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Grammy-Award winner Heather Headley was tasked with performing the United States' national anthem ahead of the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby. And it wasn't hard to top last year's rendition.
The 50-year-old sung a slowed down rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner ahead of the baseball festivities.
However, despite the occasional fan complaining that the somber version sounded like a funeral dirge, most admitted it was instantly an improvement from last year's performance.
Country music artist Ingrid Andress faced fierce criticism for her rendition ahead of the 2024 edition of the competition. Social media users slammed it as 'the worst national anthem ever,' after she attempted to sing Francis Scott Key's lyrics in a shrill and off-key rendition.
The songstress later confessed to being drunk while wailing into the microphone and announced that she would be checking into rehab following the disaster.
And baseball fans celebrated Headley's sober - yet somber - performance on Monday night.
Last year, Ingrid Andress went off key during her performance of the Star-Spangled Banner
'Probably the best year-over-year improvement on the HR Derby National Anthem you'll ever witness #NeverForget,' one user posted to X alongside a photo of Andress on the field last year.
'Damn, I was hoping we'd have another drunk national anthem #HomeRunDerby,' another joked referring to Andress's performance under influence.
'At least the national anthem was better this season,' a third chimed in, while a fourth agreed adding: 'Better national anthem then last year lmao.'
Meanwhile, for others, all they could talk about was last year's trainwreck, with Headley's performance dredging up memories of Andress's horror show.
'Yall remember last years national anthem for the HRD,' one fan wrote, as another echoed: 'Remember when the chick did the national anthem blacked out.'
More to follow.
