8-time Grammy award winning singer Fergie took to center court after the casually dressed Barenaked Ladies performed an a cappella rendition “O Canada” as a quartet. Fergie was definitely dressed to impress, and to her credit, she swung for the fences with her version of America’s national anthem. Stylistically, she ventured from the song’s straightforward nature, bringing a sultry, jazz-infused tone:
I, for one, was not as offended as it seemed most critics and fans were. It seemed most response was negative. Honestly, I thought she was taking the same type of chance Marvin Gaye took at the 1983 All-Star Game:
Like Gaye, Fergie made a concerted attempt to add a rhythm that doesn’t naturally exist.