New Orleans - Singer Beyonce said she had sung along to a pre-recorded track at the inauguration of President Barack Obama but left no doubt over her talent by singing a stirring acapella version of the anthem at a Super Bowl news conference on Thursday.
Beyonce's performance of the Star Spangled Banner at the January 21 ceremony sparked a huge debate over whether she had lip-synched her performance in Washington.
“I am a perfectionist and one thing about me is that I practise until my feet bleed and I did not have time to rehearse with the orchestra,” Beyonce said ahead of her Super Bowl half-time show performance on Sunday.
“It was a live television show and a very, very important emotional show for me and one of my proudest moments and due to the weather, to the delay, due to no proper soundcheck, I did not feel comfortable taking the risk.
“It was about the president and the inauguration and I wanted to make him and my country proud so I decided to sing along with my pre-recorded track, which is very common in the music industry and I am very proud of my performance,” she said.
The Grammy-winning singer surprised the awaiting media on Thursday by asking them to rise at the start of her news conference and launching into an impressive solo version of the US national anthem.
After the loud applause and cheering in the room had died down she asked the hundreds of media representatives: “Any questions?”
Beyonce will sing at the half-time show of the Super Bowl between the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens at the Superdome on Sunday. - Reuters