Fergie Comments on National Anthem Performance: I 'Honestly Tried My Best'

Music star Fergie acknowledged she may have missed the mark with her rendition of the national anthem before the start of the 2018 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday.

"I've always been honored and proud to perform the national anthem, and last night I wanted to try something special for the NBA," she said in an interview with TMZ Sports. "I'm a risk-taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn't strike the intended tone. I love this country and honestly tried my best."

Fergie was likely trying to emulate Marvin Gaye, who delivered one of the most famous versions of "The Star-Spangled Banner" prior to the 1983 All-Star Game. Gaye put his own unique touch on the song, and it was unlike anything fans had heard before.

In that sense, Fergie did deliver—just not how she would've liked. She was roasted on social media, and Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green was seen on the TNT broadcast cracking a smile during the performance:

His teammate, All-Star captain Stephen Curry, was even more merciless, engaging in the social media reaction during the game itself:

Fergie deserves some credit for thinking outside the box. Many of the most memorable anthem performances have happened when the singer ventured beyond the typical way the "The Star-Spangled Banner" is sung. In addition to Gaye, Whitney Houston's national anthem before Super Bowl XXV is a great example.

But Deadspin's Timothy Burke obtained Fergie's rehearsal footage in which she seemingly had some trouble perfecting how she was going to sing the anthem on All-Star Sunday. In retrospect, shifting gears to a more typical anthem performance may have been the best course of action.