USA Music stars announce themselves for Trump's inauguration
A few days before the inauguration of future US President Donald Trump, the names of prominent guests who will perform during the festivities in the US capital are becoming known.
14.01.2025, 00:14
SDA
According to media reports, the well-known country singer Carrie Underwood will sing during the ceremony at the Capitol.
The once legendary disco group Village People has also announced that it will provide musical accompaniment to an event on the eve of the inauguration. This is being organized by the right-wing conservative organization Turning Point Action, which supported Trump extensively during the election campaign.
"We know some of you won't like hearing this, but we believe music should be played without reference to politics," lead singer Victor Willis explained on Facebook. "Our song "Y.M.C.A". is a global anthem that will hopefully help bring the country back together after a tumultuous and divisive election campaign (...)."
Unofficial LGBTQ+ anthem during the Trump campaign
The Village People, who no longer perform with their original line-up from the 1970s, have a mixed relationship with Trump: during his election campaign, the Republican used their world-famous disco hit "Y.M.C.A." and the song "Macho Man" (both from 1978) at almost every event to set the mood. Initially, the band expressed their displeasure that their songs were played without permission and in a political context. Later, however, they distanced themselves from direct criticism.
"Y.M.C.A." is often referred to as an unofficial LGBTQ+ anthem, even though lead singer Willis has rejected this in the past. The Republican Party is massively campaigning against the rights of trans people, for example.
Underwood sings "America the Beautiful"
US media had previously reported, citing Trump's team, that country singer Underwood ("Before He Cheats") would perform the song "America the Beautiful" at the inauguration. The 41-year-old, who won the fourth season of the casting show "American Idol" (the US equivalent of "Deutschland sucht den Superstar") in 2005, is now one of the best-known female country musicians in the USA.
Little celebrity glitz at the 2017 inauguration
In the past, Underwood has rarely commented on political issues and has refrained from publicly supporting political candidates. At Trump's first inauguration in 2017, the celebrity line-up was limited. The national anthem, for example, was sung by singer Jackie Evancho, who became famous on the casting show "America's Got Talent". The inauguration of US President Joe Biden in 2021, on the other hand, was attended by celebrities such as megastars Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez.
Many stars supported Democrats during the election campaign
With Underwood, Trump has now secured a relatively high-profile star guest for his inauguration. In the past, the Republican has had problems finding support in the show business, which tends to be considered liberal. For example, rock rapper Kid Rock performed at the Republican party convention in Milwaukee last summer. His Democratic opponent Kamala Harris, on the other hand, was able to enjoy a lot of celebrity support during the election campaign - Beyoncé and Pink, for example, performed at Democratic events. Superstar Taylor Swift also supported Harris, but did not appear on her behalf.
