Chaka Khan is getting trolled on Twitter relentlessly for her performance of the national anthem at the NBA All-Star game.
The singing of the Star Spangled Banner at sporting events has now become something to look forward to. Why you may ask? Well, apart from the national pride, over the years, there have been some home run renditions, but quite a few misses have also been documented, and that eventually turns into a field day for social media. Last night saw the 2020 staging of the NBA All-Star Game in Chicago.
The organizers of the event brought a lot to the fans of the game, as Team LeBron faced off against Team Giannis in a close encounter. Giannis ultimately edged LeBron out by only two points. There was also something in it for the late Koby Bryant and his daughter Gianna, who were both honored in song by a stellar performance from r&b powerhouse Jennifer Hudson.
Hudson was not the only R&B icon in the building as legendary songstress Chaka Khan was also on the bill to deliver the anthem; her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. She did just that, and in her own way, she nailed the performance, sadly her usually over the top vocals were not what fans were expecting. Social media erupted directly after her performance to question what they had just witnessed. According to the comments from viewers and listeners, the performance hinged close to Fergie’s 2019 rendition, which is being dubbed as one of the most unfavorable performances of the anthem to date.
It gets even worst for Chaka Khan as various video clips have been making the rounds showing some of the players trying to hide their laughter as Chaka seemingly transitioned through various moods, tone, and keys.
So far, Twitter and Instagram have become breeding grounds for some of the most savage memes out there. One of the standouts is the comparison between Bobby Proud’s rendition of the anthem during Wizard Kelly’s basketball game, in the earlier seasons of the Proud Family cartoon series.
If you are new to the queen of Funk, rest assured that the “Through The Fire” singer has copped 8 Grammy wins over her illustrious career that now spans over 5 decades.
Khan and Hudson were not the only performers in the building as the halftime show saw the likes of Lil Wayne, Quavo Chance the Rapper, and DJ Khaled.
I love Chaka Khan and she is truly “I’m Every Woman” but it sounded like all of those women were trying to come out during that vocal performance pic.twitter.com/EYT0XbjB9Q
— Eric Perry (@EricpNBC12) February 17, 2020
I’m not watching the all star game but my phone is ringing off the hook. My guess is someone did a weird Star Spangled?
— RootsPicnic2020 Now! (@questlove) February 17, 2020
I adore Chaka Khan. She is a living legend, but I DID NOT like that rendition of the Star Spangled Banner AT ALL. Lord help her. #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/UVwfMDA1d7
— TripleR ???? (@TerpGrad01) February 17, 2020
I don’t care what you think of Chaka Khan’s national anthem, you WILL show respect because she is LITERALLY CHAKA KHAN.
Pitch perfect. Tones? Hit. I? Conic. No slander for QUEEN OF FUNK in this house. We aren’t gonna cannibalise our legends while they’re here, who raised yall?
— ?#StreamWantItAll? (@UMNIAMusic) February 17, 2020
Chaka Khan sang The National Anthem at the NBA All Star Game. I like Chaka, she is a great singer but hey there r just some songs like The National Anthem u shouldn't chang the notes. " "Remember what happened after Fergie tried that" pic.twitter.com/moben4PR9i
— Nails By Honey (@nailsbyhoney) February 17, 2020