Famous singer Jewel sang the national anthem at the Indy 500 on Sunday, and the internet is roaring louder than the engines.
Jewel immediately created a divided audience with her rendition of the anthem, with fans either touting the artist for nailing it with such a gutsy performance, or wailing at her for butchering an anthem she had no business changing. The majority are upset at the star for slowing down the song, rearranging the lyrics and adding a soulful spin.
I don’t care what anyone says, This was a PERFECT way for Jewel to sing our National Anthem, With RESPECT! Not just blasting through it carelessly, but actually giving time for REAL REFLECTION on WHY WE HAVE THE FREEDOMS we do. THANK YOU to THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR ALL To their call https://t.co/4rRfOW9W9b
— SynergyBee (@SynergyBeeMe) May 28, 2023
The live crowd of car enthusiasts gathered in Indianapolis to kick off the Indy 500 festivities and looked visibly stunned when Jewel rearranged the majority of the song. Passionate Americans displayed facial expressions depicting pure confusion as they quickly realized they couldn’t sing along because nothing about the Star Spangled Banner sounded familiar.
The famous singer strummed the guitar and crafted her own tempo for the anthem, with many immediately taking to social media with outrage, calling her performance a fail that compared to Roseanne Barr’s butchering of the anthem in 1990. Jewel was widely criticized for not following the traditional structure of the country’s song, and adding her own, country twist to it. (RELATED: ‘We Saved The Vintage Guitar’: Jewel Says Her Tour Bus Caught On Fire)
The line was immediately drawn between fans who hated the changes and those who loved them and found Jewel’s rendition refreshing. The one thing both sides can agree on – is that it’s today’s hottest topic, and everyone’s talking.