“WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?” — that was the general reaction of the entire arena when Fergie sang during the NBA national anthem that year, a moment later dubbed the most unbelievable national anthem disaster in American history. In just seconds, solemnity turned into confusion, then into uncontrollable smirks from the top basketball stars. The clip quickly surpassed 30 million views, not because of emotion, but because… nobody could believe their ears. The distorted voice, off-key pitch, and overly artistic performance sent the performance straight into legend… in the way nobody wanted. Years later, people still rewatch it, laughing and shuddering at the same time, as if witnessing a fully recorded musical disaster. And ironically, that is the moment Fergie is most remembered for on the national anthem stage.

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Fergie Delivers The WORST (alleged) US National Anthem Of All Time In Disastrous NBA Performance

The clip of Fergie singing the US National Anthem at a 2018 NBA All-Star Game has become the stuff of music legend. Billed by fans and haters as being among the worst National Anthem performances in recorded history, this disastrous performance just keeps on snatching attention, no matter how many years pass by.

Not seen the footage before? Music Man readers can check it out in the video below and try to keep a straight face (the players certainly couldn’t!).

Amassing more than 30.5 million YouTube views, for all the wrong reasons, this viral clip sees Fergie perform in the court’s center, backed by flag-waving military men, and fronted by a row of pro basketball players ready to pay their silent respect to the age-old tune.

But as soon as Fergie starts singing, it’s clear that this isn’t your common anthem performance.

Now, the US National Anthem has been covered and perfected by a legion of pop greats, from Whitney Houston to Beyoncé, Demi Lovato to Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey… the list goes on and on. Surely Fergie, frontlady for The Black Eyed Peas, would slot right into the mix? But nope. Unfortunately not.

From her first lines, Fergie warps her ultra-confident voice to an unsettling cat-like tone, clearly trying to create a legendary moment of her own, yet obviously trying way too hard. The end result is mangled, pitchy, and outright strange, especially considering this star scored a selection of #1 hits both with The Black Eyed Peas and as a solo artist.

As her performance progresses, the NBA players fight tooth-and-nail to keep a straight and solemn face, gazing around dazed and confused by Fergie’s odd rendition. While some look genuinely contemptuous, others simply can’t contain their laughter, especially as Fergie draws her performance to an unforgettable close.

Fergie delivers the WORST (alleged) US National Anthem of all time in disastrous NBA performance - The Music Man

We can’t diss Fergie too hard for this performance. She could have been suffering ear-piece or playback issues, causing her to dive headfirst into those confidently off-pitch tones. But regardless, the star certainly claimed the legendary moment every celeb US Anthem singer dreams of – a performance that will go down in music history, albeit for all the wrong reasons.

Over five years on, people can’t stop coming back to this clip for a fresh slice of comedy, with top commenters on this viral performance writing, “She’s singing in doctor’s handwriting,” and “Wow! She killed it!! Like literally. She just murdered the national anthem.”

Feeling the need to bleach your ears with an Anthem performance that’s actually good? Watch the spectacular moment Beyoncé