Strengths and weaknesses… strengths and weaknesses.
It’s okay not to be great at everything. I, for one, can cook super well, but am trash when it comes to baking. I can’t do my taxes, but I can write all day about what’s going on in the world of country music. The same thing goes for singers and songwriters.
Even in their own field, there are strengths and weaknesses. Whether it’s not being the best at a particular instrument, knowing you can’t hit a specific vocal range, or anything else, artists play into their strengths to create the best, most intoxicating sound for their fans. And it’s okay to admit that not every song ever written fits your voice, which is exactly what Ingrid Andress admitted after her second national anthem performance.
Last year, Ingrid Andress hit rock bottom and displayed it to the world with the worst national anthem performance of all time. Of course, the viewers of the MLB Home Run Derby did not know that Andress was at her lowest point until after the national anthem. So, fans were quick to criticize her until she announced on social media that she was drunk and would be admitting herself into rehab right after.
This was quite the national anthem performed by Ingrid Andress 😅 pic.twitter.com/i6Diwe9DYW
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) July 16, 2024
After the performance, and taking some time away from the limelight to heal and focus on herself, Andress admitted that she felt like America’s punching bag in that moment.
“I felt like America’s punching bag. I became a way to unite America. It was like, ‘At least we can all agree that this girl botched the anthem.’ I’ll be the punching bag for sure, but I didn’t commit a crime. It felt very extreme for what the situation was.”
After completing her rehab and getting to a point where she was ready to step back into the public eye, Andress made her big return by singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” to open a Colorado Avalanche game.
Ingrid Andress fumbled another anthem. pic.twitter.com/oVKxMoQaGo
— Avalanche Forever (@citchmook) March 1, 2025
While I am sure that Andress did this second performance to prove to herself that she could do it in a good headspace and to prove to the fans that she’s not that terrible of a singer, her plan backfired slightly. After the performance, the internet was not blown away by it.
It was fine, but not great…
She was a little pitchy but nowhere near as bad as last time
— Tyler McDaniel (@Tjmsk8r) March 1, 2025
Better than Fergie, but needs some work. 🤣
— Ray Gonzales (@GonzoTheArtiste) March 1, 2025
After her second national anthem flop (even though it was way less of a flop than the first), Andress has announced that she’s officially retired from performing the national anthem. In a recent exclusive with People Magazine, she shared that the second anthem, “the last one.”
“I’m never performing that song again — ever.”
Maybe that’s for the best. I’d hate to see her get slammed for a third time performing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” And it’s okay to admit that the national anthem is not a song meant for your voice. It’s a challenging song to perform, and when you sing the national anthem, it’s often on a large stage, allowing for criticism to creep in. You gotta play your strengths. Listen to a song like “More Hearts Than Mine” and tell me that Andress’ strength isn’t songwriting.
Hey, even Parker McCollum said he wouldn’t perform the national anthem
“The national anthem is a tough one boys. You nail it and you get a pat on the back. If you fugg it up, you’re absolute toast. I like to think I’m as patriotic as anyone’s ever been, I bleed red white and blue. But I’ve passed on every opportunity to sing the anthem. Super high risk very low reward.”
The national anthem is a tough one boys. You nail it and you get a pat on the back. If you fugg it up, you’re absolute toast. I like to think I’m as patriotic as anyone’s ever been, I bleed red white and blue. But I’ve passed on every opportunity to sing the anthem. Super high… https://t.co/KjVizBgKPb
— Parker McCollum (@ParkerMcCollum) July 16, 2024
Even though Ingrid Andress might now realize the national anthem is not the song for her, you have to admire her for getting back in the saddle and giving it another go.
