Published on: November 24, 2024, 12:25h. 

Last updated on: November 24, 2024, 12:27h.

Boyz II Men attracted some unwanted attention at the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday by delivering a disappointing a cappella rendition of the national anthem.

It was evident that the award-winning soul group, famous for their 1992 hit “End of the Road,” encountered difficulties right from the start. Their attempt at harmonizing during the national anthem resulted in a flat note that they struggled to recover from.

Struggling with the Anthem

Immediately, social media began to criticize the performance.

GPFans editor Chris Deeley tweeted: “Boyz II Men delivered the worst anthem rendition of the season.”

“My ears are bleeding,” said Threads user @casperalizander.

“Maybe they didn’t have proper monitoring,” suggested Threads user @formulawhat. “The wind can be challenging. (I’m trying to cope. This is me, 90s R&B coping.)”

Watch the performance for yourself…

About a month before the event, band member Wanya Morris had hyped up the performance.

“I don’t think F1 has ever experienced the Boyz II Men touch on the anthem,” he stated. “We’ve been told it’s quite impressive.”

Striving for Excellence

Although Boyz II Men’s rendition was subpar, it still pales in comparison to infamous versions of the national anthem. Comedian Roseanne Barr’s disastrous performance in 1990, which involved off-key singing and disrespectful behavior, remains the gold standard for anthem mishaps. Other notable failures include Christina Aguilera’s mix-up of lyrics and notes at Super Bowl XLV, Carl Lewis’s off-key rendition before a 1993 Chicago Bulls game, and Fergie’s unconventional performance that left basketball stars Draymond Green and Steph Curry chuckling at the 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend.