Ingrid Andress’ “Star-Spangled Banner” Was The National Distraction We Needed
America is a divided nation, one that seems to be heading down several different dark paths simultaneously. We have no idea what’s coming next, though we have a pretty good idea that it’ll be bleak. But at least we have this.
Last night, Teoscar Hernández became the first Los Angeles Dodger to win the MLB Home Run Derby. But nobody cares about that. Instead, the Home Run Derby highlight that demanded the most attention was country singer-songwriter Ingrid Andress’ rendition of the National Anthem, a moment that will live in infamy.
If you’ve never heard of Ingrid Andress, don’t worry too much. She’s a fairly successful country musician who was once a pop songwriter. (She co-wrote Charli XCX’s “Boys.” Good song!) Andress has baseball connections; her father was a strength and conditioning coach for the Colorado Rockies. On her Instagram, where the comments are currently turned off, the bio lists Andress as a “4-time Grammy losing singer songwriter.” The comments on Andress’ Twitter are not turned off, and they look like this right now.
We’ll probably never know why Ingrid Andress sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” the way that she did. This wasn’t a Fergie situation, where she tried to do something weird with a song that actively resists weirdness. Instead, by all appearances, she tried to sing a fairly low-key but regular version of the song, which is famously difficult to sing, and she biffed the fuck out of it. Maybe it was nerves! It happens! But there’s at least some possibility that she was going for a subversive atonal-experimental thing, since she hit some outlandishly rough notes in there. It’s not like she needed a moment to steady herself. Instead, the performance just got more difficult as it went along. Even the pyro display during the “rockets’ red glare” bit seemed like a misfire.
Nobody wants to go viral like this, but if it happens to you, you should own it. The most American thing that Ingrid Andress could possibly do would be to brag about her triumphant performance, dismissing all the haters and losers who don’t recognize her greatness. If you would like to behold this Anthem for yourself, it’s below. Please note the Phillies’ Alec Bohm doing the Steph Curry thing where he’s quite obviously trying not to laugh on camera.
Definitely one of the anthems of all time pic.twitter.com/LvSYSmR1wF
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 16, 2024
@mattrogerstho
Ingrid Andress’ new single “Colorado 9” is out 7/24, and I suddenly cannot wait to hear it. She plays Nashville tomorrow night.
UPDATE: Andress says she was drunk last night and is checking into rehab today:
I’m not gonna bullshit y’all, I was drunk last night. I’m checking myself into a facility today to get the help I need. That was not me last night. I apologize to MLB, all the fans, and this country I love so much for that rendition. I’ll let y’all know how rehab is I hear it’s super fun.
xo, Ingrid
