Fans at Game 2 of the World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers were divided over national anthem performances by Bebe Rexha and Alessia Cara on Saturday night. Rexha, an award-winning LA-based artist, sang the US national anthem, while Canadian singer Cara performed O Canada at the Rogers Centre.
Rexha's rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner drew sharp criticism on social media. One fan on X described it as 'the worst I've ever heard,' while another wrote, 'Worlds series national anthem was terrible like our country is right now.' A third user complained, 'Why can't anyone just sing the damn anthem the way it was written? You don't hear Canada turning their anthem into a blues song!'
However, some viewers praised Rexha's performance. One post called it 'a stunning performance,' and another said, 'She was an absolute queen and smashed this song right out of the park.' Cara's rendition of O Canada also received mixed reactions, with some fans calling it 'great' or 'incredible,' while others felt she was 'outperformed by the American Anthem singer.'
The controversy followed a similarly divisive anthem performance before Game 1 on Friday. Gospel choir group The Voices of Fire, featuring Pharrell Williams, performed both anthems with a local orchestra. While some fans called it 'the best national anthem performance I've seen,' others labelled it 'the biggest waste of time ever' and 'embarrassing.'
