Watch: Carrie Underwood sings 'America the Beautiful' a cappella after music glitch

WASHINGTON - An awkward few moments at Donald Trump’s inauguration turned into a powerful performance as the attendees joined Carrie Underwood to sing ‘America the Beautiful.’

The country music star handled an apparent technical glitch with grace, inviting everyone to join her in an impromptu a cappella version.

Carrie Underwood’s ‘America the Beautiful’ performance

US singer songwriter Carrie Underwood performs "America the Beautiful" after President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President in the US Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. (Photo by SAUL LOEB/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

What we know:

Carrie Underwood was slated to perform the popular standard after President Trump’s inaugural address, but after her background music track stopped and then started abruptly. That led to over a minute of awkward silence.

Camera shots showed Underwood, Trump and others looking around during the pause, a rarity during the highly choreographed event.

Carrie Underwood performs "America The Beautiful" during inauguration ceremonies in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States. (Photo by Ke

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After more than 60 seconds, the crowd began murmuring. That's when Underwood held up her microphone and encouraged everyone: "You know the words; help me out here."

By the crescendo of the song, the Capitol Rotunda was filled with the sound of hundreds of voices singing in unison.

What we don't know:

It’s not clear why the musical track failed, or if anyone prompted Underwood to start the song on her own.

What they're saying:

Social media immediately lit up with praise for Underwood, who had previously taken some criticism for agreeing to perform at the inauguration.

"Not only is @carrieunderwood a Tennessean, but she is also a class act and a national treasure," Sen. Marsha Blackburn tweeted.

What is ‘America the Beautiful’?

The backstory:

‘America the Beautiful’ is a traditional song that dates back to the 1800s. It was originally written by Katharine Lee Bates as a poem called "Pikes Peak" and later put to a hymn by Samual A. Ward.

The combination of Ward's melody and Bates's poem was first entitled "America the Beautiful" in 1910.

One of the most notable modern-day performances of the song was by Ray Charles, whose soulful version peaked at number 98 on the U.S. R&B chart in 1976 as America celebrated is bicentennial.