Beyoncé Gets Ready for Inauguration Performance

Beyoncé will be part of history when she sings the National Anthem after President Obama takes the oath of office in the nation’s capital on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. On the eve of the inauguration, the superstar singer shared photos from her rehearsals on Tumblr and Instagram.

She is pictured in the studio making some final preparations, reviewing sheet music, and hitting the stage. A stylish Bey also poses for an impromptu photo shoot in front of a statue of Lincoln.

While she has performed the patriotic anthem before, most notably at the Super Bowl in 2004, she is still nervous. “I know it,” she told Zap2it, “but it is the type of thing that doesn’t matter how many times you sing it. And the biggest fear is making sure you sing it right, and sing it correctly.”

So what can we expect from Bey’s version of “The Star Spangled Banner”? “I love the song because the melody is so beautiful, and you have so many choices. I want to keep it really elegant,” she said.

The fact that the inauguration falls on MLK Day makes it even more special. “There is so much history that we have overcome,” explained Bey. “And we are growing so much. It is so beautiful that I can make my family and my family’s legacy proud and it is a huge opportunity for me.”