With only two more days until Donald Trump’s inauguration, R&B singer Chrisette Michele has announced she will perform during the festivities.
According to the New York Daily News, the 34-year-old singer-songwriter inked the deal about a week ago, but decided to keep her involvement "a big secret" because she feared potential backlash. Michele’s team reportedly became concerned following the wave of criticism singer Jennifer Holliday faced after she was listed as an inauguration performer. (Holliday, a black singer and actress, has since backed out of the gig.)
Sources told the Daily News that Trump’s inaugural committee contacted Michele to perform "Intentional" alongside singers Travis Greene, Jonathan McReynolds, and Tye Tribbet; however, that plan was later scrapped after two of the three artists rejected the offer. Michele ultimately agreed to perform a solo R&B set, much to the dismay of Questlove, who reacted to the news on Twitter.
Others also expressed their disappointment in Michele, a former Motown singer who has worked with everyone from Drake and Rick Ross to Jay Z and Ghostface Killah.
You can check out some of the Twitter responses below.
The news has also sparked the hashtag #ChrisetteIsCanceled:
