Try Not to Laugh: The Worst National Anthem Fails

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S N A P C H A T: Brettybang | Eddy.Chen

[timothy]

That woman at the GOP CPAC wasn't just off key, she lost the key and got locked out of her house.

[JoshuaWillis]

I feel bad for the ice skating guy. You can’t see anything further than a foot in front of you under a spotlight. They did him so dirty.
I guarantee that carpet wasn’t there in rehearsals and whoever was in charge threw it down for some special guest while that guy was in some green room waiting for his performance.

[abigail]

"shes modulating more than shostakovich"
-twoset 2021

[volundrfrey]

Every other country: lets just play an instrumental version and let the audience sing it together.
America: which B-list celebrity is available to butcher our anthem?

[SuperDadsBaby]

“She is Modulating” is a very nice way of saying she has no pitch

[abigail]

“This is what happens when you defund the arts”
That person, whoever you are, you’re spitting facts <3

[Freya]

“Is this anthem (US) just that difficult?”
The US national anthem is basically a centuries-long prank on soloists

[LittleLotteWanders]

Classical soprano here. The United States national anthem (The Star Spangled Banner) is not only just inherently difficult in composition (particularly when you get to "and the rocket's red glare" where everyone tends to mess up lol) but it was not meant to be belted. Francis Scott Key wrote it in 1814, meaning our modern belting style was not a "thing" yet, therefore it was meant to be sung in classical, or what we call "legit" voice. Though not the original key, nowadays it's typically performed in Bb major, so the highest note you'd be attempting to belt is an F5. That is NOT an easy note to belt! Once you get to that point on the staff, singers should be switching into what's called "head voice" to keep themselves on pitch. Belting is typically done in middle and chest voice on lower notes. If you try to take your middle voice belting sound into head voice range, chances are you're going to fall flat or just sound like you're screaming. (People can talk about "mixing" all day, but it's not any easier of a technique) It's one of those technical things that's difficult to put into layman's terms. Think of it this way: Have you ever tried to sing "Let it Go" from Frozen? The top note Idina Menzel sings there at the end is an Eb5. So you're trying to belt a half step higher than that in the US national anthem lol. Please just don't. ESPECIALLY don't try to make some poor person sing a piece with so many skips a cappella. That piece requires a good ear. Hire classical sopranos/tenors or use military/marching band lol.

Case in point: The Star Spangled Banner is not a pop song, nor musical theatre. Don't treat it like one, or you'll be immortalized on reaction Youtube lol.

[zoomerbeats]

The Canada guy was the best singer. Even after he tripped.

[durps]

YESSS the canadian anthem (ice skater guy) was like the only one that's not totally out of tune lmao, way to represent my man

[kaydenny]

As a wise friend once said, “You can’t sexy up the national anthem.”

[amateurishanimation]

5:04 that Chinese national anthem
5:40 “it wasn’t that bad”
As someone in Hong Kong, I can tell you they messed up the Chinese national anthem BIG TIME.

[olgabaccini]

Noobs: she's out of tune
Pros: she's modulating more than Shostakovich

[jonathanhenderson]

The entire problem with Fergie's national anthem can be summed up with: a non-jazz singer trying to sing a jazz rendition of a non-jazz song. It was a disaster waiting to happen. I can imagine a great jazz singer killing on that arrangement though.

[BarefootDani]

I didn't laugh. I just watched in horror.
... Until I saw Putin's patient yet suffering face for the second time. Man, this guy hears a lot of bad anthems.

[slambat]

The awful thing about the NBA one is that she practiced that. She heard herself sing it, and still thought "yeah, this is a good idea"

[gabriela]

In brazil we don't usually have a person to sing, we all do it together. But the problem is that the WHOLE NATION struggles in one specific verse of the anthem so it aways turns out kinda bad

[alinalee]

This should be a try not to cringe challenge, not a try not to laugh challenge.

[JoshuaWillis]

You can tell that TwoSet doesn’t have much experience with wind bands. They were WAAAAY too kind.

[Tara_P_Rose]

I remember when Fergie tortured the USA anthem… it was extremely painful to hear & to bear, for real. She had to make a public apology afterwards lmao 🤣