indy 500

Good morning!

What are people complaining about today?

Jewel’s performance of the National Anthem at the Indy 500 this past weekend.

Ok, I’m just gonna say that I thought it was fantastic.

Jewel did the anthem HER way which is what works for HER voice. Had she tried to sing it traditionally, it wouldn’t have worked.

Here’s the thing, the National Anthem sung traditionally is super had to sing- it’s got that octave jump and anyone who doesn’t nail it as written gets slammed online. So, really, artists are being set up for failure unless they’re freaking Whitney Houston.  So, Jewel decided to do the anthem in her own style. So what?  Did she get down on one knee?  Did she spit like Roseanne Barr did? Did she say or do anything even remotely anti-American? No? What’s the problem then?

Honestly, I’d be down for changing The National Anthem for something like “America the Beautiful” or Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA”. But people would complain about that, too.  “That’s the way it’s always been done!!!” Yeah, those people.

I think it was a cool version, and people need to chilllll… if this is what gets you all fired up, you’ve got bigger issues in life than a folksie twist on the National Anthem.

What did you think of Jewel’s version?

Nailed it? Or nah?