Over the weekend, Brandy performed at the 2026 NBA All-Star Game. While many of her fans praised her soulful rendition of the U.S. National Anthem, others weren’t so pleased.
On Sunday (Feb. 15), at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA, the 47-year-old led an a cappella performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Joined by June’s Diary—the all-girl group formed by Kelly Rowland—the R&B legend put a new spin on the classic song with her iconic vocal harmonies. However, as more clips of the performance have started to surface, some fans seem to think the singer was a bit overzealous with her performance.
“It’s not that Brandy’s rendition was bad vocally or sonically. Just the National Anthem ain’t the time for all that (to me). If she was gonna stack vocals like that, it should’ve been some music to accompany,” one person wrote on X.
“Maybe I’m old-fashioned, or this is a boomer take, but I really don’t like this rendition. It’s the national anthem, not a remix. I get artists wanting to leave a mark and innovate, I just don’t think this is the song/occasion to do so with.
No hate to Brandy, but this ain’t it,” says another fan.
Similarly, another person noted that while the singer is an “undeniable talent,” there is a “time and place” for everything. Implying that Brandy should’ve gone with a more subtle performance. “An artist is supposed to evolve and know how to set a tone for a particular audience. Stacked backing vocals is never needed for the National Anthem,” they wrote.
That said, there were also a huge number of supporters of the performance. “BLACK people are mad at Brandy for being creative and diverting from the traditional way the national anthem is sung this ONE TIME during BLACK HISTORY MONTH. Y’all are embarrassing…not Brandy. Be different! Embrace uniqueness. Stfu and do something yourself, instead of hating,” one fan commented.
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