Cursive singing is the trend that simply refuses to die. Two decades on from CocoRosie, weird vowel sounds are still absolutely everywhere — including the MLB Home Run Derby, where Ingrid Andress's cursive national anthem raised a lot of eyebrows.
UPDATE (7/16, 1:43 p.m. ET): Andress has issued a statement about her poor performance, admitting that she was drunk and sharing that is entering rehab. "I'm not gonna bullshit y'all, I was drunk last night," Andress wrote on Instagram. "I'm checking myself into a facility today to get the help I need. That was not me last night."
Before the Home Run Derby last night (July 15) at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX, Andress performed a very, uh, unique version of "The Star-Spangled Banner," complete with cursive vowel sounds and ASMR breathiness — not to mention lots of out-of-key notes and a screechy, yowling crescendo.
During the anthem, the camera showed some of the players on the field, with HR Derby participant Alec Bohm (of the Philadelphia Phillies) appearing to hold back laughter.
After the performance, ESPN uploaded a video to YouTube, but soon took it down, presumably due to the influx of negative comments. Across social media, the anthem has been widely mocked.
Andress has been nominated for four Grammy Awards: Best New Artist, Best Country Song and Best Country Album (all in 2021), and Best Country Duo/Group Performance (in 2023). She's charted in the Billboard Hot 100 twice and has a co-writing credit on Charli XCX's 2017 single "Boys."
She hasn't spoken out about the reception to her national anthem, but she has disabled the comments on her Instagram account. Hear the anthem below.