Fergie‘s rendition of the National Anthem at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game is perhaps the most controversial since Roseanne Barr’s infamous version delivered before a baseball game in 1990 — and now the TV star is offering her thoughts.
Despite Barr’s pitchy performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which was so awful that President George H. W. Bush called it “disgraceful,” the sitcom queen joked that Fergie’s version was worse.
“Who saw Fergie’s national anthem performance at the NBA All Star Game?” Barr tweeted late Sunday night. “I think mine was better lowkey .”
Barr later explained of her universally panned rendition, “I started too high. I knew about six notes in that I couldn’t hit the big note. So I just tried to get through it, but I couldn’t hear anything with 50,000 drunk a– booing, screaming ‘you fat f—,’ giving me the finger and throwing bottles at me during the song they ‘respect’ so much.”
Who saw Fergie’s national anthem performance at the NBA All Star Game? I think mine was better lowkey
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) February 19, 2018
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Taking the court at Los Angeles’ Staples Center in a tight, black dress, Fergie performed a sultry rendition of the anthem, reworking the tune to more of a jazzy beat.
At points, the 42-year-old singer appeared to struggle to hit notes, though she closed out the tune with some impressive vibrato, telling the arena, “Let’s play some basketball!”
Throughout the performance, the camera caught an array of expressions of those on the court and in the crowd at the game.
Twitter also shared their opinions, with some questioning if Fergie had delivered the “worst rendition ever.”
Charles Barkley asked his fellow commentators to share their thoughts on Fergie’s performance during TNT’s halftime report and got mixed reviews.
Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal said, “Oh, stop. Don’t do that. Leave my Fergie alone. Fergie, I love you. It was different. It was sexy.”
“Damn right it was different!” Barkley replied. “I needed a cigarette after that.”