Ingrid Andress took on the daunting task of singing the national anthem at the MLB Home Run Derby in Arlington, Texas, and it’s safe to say it got people talking.
The country music artist graced the field this Monday (15 July) for a performance that has since been fervently debated online.
Several attendees and viewers felt that Andress missed the mark with her rendition, with many agreeing that her musical execution left much to be desired.
She started off with a traditional approach, but it quickly became apparent that Andress was struggling to make a lasting impression as the anthem progressed.
Her handling of the line ‘What so proudly we hailed’ seemed particularly taxing, causing her to quickly move on to the next segment of the anthem.
Though there was a slight improvement as the song went on, the consensus on social media was still predominantly unfavorable.
As she tackled the high notes, her efforts were noted to be off-pitch, prompting a more subdued delivery as she approached the ‘O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave’ portion.
Dedicated watchers even caught Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm apparently suppressing a chuckle during the broadcast on ESPN.
Twitter has been abuzz with reactions, and not many of them are flattering towards Andress’ performance.
“This is the worst national anthem in like… years,” commented one disillusioned viewer.
“Ingrid Andress giving Fergie a run for worst national anthem ever performed,” another chimed in.
“That Ingrid Andress national anthem might have been the worst thing to happen in America in the last 48 hours,” said another.
However, not all feedback was critical. Some expressed sympathy for the singer after her performance.
“I’ve seen Ingrid Andress perform live before at Lollapalooza and she was great. Not sure what happened tonight but I feel really bad for her because that was not great,” shared one fan.
“I now feel bad for her… must’ve been nervous,” another speculated.
Prior to her national anthem performance, Andress shared an enthusiastic message on her social media platforms.
“Greetings to everyone that has a pulse. I truly love you all so much. I’ve been absent for a minute, but I’m so stoked to announce that my new single ‘Colorado 9’ comes out on July 24th, pre-save it now (link in bio).
“Thank you for being here for me even though I’ve been living under a rock. Y’all are the best, and I can’t wait to see you at my shows (stay tuned for more show announcements soon).”