Alicia Keys's anthem is receiving some harsh criticism the morning after the Super Bowl. The soulful singer offered a slow, stretched-out version of "Star-Spangled Banner" on the afternoon of Feb. 3, 2013 before the big game, and it wasn't exactly music to everyone's ears, reported Today.
There is no denying that she is a great singer. That's not in question at all. However, it's the national anthem, not Alicia Keys's anthem, and it might have been nice if she had sung the song the way it was intended when the lyrics were written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key and set to pre-existing music from the British composer John Stafford Smith's "The Anacreontic Song."
How long was Alicia Keys's anthem? According to USA Today, it was record setting. At 156.4 seconds, it was longer than Natalie Cole's 1994 performance by 4.4 seconds. What many famous singers fail to realize is that the national anthem is powerful and moving when sung correctly. When they put too much of their own spin on it, it can become tedious.
What did you think of Keys's performance?
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