Somethin’ Bad: On Carrie Underwood Playing the Inauguration 

One of the reasons I started this blog back in 2017 was because I was sick of the divided, angry online world of politics in the Trump era. Writing about music helped bring me joy and connected me to a range of diverse people around the world who shared a common love of song. 

Strangely enough despite its conservative themes, for a while country music was actually a safe haven for a liberal leftie like me looking to avoid the negativity of politics. After the Dixie Chicks were cancelled for speaking out the genre seemed to have a kind of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy for both sides of the political divide, which meant most artists remained neutral (in public anyway). Dolly Parton also set the gold standard for how to deal with any potentially divisive discussions – be kind to everyone, judge no one, focus on the music and steer clear of party politics.

So why then would Carrie Underwood, who has spent her career cultivating a very vanilla and apolitical image, agree to sing at the inauguration of Donald Trump – one of the most divisive figures in history? And what does this decision tell us about the state of women in country music right now? 

Before I go any further, I want to clearly state that I have always respected Carrie and her talent, and positively reviewed her music in the past. While I have also previously written about her problematic relationship with exercise, that was out of concern. 

I’m writing this post only to help me (and anyone reading this) understand why a star like Carrie Underwood would align herself with Trump, especially knowing the likely reaction. 

So let’s begin by reading her statement on the decision:

“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.”

So her first reason is a sense of honour and duty. In her career Carrie has always been the consummate professional. For example, she fulfils her Opry obligations when many other artists don’t bother. When Adele cancelled her Las Vegas shows I remember thinking to myself that Carrie would never let anyone down like that. Maybe she just couldn’t say no to an invite from the president.

But then I remembered that in 2017 Trump had struggled to find anyone to play his inauguration. Carrie must have been asked then and she turned him down. Why didn’t she care about honour or duty or her country then? Why agree now?

Her comments about ‘unity’ and ‘looking to the future’ sound good in theory. I believe she is probably justifying the decision to herself on these grounds. Maybe she genuinely hopes that her music can bring people together.

But the backlash she’s received since the announcement suggests this was a naive idea at best. By voting for Donald Trump, America has chosen division. By performing at his inauguration, Carrie has made it clear which side of the divide she is on.

And if she didn’t believe this was a political decision then the only other reason left for agreeing to perform is out of sheer desperation for attention. Looking at the state of women in country music, and Carrie’s career in general it’s been a tough few years. Her last two albums have failed to reach the heights of her earlier work. She’s not been nominated for CMA Female Artist of the Year since 2022 and hasn’t won since 2018.

The decision to take a job judging American Idol would suggest she’s at the stage in her career where she’s plateaued and is looking for alternative ways to expand her audience. I’m certain she has a new album ready to be released this year and decided these exposure opportunities were too good to turn down.

In the modern world all press is good press. I would even go so far as to say Carrie and her team will have anticipated the backlash, maybe they even were hoping for it. Therein lies the cancellation paradox. In country music if the liberal press attack you then suddenly you gain new fans angered at your treatment – look at the success of Jason Aldean’s ‘Try This in a Small Town’ or the inexplicable success of the very average Morgan Wallen. There’s a whole ecosystem of right wing media out there which maybe Carrie was looking to appeal to.

And yes I do believe Carrie voted for Trump and her husband too. Together they seem to have embraced the MAGA identity and are no longer ashamed to admit it. I refuse to believe any woman who voted for Kamala Harris could stomach standing up on a stage next to that man. What is troubling is that she can’t see how other women would be upset by this decision or she doesn’t care.

But it would be hypocritical of me to encourage anyone to boycott Carrie Underwood. We’re all adults and everyone is entitled to disagree on political matters. If we were appalled by the way the Dixie Chicks were treated after making a political statement, then we can’t reduce ourselves to the same level. But then again they were protesting against a president who started a war. They were standing up against violence and state sponsored slaughter. What is Carrie Underwood standing up for? The rights of sexual predators, climate change deniers and billionaires?

By singing today Carrie’s legacy, and the country music genre, is now forever associated with Trump. As one of the only women appearing at the inauguration, she will become emblematic of the MAGA movement. How this impacts her career going forward only time will tell. 

All that’s left to say is GOOD LUCK, BABE. Hope he’s worth losing fans over.