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Nelly Furtado Ruins Canada’s National Anthem At All-Star Game, Twitter Reacts

Nelly Furtado is trending this week on social media for her unique rendition of Canada’s national anthem “O Canada” at the NBA all-star game on February 14. While some fans were amazed by her ta...
Nelly Furtado Ruins Canada’s National Anthem At All-Star Game, Twitter Reacts
Written by Val Powell
  • Nelly Furtado is trending this week on social media for her unique rendition of Canada’s national anthem “O Canada” at the NBA all-star game on February 14. While some fans were amazed by her take on the country’s national anthem, some were clearly not impressed.

    Furtado and Ne-Yo kicked off the NBA all-star game, performing their countries’ national hymn. Furtado, 37, sang a slow version of “O Canada” and was accompanied by Native American flutist Tony Duncan on an instrument made by Saskatoon’s Richard Dube.

    Watch Nelly Furtado’s Rendition of ‘O’ Canada’ at All-Star Game

    Audience at the Air Canada Centre cheered after Furtado sang, but televiewers took to Twitter to slam the singer for her rendition of their national anthem. CBC Toronto asked its Twitter followers for their opinion on Furtado’s performance, and many were upset and disappointed because it seemed the singer was not able to give justice to the song.

    One Twitter follower called it the “worst rendition ever!” while another said he felt “betrayed.” ESPN commentator Michael Wilbon also reacted to the singer’s performance tweeting, “Is Nelly Furtado having a breakdown? That’s about the worst performance of the Canadian Anthem I’ve ever heard…”

    However, some fans were delighted to see Furtado on the court singing “O Canada” and they believe the “I’m Like a Bird” singer did a great job for keeping the melody slow and the accompaniment simple. The Canadian singer has over 20 million albums sold worldwide but she has been quiet on the music scene lately.

    @tresbanging commented: “I love that @NellyFurtado opted for simple accompaniment for her performance.”
    “My girl Nelly Furtado just nailed the national anthem at the NBA Allstar game! #NBAAllStarTO,” Twitter user @docchrisblair wrote.

    Before Furtado showcased her unique vocals, Ne-Yo performed a low-key version of the U.S. national hymn “Star Spangled Banner.”

    Ne-Yo Performs ‘Star Spangled Banner’ at All-Star Game

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