The Cackling Hen: Aguilera makes anthem her own – Archive
Written by Crow's Nest Staff, Feb 21, 2011, 0 Comments
Robbie Crowley
Campus & Beyond Editor
A true musical artist can transform a classic song into his or her own. There have been many covers of John Lennon’s “Imagine” or Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World,” but usually artists haven’t aimed to transform “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Sure, some artists alter a few notes or add a riff while singing at sporting events, but at Super Bowl XLV, Christina Aguilera took it to the next level. She changed some of the words.
Initially, I was enamored by her voice and distracted by her plain, barely-combed hair. I had looked forward to her performance for days, and during the song I had to repeatedly shush and glare at a party drunk who wanted to talk about “Black Swan.” Christina belted out her power vocal, the drunkard left to find the vodka bottle, and I was satisfied. Forget the coin toss—time for cheese dip.
But the common public was not satisfied. In today’s social media era, Facebook statuses and Twitter tweets exploded, divulging Aguilera’s lyric flub. I apparently missed it while shushing the sloshed woman on the floor.
Being a staunch Aguilera fan since “Genie in a Bottle,” I scoffed at the first status I saw that knocked Aguilera. Surely, my Facebook “friend” (acquaintance at best) was just jealous of her singing abilities, and some excess spray tan probably clogged her ears. But I couldn’t deny it once logging on to Twitter. Critics barked. Supporters cried to focus on her voice and albums that sold. The following day, even Fergie released a statement to try and support Aguilera.
Evidently enamored with stars, Aguilera sang about the “twilight’s last gleaming” twice. And she replaced the word “ramparts” with some English that Americans actually use. Who knew a rampart is a type of defensive wall? Maybe Aguilera’s stumble sheds light on the fact that a few lyrics could be updated. After all, a great rampart is more of an iconic symbol for China.
For such a talented singer, a rough year just got rougher for Xtina. Her “Bionic” album flopped in sales. She canceled her tour a day after tickets went on sale. She got divorced. And then came the national anthem misstep.
In spite of her latest troubles, Aguilera is scheduled to sing at the Grammy Awards in a tribute to Aretha Franklin. And the lyrics will be on a teleprompter.
