US singer Loomis has apologised after she swore on live TV during a performance of the United States’ national anthem.
Loomis' performance of the Star-Spangled Banner during last week’s independent candidate discussion was televised live on C-Span - and her mistake soon led a clip from the rendition go viral on social media.
The young artist apologised to the team at Free and Equal Elections, which organised the debate, for the “mishap” in an Instagram video posted on over the weekend.
Loomis said: “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to mess up the national anthem.”
“This has been something I’ve been scared of since I was a little girl… I was scared I was gonna fail and then I did, and the world’s seen it,” she said.
After singing the line “and the rocket’s red glare”, she swore and said: “Can I go back, can I go back please?”
Unfortunately, a member of the production team replied: “You can’t. We’re live.”
Loomis is far from the first performer to suffer an unfortunate mistake while belting out the difficult-to-sing track. The Black Eyed Peas’ Fergie famously messed up the Star-Spangled Banner at an NBA All-Star Game in 2018.
Who is Loomis?
Loomis is new to the music scene with approximately 31,000 followers on Instagram.
The artist hasn’t released an album yet but put out her first single, Cereal, in 2021, followed by a second single I Want the World in 2022. Her usual music is a mix of indie and rap.
Loomis is Sicilian and based in Los Angeles.
What have people said about her national anthem performance?
Many users have taken to X to talk about the mistake, with one quipping that “messing it up before the presidential debate is a perfect parallel of our countries political economy.”
Another accused here of “butchering” the track while a third, more sympathetic, X user explaining why the Star-Spangled Banner is such a difficult track to sing.
Loomis singing the national anthem and then messing it up before the presidential debate is a perfect parallel of our countries political economy
— Hibah (@xubsurat1) October 28, 2024
Loomis butchering the National Anthem ended me. I'm not getting over it. When she cussed???😭😭😭😭😭😭
— Cleopatra Mokokoane (@CleopatraDK) October 27, 2024
🧵Here's what's going on. Star Spangled Banner is one of the most notoriously difficult sings in the world. It starts a full octave lower than its highest point. "And the rockets' red glare" sits on vowel sounds that sound weird in legit quality if you've been belting so far. https://t.co/X7HvazEUGV
— Sooz Kempner is going on tour! L I N K I N B I O (@SoozUK) October 27, 2024
