Carrie Underwood has spoken out about her choice to perform at President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
In a statement released on Monday, Jan. 13, the country star, 41, shared her reasons for participating in the ceremony on Monday, Jan. 20.
“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,” the American Idol winner told PEOPLE.
“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.”
A spokesperson for the Presidential Inaugural Committee confirmed to PEOPLE that Underwood will perform at the inauguration where Trump, 78, will officially take office as the next president of the United States.
Throughout her career, the “Before He Cheats” musician has kept her political opinions largely private.
In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, the Grammy winner expressed that “more people try to pin me places politically.”
“I try to stay far out of politics if possible, at least in public, because nobody wins,” Underwood explained at the time.
“It’s crazy. Everybody tries to sum everything up and put a bow on it, like it’s black and white. And it’s not like that.”
Underwood’s involvement in the inauguration comes more than seven years after she and fellow country star Brad Paisley humorously addressed Trump while co-hosting the 2017 Country Music Association Awards.
During the show, they performed a parody of Underwood’s hit song “Before He Cheats,” changing the iconic chorus to “before he tweets.”

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