The American National Anthem takes no prisoners, musically speaking. Sure, we all get by when singing in a crowd. But belting it out solo, with the spotlight that entails, requires tuning the pipes and rehearsing the sh-t out of it before hitting the stage. When you hear a singer really in command of the melody, it’s sublime. When it’s less than that, our ears pick up on the struggle. So when I heard that THE Kristin Chenoweth was stepping out on court to deliver “The Star-Spangled Banner” ahead of Sunday’s NBA Finals, I breathed a sigh of relief straight from the diaphragm. Because Ms. Chenoweth is in charge of any song she sings, never the other way around, thankyouverymuch. Sadly, not all were appreciative of Kristin’s powerful voice. While I thought the performance was a slam dunk (sportsball pun!), others found her rendition polarizing, as they noted vociferously online:
Kristin Chenoweth may be Broadway royalty, but NBA fans were less than enchanted by her national anthem performance.
The Oklahoma-born singer and Tony Award winner performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, June 22. Dressed in an Oklahoma City Thunder graphic T-shirt and silver embellished boots, the “Wicked” star sang in her distinctive musical theater tone. Toward the end of the anthem, Chenoweth, 56, held a long, opera-style high note to applause before concluding her rendition.
Many viewers at home weren’t quite sold on the showtune flair:
“This is the worst National Anthem I ever heard,” one user wrote.
“They got a opera singer doing the national anthem I’m done,” another wrote.
“Listening to the national anthem at that part,” one user captioned a gif of NeNe Leakes seeming visibly taken aback.
“They shoulda invited that girl who sang the national anthem in Spanish to sing there,” one fan chimed in, referring to R&B singer Nezza’s recent performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” in Spanish at a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game.
Though everyone didn’t share Chenoweth’s love for musical theater, her Oklahoma City Thunder still pulled off a win to take home the city’s first title, defeating the Indiana Pacers 103-91.
One user in their criticism called back to one infamous rendition of the national anthem, adding, “this national anthem up there with fergie.”
Fergie’s 2018 performance at the NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles drew much criticism at the time, leading the singer to explain to TMZ at the time, “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.”
No! No no no no no no. You don’t do this to Emmy and Tony Award winner and classically-trained songstress Kristin Chenoweth! In June, no less, the month of Pride and the Tonys!! Honestly, I thought she killed it. There’s one moment towards the end, which I guess is tripping up these naysayers, where she does trill out on a super soprano high note. You know why? Because she CAN. I thought it was baller flex (more basketball lingo!) and, frankly, resent the anti-opera, anti-musical theater rhetoric running afoul in people’s comments. And to liken Kristin’s rendition to that of Fergie’s 2018 fiasco? For shame. They’re not even close. Fergie approached the National Anthem like a breathy nightclub act; Kristin marched her whole 4’11” frame up there and went, “I’m gonna do the thing AND show off a bit too AND my hometown team is gonna win to boot,” with all the energy of an over-excited theater kid who knows they have the talent to back up the bravado. And she did all that without even getting up before 11am! That takes some big (basket)balls.
KRISTIN CHENOWETH SINGS THE NATIONAL ANTHEM 🤩
PERFECT WAY TO TIP OFF GAME 7 ON ABC! pic.twitter.com/BVUEcNmD8L
— NBA (@NBA) June 23, 2025
People just want something to complain about. Whatever losers.
Go Kristin! Go!
Not a fan of it. The singer is supposed to serve the song, not the other way around. That said, it was hardly a disaster.
Agreed. Not my style but very well done.
I love her and admired her rendition of our ridiculously difficult anthem. That said however, IMO no one has ever touched the high bar set when Whitney Houston sang the ever lioving hell out of it. That was magic.
Yes, I agree. Whitney set the bar very high with her rendition. I think Kristin’s version is good. Singing a capella highlights her talent.
Didn’t Whitney lip synch the actual performance? Or am I imagining that?
I came here to say the same thing! RIP Whitney
Agree 100%. That’s where I thought the link was going to take me, rather than Lady Gaga (respect to her too).
Whitney and Marvin! The best renditions ever.
Kismet, this article was pun-tastic.
I absolutely adore her, I was lucky enough to see her and the original cast for Wicked on broadway and have been a fan since. Especially after the horrible accident she survived. She has an amazing voice, the kind that gives you goosebumps.. so I’m all for her using the full range of her talent whenever she wants.
I’m not fond of her rendition. But I’m not fond of her voice (I know, I know, I’m in the minority).
I adore her sparkly boots though!
Troglodytes. Chenoweth is a national treasure. I had goosebumps. Though I would have taken the knee, obvs.
Brava, Diva!
$Love. I actually heard all of the words right to the last syllable In a word and i felt she imparted awe for the story the words were speaking. Like as if she was really there when this was written. ‘And look the flag is still there’. Not singing a song only to showcase her voice. Which she did as well. It to me had a gravitas that many many many do not. This is one of the best ever. The way she sings ‘ so gallently streaming ‘
I think I may watch some of her other performances.
I am also going to relisten to the star Whitney’s.
@Tuni, thank you for this, it is as you describe the gravitas (and not the expertise of her voice), which might have struck some as ‘that’s not our anthem.’ I heard “That our flag was still there” completely anew, particularly given all the nation is navigating. I also think how fabulous there are so many renditions of this anthem…as in that is the point of many voices.
E pluribus unum and all.
Beautiful voice. Did it her way. Loved it.
It was thoughtful and almost tender but I did like the high note. Otherwise lovely.
Love her so much! When she did the “Free” part at the end, it was so outrageous, I lost it 😂 More than anything, she’s like “I can more than handle this. Watch me” and then mic drop. Not for everyone but you can’t say she doesn’t have insane pipes!
I am not a Chenoweth fan at all (like HeatherC above, I don’t especially care for her voice), but I thought this was a very striking rendition. It was the first time I’ve heard the national anthem as storytelling, and that is truly remarkable. And she sang it so plaintively, which was also new to me. Plus, she limited herself to just one knockout vocal razzle-dazzle, instead of filling the song with them to cover how difficult it is to sing.
.
(But because I can’t help myself, the way she hits “land” in “the land of the free” at the end—oof, that sounded clangy.)
Yeah…nope it was bad. Maybe hanging out with RFK Jr f**ks up your voice🤣
When did she do that?
We don’t have a lot of singers to pick from here. She’s better than maga Carrie Underwood. I just think people don’t understand or appreciate opera. I liked it though, I thought it was very powerful.
Kristen Chenoweth is a GD national treasure. She could fart into a microphone and I’d give her a standing ovation!
As always, I am amazed at the ability of some to complain about anything. It was incredible.
I like to consider myself a well-versed listener of national anthems (especially after the stanley cup run). This is uniquely reverant singing of the American National anthem, and I think that’s why it’s tripping people up.
As others have mentioned, Kristen sings this as if she is telling a story, as if she is trying to evoke the feelings and images in our minds or being on that battlefield. She gives the words space, and pauses and weight. As a Canadian, perhaps I have a different view of the American anthem, but most singers approach it like they are fighting the guns in the song, trying to get the words out as loud and proud as they can. They sing it like a battle cry. Kristen sang it like a hymn. She brought a softness to the anthem that is incredible and I’ve never heard before. She didn’t just sing this, she felt every single word.
Well said.
Kristen is a legend and she sang it like a legend. However my favourite version is still firmly Whitney Houston’s!
I’d only seen the end of the song this morning and just thought well, she has the voice for it, let ‘er rip! But hearing the whole thing was beautiful. It did feel like storytelling/theatrical. How cool that she’s an Oklahoma native getting to sing for that event. I love her boots!
Whitney’s really is my favorite version though.
I thought she did a wonderful job. I can’t believe anyone would compare it to Fergie’s horrific rendition, that’s insulting af.
I think the American anthem is vocally challenging and not every singing star is up to it, imo. to sing it a cappella requires a very good and well-trained voice, and that is clearly demonstrated by Chenoweth. Her voice is extraordinary. Some may see her as showing off, but as Kismet writes, she has got it. I think it is lovely to hear the story in the song told clearly by a beautiful voice. The music itself says it all without singers trying to putting different spins on it.
I love Kristin and thought her performance was phenomenal, I could’ve done without that operatic note at the end though. Still 10/10
This was *nothing* like that Fergie disaster. I didn’t see any of the players trying not laugh. So she got a tad theatrical at the end – so what, almost everyone does, including when little kids sing it at local sports competitions. At least she can hit those high notes!
I loved it. Wouldn’t change a thing. She is an immense talent and I think she did Justice to the song. One of the best renditions I remember was by a woman who, sorry can’t remember her name, was in the television series Ali Mcbeal. She left acting at least for a while because of mental issues. But I absolutely loved her rendition of the anthem. Sorry I can’t remember her name but she was an incredible singer.
My favorite part was the soprano high notes. Many singers can’t do the high notes they used to do and it’s great she still has it and can flaunt it. That was exhilarating.
For the record, because I’ve read other places complaining that the singer should just sing the song as written without their flourishes, The Star-Spangled Banner was a POEM written by Francis Scott Key originally called “Defence of Fort McHenry”
and….and…and….AND…
The song itself is not original! It was a popular (at the time) British drinking song, “To Anacreon in Heaven.”
So…pfft.
Opera singing is having a bit of a renaissance in Europe lately. She should make a tour, I’m sure she would be appreciated.
I’d just like to put in a word for the Marvin Gaye version from the 1980s. Who knew you could sway to the Star Spangled Banner?
Marvin Gaye was a musical genius. So sad his own father killed him when poor Marvin was only 44. And I believe the father, a minister, got away with it or only spent a short amount of time in prison (which I guess is getting away with it).
She’s incredible. You could have heard her without the mic. I am always amazed that big ole voice comes out of such a tiny woman lol
d
Damn girl, I think my glasses just shattered. She rode that note. I had no idea she had such a commanding voice. Well done!