Ingrid Andress has responded to criticism of her out-of-tune performance of the national anthem before Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby.
The 32-year-old country singer announced on her social media that she was drunk during a wildly off-key rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Monday evening, and would be entering rehab.
“I’m not gonna bullshit y’all, I was drunk last night,” she wrote in a statement posted to X, formerly Twitter. “I’m checking myself into a facility today to get the help I need.
“That was not me last night,” the statement continued. “I apologize to MLB, all the fans, and this country I love so much for that rendition. I’ll let y’all know how rehab is I hear it’s super fun.” She signed the note “xo, Ingrid”.
Speculation was alight on social media that the singer was struggling with more than just in-ear microphone issues during her performance, which started off-key, strained for high notes and was out-of-character for an artist otherwise known as a pro. Many online called it one of the worst national anthem performances heard before a major professional sporting event, with some comparing it to Fergie’s disastrously jazzy rendition before the 2018 NBA All-Star game.
Earlier on Monday, Andress sent a message to her email list previewing her upcoming single, Colorado 9. In the email, according to Variety, she explained some time away from the public eye as the result of depression after severing ties with people who had been part of her career’s beginning. She said she found peace by spending time in Colorado.
Andress, born in Southfield, Michigan, and raised in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, has two studio albums under her belt, 2020’s Lady Like and 2022’s Good Person, as well two singles that reached the Billboard Hot 100, More Hearts Than Mine and Wishful Drinking. She also co-wrote the 2017 Charli xcx hit song Boys and Bebe Rexha’s Girl in the Mirror.
She has earned four Grammy nominations over her career, including Best New Artist in 2021 – along with Doja Cat, Phoebe Bridgers, and winner Megan Thee Stallion – and Best Country Song. She has toured solo and alongside such artists as Stevie Nicks, Keith Urban, Dan + Shay, and Tim McGraw.
Before Ingrid Andress became a household name for her rendition of the national anthem she was a four-time Grammy nominee known for a hit 2019 single called "More Hearts Than Mine."
Andress, 32, went viral after performing "The Star-Spangled Banner" Monday night at the Major League Baseball Home Run Derby in Arlington, Texas, with some calling the performance "interesting" and "bizarre." On Tuesday, Andress announced on social media that she had been intoxicated at the time.
"I was drunk last night," she wrote on her social media platforms Tuesday. "I'm checking myself into a facility today to get the help I need. That was not me last night. I apologize to MLB, all the fans, and this country I love so much for that rendition."
Born in Southfield, Michigan, Andress grew up in Colorado, where her father was a professional baseball coach for the Colorado Rockies. Andress attended Berklee College of Music in Boston and appeared on NBC's "The Sing-Off" in an a cappella group.
When she moved to Nashville in 2013, initially Andress was a songwriter, co-writing tunes including Charli XCX's 2017 song, "Boys," and Bebe Rexha's 2019 tune, "Girl in the Mirror."
Andress released her debut studio album, "Lady Like," in 2020, which reached No. 9 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The album included her breakthrough single, 2019's "More Hearts Than Mine," which hit number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2021, Andress was nominated for three Grammys, including Best Country Album, Best Country Song, and Best New Artist.
Since then she released her 2022 album, "Good Person," which included the song "Wishful Drinking," a duet with Sam Hunt. The song earned her another Grammy nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance in 2023.
Listeners may know Andress for other songs, such as "Feel Like This," and "Bed on Fire," where she sings alongside recording artist Teddy Swims ("Lose Control").