Ariana Grande likes ‘shady’ Drag Race quote about Carrie Underwood’s Trump inauguration performance
Ariana Grande has quietly ‘shaded’ Carrie Underwood by like a post about her inauguration performance. (Getty)
Ariana Grande fans have praised the pop superstar for quietly “shading” American Idol winner Carrie Underwood following her flubbed performance at Donald Trump’s inauguration.
During the ceremony yesterday (19 January), country singer Carrie Underwood was forced to sing “America The Beautiful” A capella after a technical blunder meant the backing track failed to start.
The “Before He Cheats” hitmaker was left awkwardly standing for almost two minutes as she and the crowd waited for the music to begin, before she appeared to mouth to an audio engineer: “I can just sing it”.
Not everyone felt Underwood’s decision to sing without backing went in her favour though, with some social media users suggesting the gaffe made the performance look “a mess”.
On Instagram, writer Evan Ross Katz shared a photo of former vice president Kamala Harris looking disinterested as she stood behind Underwood while she performed.
“Kamala Harris evoking Coco Montrese (‘Girl, find the note’) watching Carrie Underwood at today’s chilling Inauguration,” the columnist wrote.
The Coco Montrese quote references a moment in RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 2, where the drag performer, speaking during her to-camera confessional, suggests that fellow contestant Phi Phi O’Hara should “find the note” while performing A capella during her talent show performance in episode one.
Wicked star and “Yes, And?” singer Ariana Grande was among a slew of celebrities who “liked” Katz’ photo, leading to some internet users suggesting that she was “shading” Underwood.
“Do you know how bad you have to be for the greatest vocalist of our generation shading your performance? I’m crying,” wrote one person on X/Twitter.
“That’s why she’s mother,” added a second user.
A third wrote: “She’s not afraid to throw some shade when it feels deserved.”
Carrie Underwood was widely criticised last week when it was revealed that she would be performing at Trump’s inauguration, largely due to her sizable LGBTQ+ fandom and Trump’s promise to strip the community of certain protections.
Understood has scarcely spoken out about politics, but did voice her support for same-sex marriage in the US before it was legalised, and her 2018 single “Love Wins” was taken by some fans as a message for the queer community.
Trump, on the other hand, has notably made great efforts to attack the LGBTQ+ community during and since his first stint as president in 2016.
On day one of his second term as US president, he signed an order proclaiming that America will only recognise two sexes, male and female, and moved to scrap diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
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