Ingrid Andress kicked off the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby with a rendition of the national anthem that is receiving major criticism on social media. You may not know who Andress is, but you’ll likely see her performance across the media spectrum over the next few days. So, for those who aren’t country music fans, we’ll cover who Ingrid Andress is and why her version of the Star-Spangled Banner is the meme of the moment.
Who is Ingrid Andress, and why was she chosen to sing the national anthem?
Ingrid Andress is a four-time Grammy-nominated country singer-songwriter. She’s best known for her two singles, “More Hearts Than Mine,” which placed #30 on the Billboard Top 100, and “Wishful Drinking,” which placed #47. She’s also worked as a co-writer on songs by Chali XCX, Why Don’t We, Halestorm, Bebe Rexha, and Lauren Jenkins.
Though she found initial success with her singles, her albums didn’t see breakout performances on the charts. From a critical standpoint, her music lacks standout qualities and doesn’t distinguish itself from the ocean of pop country releases we’re constantly flooded with.
Why did the Andress Home Run Derby Star-Spangled Banner performance get criticized?
The world of sports has seen some terrible renditions of the Star-Spangled Banner, and many agree that Andress’s performance ranks among the worst ever.
Her primary issues are overusing vocal fry and hitting the high notes. Either she was having vocal issues or didn’t have the range to reach them. As a result, her voice continued to break throughout the performance. Unfortunately, instead of dropping an octave, she continued to go for those highs with reckless abandon.
However, the most unfortunate moment in her rendition came with the last stanza. As she hit “O’er the land of the free,” it seems she suddenly realized that there was no possible way her voice would ever hit the high sustained note needed. She awkwardly moved down the scale in response before a distinctly off-key finish.
Fortunately, despite the poor rendition, Andress didn’t quite match Fergie and Roseanne’s legendary performances of the national anthem.
As of writing, Andress hasn’t released a statement.
