CBS/AP/ January 31, 2013, 4:14 PM

Beyonce admits Inauguration Day lip sync, says she'll "absolutely be singing live" at Super Bowl

Beyonce says she did lip sync when she performed the national anthem on Inauguration Day -- but that she will "absolutely be singing live" during her Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday.

Before answering questions at a press conference Thursday in New Orleans, the singer asked those at the conference to stand before she belted "The Star Spangled Banner," and after said with a laugh: "Any questions?"

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Beyonce sings national anthem at Super Bowl press conference

The 31-year-old singer said she's a "perfectionist" and wanted her performance for President Barack Obama to be a memorable one. She called the day "emotional."

"I practice until my feet bleed and I did not have time to rehearse with the orchestra," she said. "Due to no proper sound check, I did not feel comfortable taking a 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'm very proud of my performance."

The superstar hadn't spoken publicly since it was alleged that she lip-synched her rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Mr. Obama's inauguration last week. Her critically praised performance came under scrutiny less than a day later when a representative from the U.S. Marine Band said she wasn't singing live and the band's accompanying performance was taped. Shortly after, the group backed off its initial statement and said no one could tell if she was singing live or not.

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Beyonce asked about Destiny's Child reunion

When asked about her halftime show, Beyonce responded: "I will absolutely be singing live." She did not share details on what songs she'll sing, nor did she confirm (or deny) rumors that there will be a Destiny's Child reunion at the Super Bowl performance.

Beyonce has teased photos and video of herself preparing for the show, which will perhaps be the biggest audience of her career. Last year, Madonna's halftime performance was the most-watched Super Bowl halftime performance ever, with an average of 114 million viewers. It garnered more viewers than the game itself, which was the most-watched U.S. TV event in history.

© 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
30 Comments Add a Comment
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mickrussom says:
Loser fake phony. Just like the government propaganda of this police state. And Beyonce the ultra rich phony no talent hack who is also a pet of the police state's current dictator.
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jhsif12 says:
Why? you mean Bouncey can sing too? I didn't know that!
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LivieLovie says:
Beyonce chose performing for jocks over singing for her President (e.g., no time to practice for the President's inauguration due to intense practice for a Super Bowl). Morals grounded in greed.
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jamesdickason says:
So she lip synced--So what. She is a very good singer and singers do it all the time depending on the situation. Big deal to the news media. What the heck are they trying to prove. Get a life guys.
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JWsOpEd says:
She's taking a lot of heat over something the industry does every day. Of coarse the entertainment business is phoney. Stop buying their products if you don't like it. Is it live or is it memorex? Only the guy with his hand on the faders knows for sure.

The disgusting thing is that no one from the entertainment industry is really stepping in and taking the hit here and saying - yeah - we're the phoney's here. Instead they're letting this young gal get thrown under the bus. Now that is truly disgusting.

The product they are selling is the product that reaches your ears and eyes - that's what entertainment is all about. If they can produce a better experience for the end user with pre-recorded music - then that's what they are going to do.

I'll take Whitney Houston's super bowl over Steven Tyler's Indy 500 any day. Both of them made me cry.
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kendb1331 says:
If she is not going to sing live then why stand up there and act like she is doing it live? If they are just going to play a recording then she doesn't even have to be there!
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mollysmop7 says:
THe excuse????.... does'nt take away the fact that she has a B I G BUTT.... At half time... I'll be outside with my eh!... DOG...
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nohater says:
understand her position. it's basically the heck with obama but the super bowl is most important. she should have made the time and if she couldn't perform live then decline the invitation. she is a pile of horse pucky with the lame excuse. she shouldn't be allowed to sing at the super bowl!
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randomites says:
And again, who is Beyonce?
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HobartSchmenge replies:
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Beyonce is Solange's sister.
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TheRoyalFez says:
With all that could be covered by the Nightly National News, CBS chose to devote time to a lip syncing performer. Good use of time eh?
What are they distracting the sheeple from?
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