Jewel's rendition of the national anthem at Indy 500 receives mixed reviews
Being asked to perform "The Star-Spangled Banner" at a major sporting event is a big moment in any artist's career — but when a singer decides to change up the arrangement, there's also risk involved. Jewel discovered this for herself on Sunday, after she belted out a unique version of the national anthem to kick off the Indianapolis 500.
The Masked Singer winner opted to put a country spin on the patriotic song, setting her own tempo on the guitar. In a video of the performance posted to the NBC IndyCar Series Twitter account, some crowd members looked shocked and confused while others seemed to enjoy her rendition.
.@jeweljk sings the national anthem at the greatest spectacle in racing. 🇺🇸 #Indy500
📺: NBC and @peacock pic.twitter.com/rpjuG1o2dk— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 28, 2023
The online reaction has been similarly mixed. Some found Jewel's version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" to be disrespectful, while others praised the four-time Grammy nominee for trying something new.
This is the perfect example of how not to do the national anthem. It was to the point of being disrespectful. https://t.co/LAVSt1YZ6x
— Jacob 🇺🇸🏁 (@JacobRE1996) May 28, 2023
Jewel butchered the national anthem at the Indy 500. People were trying to sing along but couldn't because of the way she sang it. What a shame.
— Nancy Gould (@nagould) May 28, 2023
jewel’s national anthem for indy 500 might be the worst anthem rendition to date
— boone (@im_boone) May 28, 2023
Jewel just did the best national anthem I’ve ever heard in my life I’m not exaggerating
— shakira (@shakkattackk) May 28, 2023
When Jewel was announced as the national anthem singer for the Indy 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president J. Douglas Boles said, "The singing of the national anthem before the Indy 500 green flag is a signature and iconic moment at the Racing Capital of the World … Jewel's rendition will be a memorable and moving experience for fans at the track and watching from home on NBC."
If nothing else, it certainly got people talking.
Duane Prokop/Getty Images Jewel
Jewel is hardly the first singer to have their performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" scrutinized. Fergie came under fire for her 2018 NBA All-Star Game performance, where the singer reworked the tune to a jazzy beat resulting in a sultry rendition that stunned viewers. The blowback was so bad that Fergie ended up issuing an apology: "I'm a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn't strike the intended tone. I love this country and honestly tried my best."
Two years later, Chaka Khan delivered her version of the national anthem at the same event, which also failed to impress the crowd.
Perhaps Jimmy Kimmel put it best when explaining while he was caught smirking on camera during Fergie's All-Star Game performance. "Here's the thing about taking risks when it comes to the national anthem: Don't. Just don't," he said. "Don't take risks when you're doing brain surgery, don't take risks when you're driving a school bus, or singing the national anthem. Just regular is fine."
Watch Jewel's full performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" above and judge it for yourself.
