Country Music Artist Ingrid Andress’ National Anthem Performance at 2024 Home Run Derby Sparks Controversy

Country music artist Ingrid Andress is making headlines for all the wrong reasons after her performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the 2024 Home Run Derby on July 15 left fans cringing and begging for it to end.

Despite Andress’ success in the country music scene with two Billboard Hot 100 tracks, four GRAMMY nominations, and a large following on Instagram, her rendition of the national anthem fell flat. Fans took to social media to express their disappointment, with one user even declaring it as “one of the worst national anthem renditions ever.”

Comparisons were drawn to other infamous national anthem performances, such as Fergie’s at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game and track star Carl Lewis’ epic fail in 1993. However, some fans pointed out that pulling off a great rendition of the national anthem is no easy feat, citing iconic performances by the likes of Luther Vandross, Beyoncé, and Whitney Houston.

In light of the backlash, it seems unlikely that Andress will be asked to perform the national anthem again anytime soon. As one user put it, “Those who can, do, those who can’t do, listen to Whitney Houston.” Andress may have missed the mark this time, but she can take solace in the fact that even the best have had their off days.