Pop superstar Fergie put on a less-than-stellar performance of the U.S. national anthem at the NBA All-Star Game Sunday night, drawing laughter from the players and mockery on social media.
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The singer performed an off-beat, jazzy rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner,” and attempted to hit all the high notes toward the latter part of the song. But the former Black-Eyed Peas songstress seemed to hit a sour note with much of her audience, including players and celebrities in attendance at the game in Los Angeles.
looking back, my fav part of Fergie's national anthem was @jimmykimmel choking back his laughter. pic.twitter.com/pS9O7cMEuL
— maurice (@tallmaurice) February 19, 2018
Many players could be seen chuckling as she sang the lines: “OHHHHHH say does that star-spangled BAAAAAAANNNER yet waaaaaave…”
Realtime reaction to Fergie's national anthem be like... #fergie pic.twitter.com/8O9ORPqpuk
— Antenna Wilde (@WildeAntenna) February 19, 2018
Player's reaction to Fergie's anthem. pic.twitter.com/Jj66bGPqHa
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) February 19, 2018
Former player-turned analyst Charles Barkley also mocked the performance during the broadcast.
“Can we talk about Fergie’s national anthem?” he asked during a televised panel discussion.
“Oh stop. Don’t do that. Don’t do that to my Fergie,” answered Shaquille O’Neal, who was also on the panel. “Leave her alone. Fergie, I love you. It was different, it was sexy, I liked it.”
“Damn right it was different,” Barkley said. “I needed a cigarette after that.”
The performance was widely mocked as a “train wreck” online.
Who saw Fergie's national anthem performance at the NBA All Star Game? I think mine was better lowkey
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) February 19, 2018
Fergie’s performance was so bad last night that...
— Educating Liberals (@Education4Libs) February 19, 2018
Michael Moore became nauseous and didn't feel like eating.
Illegal immigrants started voluntarily moving back to Mexico.
And Bernie Sanders said he would understand if people wanted to pay Fergie less than male performers.
#Fergie sung the national anthem so badly I’m going to listen to Nickelback all day just to get it out of my head.
— Chad Prather (@WatchChad) February 19, 2018
What Fergie felt last night singing the National Anthem #FergieNationalAnthem pic.twitter.com/3Q9Y71gkPL
— ✭ Petty Pendergrass ✭ (@SoopaMannieB) February 19, 2018
All the celebrities at last night's #NBAAllStar2018 #NationalAnthem performance looking at eachother like.... #Fergie #fergienationalanthem pic.twitter.com/6WZyq2LSPc
— Jason Herron (@Jherron84) February 19, 2018
The Barenaked Ladies sang "O Canada" prior to the game.