Demi Lovato’s Performance at the Inaugural Celebration Got a Round of Applause From the First Family

It’s safe to say that Demi Lovato’s inauguration performance was among those that fans looked forward to the most. After all, Lovato has never been one to shy away from joining music with political activism—and this time was no different.

The Grammy-nominated artist, 28, made her Inauguration Day appearance on Celebrating America, a primetime special hosted by Tom Hanks. Lovato performed a rendition of Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day” from Los Angeles. The performance saw her dressed in a gray suit, white crop top and hoop earrings as she sang the song in front of a green screen of Los Angeles. As the performance continued, the camera alternated between various clips of Americans across the country, including shots of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, as well as their families, watching from a TV in the White House. The performance was also the first time Lovato performed after she cut her hair into a pink pixie cut earlier this month.

Celebrating America—which highlights “American heroes who are helping their fellow Americans through this crisis, including frontline workers, health care workers, teachers, citizens giving back, and those who are breaking barriers”—began airing hours after former Vice President Joe Biden and former Senator Kamala Harris were sworn into their new roles. Biden, 78, took the oath of office to become the 46th President of the United States, whereas Harris, 56, became the 49th Vice President of the United States on Wednesday, January 20.

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Their inaugural ceremony came just two weeks after the January 6 attack on the Capitol. As a result of that event and the ongoing health crisis, inauguration festivities looked a little different this year with increased security and smaller crowds—but that doesn’t mean any of the guest appearances suffered. Before Lovato’s performance on Celebrating America, others took to the stage on Capitol Hill. That includes Jennifer Lopez’s inauguration performance, along with Lady Gaga’s National Anthem rendition.

Meanwhile, Lovato’s Celebrating America performance comes months after the release of her political anthem “Commander in Chief,” which criticized former President Donald Trump for his actions amid America’s ongoing health crisis.

“I literally don’t care if this ruins my career,” she said of the song in an Instagram Story on October 14, 2020. “This isn’t about that. My career isn’t about that. I made a piece of art that stands for something I believe in. And I’m putting it out even at the risk of losing fans. I’ll take integrity in my work over sales any day.”