Fergie’s take on The Star Spangled Banner got the thumbs-down on social media, where it received the dubious accolade of being hailed the “worst ever” rendition of the US national anthem.
The Black Eyed Peas singer opened Sunday night’s NBA All-Stars exhibition match with an… idiosyncratic version of the challenging melody.
“It was an interesting rendition to say the least,” was Mashable’s diplomatic verdict on the performance, which involved sultry purring, not-quite-there notes and startling key changes.
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Social media was, predictably, less tactful:
The painfully drawn-out notes prompted comparisons to a 2007 SNL sketch starring Maya Rudolph which parodies divas who give overwrought interpretations of the anthem:
Many were equally baffled by Fergie’s inexplicably sultry spin on lyrics written by Francis Scott Key to pay tribute to martial heroics during the War of 1812:
Eagle-eyed viewers noticed that several of the players appeared to be struggling to contain themselves:
Roseanne Barr, whose comedic rendition of the anthem at a 1990 baseball game remains the stuff of legend, joked that her deliberately tuneless caterwauling was still a notch above Fergie:
Even worse, this was not the Black Eyed Peas singer’s first stab at the anthem - and her audience last time around was even more prestigious:
