ABC
Carrie Underwood might be losing some fans since the announcement that she will perform at President Trump’s inauguration on January 20th, but other fans are thrilled to hear this news.
It’s no secret that the political climate is tense right now. Even after the election, tensions are higher than they’ve ever been in my lifetime between the two parties as the inauguration nears. Yesterday, it was announced that Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, and other artists would perform during the inauguration or other portions of the festivities.
The public knows Jason Aldean’s political stance and that he is an acquaintance of Trump, which is not surprising. However, given that Underwood has never been outright about her political stance, some fans were shocked to see her name on the program.
Cue up the Trump haters, who are now vowing to boycott her music…
Underwood is beyond thrilled despite the blowback from fans who do not support her for performing at this inauguration. After it was shared on social media, she was performing; she released a statement to note how excited she was and what an honor it was to be asked 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. 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.”
While Underwood often performs at her Nashville church, her husband made his political alignment known during COVID when he shared that he stood with Aaron Rogers and his choice not to wear a mask.
However, some country music fans are completely forgetting that Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley poked fun at Obamacare at the 2013 CMA Awards. Now, I’m not saying this is a full tell-all about Underwood’s political alignment, and that corny humor is par for the course at all awards shows, but you have to imagine this kind of joke wouldn’t fly these days. Of course, Paisley is a well-known Democrat these days.
In the skit, Paisley injures himself, and Carrie Underwood jokes that he should go to the Obamacare website for help. It’s so easy because she started her application a week ago and was almost complete.
“I started signing up last Thursday and I’m almost done!”
The two then fired up a special rendition of George Strait’s “Amarillo By Morning” but changed the words to create “Obamacare By Morning.”
“Obamacare by morning
Why is this takin’ so long?
I’m gonna wind up with hemorrhoids
If I sit here ‘til dawn
We’ll have cataracts and dementia
Oh this is gettin’ on my last nerve
Obamacare by morning
Over six people served.”
Underwood and Paisley both resisted laughter during the skit and the audience, including George Strait, enjoyed the performance.
While not everything in the world needs to be a political statement, I am sure that her accepting the soon-to-be President’s invitation to perform felt like a call to perform for the great country she calls home- no matter who was being inaugurated.
Regardless, if you’re upset that she accepted this invitation, you might have been separating art from artists for much longer than you realized.
