Some of Trump's inauguration acts tell their fans: Please don't hate us

• Nelly, Village People, and Carrie Underwood are among acts set to perform at Donald Trump's inauguration.
• They've all faced backlash from fans.
• All three have responded to criticism for accepting the invitation to perform from Trump.

Carrie Underwood, Village People, and Nelly have released statements defending their decision to perform at Donald Trump's inauguration — but they haven't been enough to stave off a backlash.

As the inauguration committee began announcing artists on the bill of the four-day event, fans on social media said they were disappointed that acts such as country band Rascal Flatts, Nelly, Underwood, and Gavin DeGraw accepted the invitation.

Snoop Dogg was also criticized for performing at a crypto inauguration ball Trump held at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, Washington on Friday. A representative for Snoop Dogg did not immediately respond to an out-of hours request for comment from Business Insider.

Fans called the artists sellouts, but it's unclear what, if anything, acts get paid for performing at such events.

Inaugurations cost tens of millions of dollars, with Trump's 2017 committee raising an unprecedented $107 million. But Erik Smith, creative director for Barack Obama's 2009 and 2013 inaugurations, told Billboard in 2021 that artists were not paid when he was on the committee.

"You get one hotel room and two tickets," he said.

Instead, performing at such a high-profile event gives acts priceless exposure.

Carrie Underwood said she was 'honored' Trump's team asked her to perform

Underwood, who told The Guardian in 2019 that she tried "to stay far out of politics if possible," was among the first performers to be announced for Trump's swearing-in ceremony on Monday.

Underwood told Business Insider via a representative on January 14: "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. 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."

During a 50-minute-long, livestreamed conversation with rapper and YouTuber Willie D about performing at the inauguration, Nelly compared his decision to someone in the military serving a president they did not support. He will appear at the Liberty Ball on Monday.

"I'm not doing this for money. I'm doing this because it's an honor," he said. "I respect the office. It don't matter who is in office the same way that our men and women, our brothers and sisters who protect this country, have to go to war, and have to put their life on the line for whoever in office."

Nelly added that the performance wasn't a political act because Trump won the election and is no longer campaigning.

"Performing for somebody and voting for somebody are two different things. Endorsing people is two different things," he said.

Village People said refusing Trump's invitation wouldn't help the group

After Trump used the Village People's music at a party at Mar-a-Lago resort in 2023, the band's manager and wife of Victor Willis, the group's lead singer and a founding member, sent him a cease-and-desist letter.

But in December 2024, Willis said in a Facebook post that he let Trump use the band's music for his campaign because he was a fan of their music.

After they were confirmed as performers for the inauguration, Village People wrote on Facebook on January 13: "Our song Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost."

On January 16, Willis wrote on Facebook that the performance wasn't an endorsement.

"If our preferred candidate (Kamala Harris), had won, Village People would never have been invited to perform at her inauguration. She would have chosen the likes of John Legend and Beyonce, etc," he wrote.

"But now that President Trump has been elected, Village People are suppose to tow the line and say no to an invitation to perform? How does that benefit Village People? It does not. It's simply hatred from one political perspective," he added.

Critics argued it is jarring for Village People, who are widely associated with LGBT culture, to perform for a politician who is open about his intentions to roll back trans rights and who was accused of weakening protections for LGBTQ people in his first term.

In December, Willis wrote on Facebook that "Y.M.C.A" isn't a gay anthem but about the Young Men's Christian Association.

On January 16, Willis argued that while Trump helped get "Y.M.C.A" back on the Billboard charts after he played it during rallies, the LGBTQ+ and African American communities haven't helped to boost them recently.