If I were to pick a deity to worship, it would be Beyonce. She's poised. She's elegant. She has a hot husband and beautiful baby. She is a vocal powerhouse. She is a rock star.  

When it first surfaced that Beyonce probably, most likely, maybe (?) lip-synced her performance at President Obama's inauguration, it felt like Santa wasn't real, and the Tooth Fairy was only in it for some weird tooth fetish. To say I was let-down is a huge understatement. I stopped believing in Beyonce. If Kelly Clarkson (cough washed-up cough) and bald James Taylor can sing live, so should everyone's favorite bootylicious diva.

If you haven't seen her performance at the Capitol watch this clip right now. Amazing, right? The ear-piece pull, the quivering high-notes, the blasting finish: it all seemed so real. 

Speculations about B's decision to use a canned track are all over the place, but it was confirmed by a member of the Marine Corps. Band that B faked it. Later a rep for the band made this allusive, wishy-washy statement:

"The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) requested that the Marine Band accompany Beyonce Knowles-Carter in the performance of the Star-Spangled Banner at the 2013 Inaugural Ceremony. However, there was no opportunity for Ms. Knowles-Carter to rehearse with the Marine Band before the Inauguration so it was determined that a live performance by the band was ill-advised for such a high-profile event. Each piece of music scheduled for performance in the Inauguration is pre-recorded for use in case of freezing temperatures, equipment failure, or extenuating circumstances. Regarding Ms. Knowles-Carter's vocal performance, no one in the Marine Band is in a position to assess whether it was live or pre-recorded."

 So did she or didn't she? If the star's obsession with secrecy continues, we may never know. Maybe her HBO documentary (out Feb. 16th) will have a dramatic epilogue discussing the issue. Here's hoping.