Country music star Ingrid Andress took the stage to perform the national anthem at the 2024 Home Run Derby on July 15, but her rendition quickly became a topic of heated discussion online. The performance, intended to open the highly-anticipated Major League Baseball event at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, went viral for all the wrong reasons.
Despite being a four-time Grammy-nominated artist, Andress struggled through the "Star-Spangled Banner," missing several notes and prompting a flood of reactions from viewers and sports commentators on social media. The popular sports commentary account Awful Announcing tweeted, "The national anthem ahead of the 2024 Home Run Derby on ESPN by four-time Grammy-nominated artist Ingrid Andress was interesting, to say the least..."
Other social media users weren't as kind. "It is impressive that this Ingrid Andress has missed every single note. That was painful #HomeRunDerby," commented another user on X.
Sports Illustrated writer and podcast host Alex Carr added to the criticism, saying, “I’m so sorry, I’m sure Ingrid Andress is a wonderful person, but that was one of the worst national anthems I think I’ve ever heard in my whole life.” This sentiment was echoed by CBS Sports writer Mike Axisa, who wrote, “With all due respect to Ms. Andress, who is wonderfully talented and surely a delightful country singer, her rendition of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ was not good. I’m sorry, but it wasn’t. We’re all thinking it and it has to be said.”
The controversy didn't stop there. The camera caught reactions from players, including Philadelphia Phillies participant Alec Bohm, who seemed to struggle to keep a straight face. The performance drew comparisons to Fergie’s much-maligned version of the national anthem at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game.
Ingrid Andress, known for her hits like “More Hearts Than Mine” and albums such as "Good Person" and "Lady Like," has had a successful career with nominations for Best New Artist, Best Country Song, and Best Country Album at the Grammys. In 2023, her collaboration with Sam Hunt on “Wishful Drinking” was nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
Despite her musical achievements, this performance has become a notable misstep in her career. ESPN initially posted the video of Andress’ performance on YouTube but later removed it from the site.
Interestingly, Andress has a deep connection to baseball through her father, Brad Andress, who worked as a strength and conditioning coach with teams like the Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, New York Mets, and the University of Michigan. However, this connection wasn't enough to shield her from the backlash of her national anthem performance at the Home Run Derby.
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