Carrie Underwood will perform at President-elect Donald Trump’s second inauguration next week, and Village People—the band behind one of Trump’s favorite hits “Y.M.C.A.”—said they will perform at multiple pre-inauguration events, a shift from his 2017 inauguration, which struggled to attract high-profile performers.
Carrie Underwood will perform at Trump’s inauguration. (Photo by Craig T Fruchtman/WireImage)
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Key Facts
Country music singer Carrie Underwood will perform “America the Beautiful” at Trump’s inauguration at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, shortly before the President-elect takes the oath of office.
Village People, the group behind “Y.M.C.A.,” which became a staple at Trump rallies during which the President-elect would perform what became known as the “Trump dance,” announced in a Facebook post it would perform at multiple inaugural events, reportedly including a “victory rally” scheduled for Sunday.
Another event Village People will perform at is an inaugural eve ball held Jan. 19 by conservative political organization Turning Point USA, which will feature guests including the group’s founder Charlie Kirk, Vice President-elect JD Vance, Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump Jr., Vivek Ramaswamy and Ben Shapiro.
Axios reported some country music acts are scheduled to perform, including Jason Aldean and Rascal Flatts at Trump’s inaugural ball on Monday and Kid Rock and Billy Ray Cyrus at the “victory rally.”
Opera singer Christopher Macchio, who has performed at several Republican events, including Trump’s controversial 2024 Madison Square Garden rally, will sing the National Anthem at the inauguration, the singer’s management confirmed to multiple news outlets.
Why Did These Artists Accept Invitations To Perform?
Both Underwood and Village People stressed the need for unity in statements about their upcoming performances. Underwood said she was “humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.” In a Facebook post, Village People admitted the performances won’t please all their fans, but the group believes “music is to be performed without regard to politics.” The group acknowledged their “preferred candidate lost”—founding member Victor Willis previously said he supported Vice President Kamala Harris—but said they hope their song “Y.M.C.A.” can “bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign.”
What Is Trump’s History With “y.m.c.a.”?
Trump has used Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” at rallies throughout his 2020 and 2024 presidential campaigns, prompting a mixed response from the group. Willis appeared to have changed his stance over the years, first demanding Trump stop using the song in June 2020 after the then-president pledged to use military force to break up protests following the police killing of George Floyd. Three months later, a spokesperson for the group said Willis would not “sue him simply out of spite” because he is not a “Trump hater.” In May 2023, Village People’s manager and Willis’ wife, Karen Willis, sent a cease-and-desist condemning a Mar-a-Lago performance of “Y.M.C.A.” by performers dressed as the Village People, claiming it erroneously implied the band had endorsed Trump. In October 2024, Willis said he had previously opposed Trump’s use of the song but changed his mind because the renewed attention “greatly benefited” the song on the charts. During his rallies, Trump would often perform the “Trump dance” during “Y.M.C.A.,” a simple motion of pumping both fists back and forth to the music. The dance was widely mimicked by professional athletes to celebrate victories, including by San Francisco 49ers player Nick Bosa, a vocal Trump supporter, and U.S. men’s soccer team captain Christian Pulisic, who claimed it is “not a political dance.”
Key Background
Trump’s upcoming inauguration is shaping up to be more star-studded than his first inauguration, which struggled to attract high-profile performers. Then-16-year-old Jackie Evancho, “America’s Got Talent” runner-up in 2010, sang the National Anthem at Trump’s 2017 inauguration. Evancho later said her team pushed her to perform despite her having a “bad gut feeling,” and she criticized Trump’s transgender rights policies and asked him on social media to meet with her and her transgender sister, Juliet Evancho. Rock band 3 Doors Down and singer Toby Keith also performed at pre-inauguration events in 2017. Past inauguration performers have included Lady Gaga, Garth Brooks and Jennifer Lopez at President Joe Biden’s inauguration, and Beyoncé and Kelly Clarkson at former President Barack Obama’s 2013 inauguration.
Further Reading
These Athletes—From The NFL, UFC And U.S. Soccer Embrace ‘Trump Dance’ (Forbes)
