Ingrid Andress Receives Backlash Online Following "Worst Ever" National Anthem Performance During MLB Home Run Derby

Monday night (July 15) was not Ingrid Andress' night, but the following morning has been far worse for the country singer-songwriter.

During Major League Baseball's annual Home Run Derby, the 'More Hearts Than Mine' artist was tasked with singing 'The Star-Spangled Banner' ahead of the all-star game's first pitch. She gave a performance of the U.S. national anthem that was certainly memorable – viral, in fact – just not in a good way.

Following the butchered anthem, a rendition that found her struggling to hold some pretty ambitious notes even for the four-time Grammy nominee, people did what they do: flocked to the internet to point fingers and pick at fresh wounds.

The performance has since been widely met with criticism online, viewers commenting on footage of the night's flop with things like "When your Mom lied to you and said you were a great singer...", "Legend has it, she’s still searching for the right key" and saying she sang the "Star Strangled Banner" instead.

Andress was quick to suspend comments on all of her socials following the display, but that hasn't stopped the frenzied jeering from swirling on the internet.

"A necessary flop" - Holler's Take

Was the performance bad? Sure. Did the song's composer, Francis Scott Key, roll over in his grave? Probably. Is it the end of the world? Also likely, but not because of anything Andress did.

There have been some bad – like atrocious – performances of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' in the past; and as far as national anthems go, it's a notoriously difficult one to get right, whether that be lyrically, octave-ly or what have you.

Andress' anthem flub is far from the worst of them. Many of the commenters themselves likened the performance to pop star Fergie's own star-spangled disaster ahead of the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, and did that train-wreck ruin Fergie? The truth is, until then, Fergie hadn't been relevant since 2012. If anything, the performance thrust her into the spotlight once more, reminding us why bright stars burn out.

Before Andress – armored in her jersey and cowgirl boots – took the mic and sullied an entire nation's song, the majority of the nation likely didn't have a clue who she was. Now, her name is at the top of Google Trends and many likely know of her forthcoming single, set to arrive this week.

Maybe, this flop was necessary and the singer-songwriter had to be a martyr for fame in order to wind up in the spotlight. Perhaps, this is a beginning for Ingrid Andress, and in a few days time, she will be more that her performance at a baseball game; or maybe, she'll shoulder this burden, just as Fergie once did, until someone else comes along to mess up the national anthem at some arbitrary sporting event.

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