Ingrid Andress seeks redemption with national anthem performance at Colorado Avalanche game

Last July, country singer Ingrid Andress went viral for her rendition of the U.S. national anthem at the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby. She was slammed for what was deemed one of the worst performances of "The Star-Spangled Banner" ever. On Friday night, she reemerged, seeking redemption at an NHL game. 

The day after the Home Run Derby, Andress posted an apology to MLB, the fans and the United States. She announced to the public that she had been drunk during the performance. The Grammy-nominated singer revealed she was checking herself into rehab to get the help she needed. She hadn’t been seen or heard from publicly since then.

Andress makes a comeback at Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild game

In her first public appearance in seven months, Andress surprised us by appearing at the Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild game at Ball Arena in Denver on Friday night. The Avalanche gave her a shot to redeem herself. Andress took another stab at singing the national anthem before the game wearing an Avalanche jersey with her name on the back.

This rendition sounded significantly better than her previous one. Andress posted the video of her performance on Instagram and X, captioning it, “We’re back baby. Thank you @Avalanche 🏔️” The video showed Andress for a few moments after the performance, too. She was giddy, squealing with excitement about her comeback. Andress was well-received by the Colorado crowd.

Supportive comments about Andress's performance and her courage poured in.

But reactions were mixed, as some people felt that the performance wasn’t good.

Alas, there will always be critics. Andress’s courage should be recognized. It took a lot of guts to get back out there in public and give the anthem another go after viral humiliation. This was the perfect way, and perhaps the only way, for her to move forward in her career.

Prior to the Home Run Derby flub, Andress had announced a new single titled “Colorado 9.” Following the debacle, she never released the single. After her return to the microphone on Friday night to achieve redemption, fans can hope that she will return to releasing music. Andress appears ready for her next chapter.