Country star Ingrid Andress attributed her troubled performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game festivities to drinking.
During the All-Star Game at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Monday night, Andress joined the ranks of high-profile singers who have struggled with the anthem. On Tuesday, after videos of her off-key rendition circulated on social media, Andress addressed the situation on Instagram.
“I was drunk last night,” she admitted. “I’m checking myself into a facility today to get the help I need. That was not me last night. I apologize to MLB, all the fans, and this country I love so much for that rendition. I’ll let y’all know how rehab is! I hear it’s super fun.”
Andress, 32, gained widespread recognition in 2020 with her ballad “More Hearts Than Mine” from her debut album “Lady Like,” which earned her nominations for best new artist at both the Academy of Country Music Awards and the Grammys. In 2021, she had another hit with “Wishful Drinking,” a duet with Sam Hunt.
Her performance of the national anthem before MLB’s Home Run Derby sparked considerable online discussion. Social media buzzed with clips, including one showing Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm smirking as he seemingly tried to suppress laughter.
Andress began the anthem a cappella and at a very slow tempo. By the time she reached the phrase “through the perilous fight,” she appeared to struggle with her pitch. Despite this, the audience applauded when she finished the line “our flag was still there.”
Before Andress explained her performance, some fans defended her. Comedian Matt Rogers, co-host of the pop culture podcast Las Culturistas, praised her on TikTok, saying, “She doesn’t know this right now, but she just became an icon. She can book WeHo Pride next year,” referring to the annual gay pride celebration in West Hollywood, California.
Andress is not the first professional singer to have difficulty with the anthem, which has a challenging melody adapted from the 18th-century British ballad “The Anacreontic Song.”
In 2018, Fergie was criticized for her rendition at the NBA All-Star Game, with Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors caught laughing on camera, creating a meme. Jewel’s version at the 2022 Indianapolis 500 received mixed reactions, and Roseanne Barr’s infamous 1990 performance at a San Diego Padres game was met with boos, jeers, laughter, and applause.
Joe Bennett, a forensic musicologist and professor at the Berklee College of Music, explained the song's difficulty due to its wide melodic range and tricky arpeggios. “You’ve got to pitch the first line right, and you’ve got to think ahead to hitting ‘red glare’ and ‘land of the free,’ the two highest notes,” Bennett said. Starting incorrectly can doom a performance, especially in a packed stadium without proper monitoring.
Regarding Andress’s performance, Bennett said, “In my opinion, she made the classic mistake of starting it too high. She probably didn’t have a very good monitor mix, which is why her pitching was off, and there was no accompaniment, so she had no way to get back on track.” He added, “Sadly, you can hear her despair increasing as the performance goes on.”
The Quran - Chapter Al-Hashr: 19 - 20
And do not be like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves. It is they who are ˹truly˺ rebellious.
The residents of the Fire cannot be equal to the residents of Paradise. ˹Only˺ the residents of Paradise will be successful.
