"Celeb" national anthems

yep, without this gig hudson would surely be going hungry. :

 

I'd love for once to hear somebody come out and sing the anthem at a Super Bowl without the big overblown backup track behind them (the unfortunate trend Whitney Houston started). Not a big J-Hud fan, but she does have a big enough voice to pull it off.

 

someone has had to have posted the question somewhere already, though didn't see it in a quick search .... but what's the over/under for the anthem tomorrow? she keeps it straight, 2:03. but I think she goes a bit long ... 2:33.

 

well, i began this post with the offering that so many "celebrity" national anthems are really bad, but I gotta give Jennifer Hudson five stars on her rendition.
I thought she was outstanding. absolutely one of the best ever, in my opinion. kudos to her and particulary after what she's been through.

 

She mangled and warbled that last set of notes at the very end. Could have done without her little closing rendition in what was otherwise a nice performance.

 

Here's a link for those who missed it:

Love her.

 

Well-said, 'pern.

 

Straight forward, but always one of the most memorable.

I though Hudson sounded good for the most part, but the instrumentation bothered me, until the final few lines sounded almost more christmas charol than Star spangaled banner.
Anthems are tricky to put your own spin on, there's the temptation to do far too much with it and it can go way wrong far too quickly. Personally I like the renditions that are more straight forward, that don't have the unneccesary runs and warbling, and still deliver the power that a song like the Star Spangled Banner should bring. Biggest side by side comparisons I could come up with is playing Whitney houston's followed by Mariah's, and Mariah's is just so weak in comparison, where as Whitney Houston, while still taking artistic liberties, still brought the power and absolutely nailed it.

The renditions I enjoy the most are generally done by those that are classically trained, often in opera. They don't mess with it too much and the power is always there, and that includes for O Canada.

 

Maybe next year the anthem can be "sung" by Kanye West Martin Louis the King Jr. Address him as such.

 

She was great.

When you add her to Bruce, I don't think we will have a better night of music at the SB.

 

I think those artforms you brought up are inherently AMERICAN and should at times be a part of the Nationanl Anthem. 

 

Sure the Whitney SB anthem was overproduced... but it still gets dusty in whatever room I'm in when I hear it. I guess I just relate it to the time... Gulf War. In that light, it will probably be the strongest in my mind for some time to come.