing the national anthem live at President Obama's inauguration, The Times has learned http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/americas/article3664997.eceNico Hines
Hines' scoop was then confirmed by other major media outlets including CNN, the New York Post and ABC. Reports say while the marine band accompanying Beyonce performed live, the singer decided to use a pre-recorded track at the last minute.
CNN has confirmed Times of London report that Beyonce lip-synched the National Anthem during #inaug2013Jim Acosta
So Beyonce lip-synced the anthem yesterday...the Marine Corps Band has confirmed itdavid caplan
Marine Corp Band confirms to @davidfmeyers that Beyonce did, in fact, lip sync at the inauguration. Kelly Clarkson performed live.Emily Friedman
Ok... so did Kelly Clarkson also lip sync? Because that would make this whole Beyonce story even worse if Kelly did not.Clara
The flood of response from the public on social media ranged from 'sacrilege!' to 'so what?' But many responders seemed quite disappointed at the news.
Now, I've just discovered that Beyonce's amazing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner yesterday was lip-synced. Can this day get any worse?ZULUMANDINGO
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BEYONCE LIP SYNCED AT THE INAUGURATION WHAT IS SACRED ANYMORENatalie G
Of course, some poked fun at the revelation:
Next: Obama lip-synced the oath and isn't really president.Ross Neumann
Haven't felt this betrayed since the Lance interview. “@BuzzFeed: We forgive you Beyonce”JoAnn Mathews
There is no way Joe Biden would be this spellbound by a lip-sync http://pic.twitter.com/wYpdWNismichaelhayes
Milli Vanilli playing the 2016 inauguration.David Freddoso
Does Beyonce lip-synching NATIONAL SCANDAL mean John Roberts has to swear in POTUS again?Bearded Stoner
I understand the logic in lip syncing, but I still refuse to believe that it was necessary... #disappointed #TeamClarksonabrokenwing
We forgive you BeyonceBuzzFeed
Meanwhile, some people were Tweeting respect for Kelly Clarkson, who reportedly did not similarly lip-sync to a recorded track when she sang 'My Country Tis of Thee' at Monday's inauguration.
Kelly Clarkson Sings 'My Country, 'Tis of Thee' at Inauguration Day 2013abcnews
So beyonce was lip singing yesterday.. Smh. Well shout out to Kelly Clarkson for keeping it real!!!Jerome Williams
So Beyonce lip synced and the inauguration but Kelly Clarkson sang live. Shows who the real vocalist is.Chris
Guys it's not a huge deal, even John Philip Souza tuba-synched at McKinley's inaugurationMatt Novak
@benfenton Remember Yo-Yo Ma had a tape at Obama's 1st inaugural as strings would have snapped in the cold. It's fine.T S
More than a few people were sharing reminders that famed cellist Yo Yo Ma and violinist Itzhak Perlman were 'fake-bowing' -- playing over a pre-recorded track during the 2009 presidential inauguration.
Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Anthony McGill & Gabriela Montero perform at Obama's Inauguration, HQspilzax
Yo-Yo Ma played to a track. #neverforget #TeamBeyonceSteve Haruch
At 2009 ceremony, Itzhak Perlman and Yo Yo Ma didn't really play their instruments at Inaugural...too cold for the strings. #stringsyncmichael viqueira
Speaking of Beyonce lip-syncing, didn't Yo-Yo Ma go through the motions of a pre-recorded piece in '09? Isn't this par for the course?Scott Galupo
It may be 'par for the course' -- and perhaps Perlman and Ma could be granted some leniency because cold temperatures can drastically affect the tonality of instruments, especially wood instruments. But, as Hines points out, vocal performers "typically do perform live despite January’s icy conditions."
People were also defending Beyonce by pointing out that Whitney Houston's famous belting out of the 'Star Spangled Banner' at the 1991 Super Bowl wasn't exactly authentic either -- as she was also using a voice track she pre-recorded.
Whitney Houston - The National Anthem of the United States at Super Bowl XXV (1991)heldatrockpoint
Beyonce has neither confirmed nor denied the news as of Tuesday afternoon. So, did news that Beyonce lip synced tarnish her performance in your eyes (ears)? Share your thoughts with us below in your comments section.
Me and B just hangin' out ....don't worry about it. Seriously, God did good. She is so beautiful! http://pic.twitter.com/zoo1OaA8kelly_clarkson
