Fergie is a household name in the United States. Most people know her from the Black-Eyed Peas, a hip hop band which peaked in the 2000’s. But, more recently, she has broke off on her own and has maintained her status as a solo artist. Known for her unique style, she is a beloved figure in the musical community.
In February, Fergie took the stage to sing her own rendition of the national anthem at the 67th NBA All-Star game. But, immediately after her performance, videos began to spread of her interesting twist on the Star-Spangled Banner. She has claimed to have been attempting to emulate the work of Marvin Gaye, but it seems as though her effort at R&B fell flat, with the video going viral – and not in a good way. During the performance, players tried not to laugh during our nation’s classic, but it is obvious from the crowd that the performance was unconventional, to say the least. When the camera shifted to the crowd, Jimmy Kimmel is one of the first to break a grin. He spoke out after the performance, calling it “unusually sultry” – those are definitely some of the kinder words used to describe her show. Other A-list figures such as Chance the Rapper, Joel Embiid, and Draymond Green also appeared ambivalent about Fergie’s performance in the clip. Even Roseanne Barr, an artist who is recognized for “shrieking” the national anthem in the 90’s, has claimed that Fergie performed worse.
With over eight million views on ESPN’s YouTube channel, the video spread like wildfire. To add to the spectacle, in the clip, Fergie appears to be very proud of her performance; she seems to not realize the crowd’s reactions. Fergie has since apologized, saying that she was trying her best, and wanted to do something special, which to be fair, she did deliver on.
Whether or not she sang well has been highly debated, as her loyal fanbase defended her, arguing that the performance itself was not as bad as the internet is making it out to be. Others say it was simply terrible. Although her music has recently flopped amongst the newest outbreak of talented artists, this interpretation has definitely put her name back on everyone’s radar. Maybe she planned this whole thing on purpose to attract media attention! If so, it worked. But, one thing is for sure: Fergie knows how to capture an audience.
