We had a realization while watching the Floyd Mayweather/Manny Pacquiao fight last night: Amid all the spectacle at the "fight of the century," the rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" turned in by Jamie Foxx was somewhat a spectacle unto itself. In fact, our national anthem can easily be converted into an overwrought piece of showmanship when handled awkwardly, and nowhere is it handled more awkwardly than at major sporting events. We decided to look at seven versions of the national anthem—from Josh Groban to Queen Latifah—from seven of the largest sporting events so far during 2015 and rank them for both talent and sincerity.
07) Jamie Foxx @ Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao
We knew things were gonna be different when we heard a church organ playing the opening notes of "The Star-Spangled Banner," and we were okay with that. A Gospel approach seems like a perfectly acceptable bit of experimentation, as Gospel music is itself rather American in essence. Unfortunately, Mr. Foxx himself apparently should not have been the man attempting it. His approach at times was so rhythmic that it crossed the line from "rhythm" to "herby-jerky," like his impersonation of Ray Charles. It's been a while since we've seen anyone butcher the "land of the free" line, as many have toned it down in response to negative reviews of Christina Aguilera et al, but Foxx dumped the melisma on. Then, surprisingly, he did the same thing with the line "home of the brave," scatting a tad before ending with two "hallelujahs." Only in Vegas, Jamie.
06) Jo Dee Messina @ NHL All-Star Game
The NHL All-Star Game might not have the money to bring in talent as major as other major sporting events, but that might work for the best...grabbing an act not willing to experiment with "land of the free." Country performer Jo Dee Messina didn't screw around with the iconic last lines, fortunately, but her handling of the words "still there" during "that our flag was still there" was strangely aggressive...it seems she was trying to do something different and it just didn't connect. This wasn't Messina's first time singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" on a major stage: She sang it at the Kentucky Derby last year.
05) Lady Antebellum @ The NCAA National Championship Football Game
Let's preface this by saying that Lady Antebellum did a fine job at the NCAA National Championship Football Game, and its no. 5 ranking on this list is just an indication of how well most acts have stood up to the challenging "Star-Spanged Banner" at major events. The only thing that was holding back Lady Antebellum, perhaps, was the overall talent level (as in...they don't sing at The Metropolitan Opera) of the performance and, trust us, there are some very talented people coming later on down this list. The country trio does get some bonus points for working harmonies into the performance, but that's a somewhat unfair advantage considering that most of those featured on this list are solo performers.
04) Josh Groban @ Kentucky Derby
This weekend was, Super Bowl weekend aside, the biggest sporting weekend in quote some time. Not only was the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight last night, the biggest event in horse racing occurred near Louisville. The thousands of attendees who attend Churchill Downs for the race rarely know anything about horse racing: It's more of a social event...an excuse to drink mint juleps and wear flashy summer hats. The Derby itself attempted to live up to its classy atmosphere by bringing in a classy talent to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner": Josh Groban. On one hand, his performance was as excellent as you would expect from Groban singing anything. He's a straightforward talent, which kind of works to his disadvantage during this song. Although we complain an awful lot about misplaced notes, we do like to see a bit of flair here and there. If you disagree with this assessment, just know that your correspondent's mother will also be shaking her head when she reads this.
03) Queen Latifah @ The NBA All-Star Game
Jamie Foxx wasn't the only person feeling soulful during the national anthem this year. Queen Latifah took to the court for the NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden while feeling a little bluesy. She might not have the thundering vocals of our next entry, but she didn't want to get watered down in a symphonic instrumental track either, so the former emcee was attended to by two acoustic guitarists, playing an easygoing riff while Latifah offered a modest approach to the lyrics. It wasn't nearly as bombastic as what we sometimes expect from the NBA, but it was certainly the sort of off-the-mainstream approach we'd expect from the league. A well-executed alternative approach.
02) Idina Menzel @ The Super Bowl
Idina Menzel may have had a big year, hence winning the opportunity to perform "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the biggest sporting event in the world, but she's always had a voice big enough for the gig. It was almost entertaining watching the Broadway all-star perform: Her right hand raised and lowered as she shifted her approach, almost as if she was simultaneously conducting her orchestra of one and squeezing a stress ball to prevent her from breaking the dam early. She avoided the high falsetto notes often associated with the last few lines (she's more of a belter anyhow) and finished strong. As she wrapped up her act, the vocalist could be seen grinning and mouthing "yes!" as if she herself had just completed a successful athletic routine. She appeared in her own Super Bowl and won.
01) U.S. Army Herald Trumpets @ The NCAA Championship Basketball Game
An uncomfortable discussion to have with patriotic people who aren't the biggest music fans is to discuss just how awkward our own national anthem is. Francis Scott Key may have known a thing or two about music, and he may have seen some amazing sights during the War of 1812, but his ability to transfer those thoughts to paper was not the best. One of the positives of this fact is that when great performers. such as Whitney Houston, can make the song their own, it creates epic performances that you just won't see from other nation's official songs. On the other hand, when performers can't wrap themselves around it, the outcome can be a disaster. All too often we consider this song strictly from a vocal perspective, without considering how it sounds as a purely instrumental piece. The NCAA brought in the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets core, as well as some members of NCAA school marching bands, to perform the song as a trumpet group sans vocals at the NCAA Basketball championship game, and it was superb. Even mainstream music fans who dislike instrumental recordings couldn't help but nod in approval. The only difference we might request is to axe the drums. More horns, baby.
