Chaka Khan’s rendition of the US national anthem on Sunday night left many viewers baffled.
The ten-time Grammy winner performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” ahead of an NBA all-star game in Chicago, her native city.
Her version of the anthem didn’t seem to resonate with a large part of those watching from home, who shared their reactions on social media.
Some even compared the moment to Fergie’s 2018 performance, which was widely criticised – and led to an admission from the singer that it “didn’t strike the intended tone”.
“I adore Chaka Khan. She is a living legend, but I DID NOT like that rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner AT ALL. Lord help her,” one viewer wrote of Khan’s rendition.
One person suggested Fergie was owed a public apology from the public after Khan’s performance, while others shared mash-ups of both renditions side by side.
Some, on the contrary, defended Khan’s version of the anthem. “66-year-old Chaka Khan singing the national anthem with a twang and soul and with a Chicago No 23 sweatshirt hanging off her shoulder... Y’all weren’t ready,” Candace Buckner, a sports writer for The Washington Post, tweeted.
Khan hasn’t addressed the backlash to her performance publicly.
