We asked a professional soprano to appraise Lady Gaga's national anthem at the Biden inauguration

[UpInArms]

An expert soprano reacts

British soprano, Baroque specialist and much-loved broadcaster Catherine Bott shared her thoughts with us. “Well, as always, Lady Gaga made the occasion her own – starting with the gold microphone, accessorised by a massive gold brooch, pinned on what looked rather like the top half of a wetsuit, with a vast crimson skirt,” Bott begins.

“And her confident smile was reassuring as she sang: in the key of G flat major and staying in the no-mans-land of the contralto/mezzo-soprano registers, she began with appropriate classical dignity and 4 beats in the bar, just a hint of funky cross-rhythms in her phrasing of the words ‘Proudly we hailed’.

“Then into waltz time for the second half of the anthem, with a daring – and clearly deliberate – 5-beats-in-the-bar here and there. Perhaps the most poignant moment, after last week’s disturbances in the building behind her, came as her voice rose through the words ‘that our flag WAS STILL THERE’, and held – and held – that last note.

“Then, Lady Gaga gave us a final reminder of her mastery of pop style as she sailed aloft to celebrate ‘The Land of the Free and The Home of the Brave’ with some Mariah Carey-esque melismas. Carey could have reached some higher notes, but Gaga put her own unique heart and soul into what an American commentator immediately declared to be ‘a great rendition of our National Anthem’.

“Later on, mask in place, she could be seen joining in the communal singing of ‘Amazing Grace’. She was the right choice for today.”

https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/lady-gaga-national-anthem-biden-inauguration-singing-analysis/

Video at link ...

[ananda]

1. Lady Gaga was perfect!

She sang it beautifully.

[a kennedy]

2. Yup, she was fantastic.......

[JuJuYoshida]

3. not gonna lie, I got goosebumps

[mitch96]

30. I teared up like a 5 year old... amazing... nt

[lostnfound]

48. Goosebumps at "our flag was still there"

After a battle, the smoke cleared...

[AmyStrange]

4. Well said, and...

-

thank you for sharing.
========

[MFGsunny]

5. She owned the music and the moments.

She gave us back monumental mettle!

[GoCubsGo]

6. There are very few people who can sing the anthem without making my ears bleed.

Gaga is one of them. Or, should I say that she can sing it, rather than yodeling and caterwauling like many do. It was near perfect!

[Pacifist Patriot]

49. I feel the same.

I often wish our anthem was strictly instrumental. I am not a fan of the words, and it is notoriously difficult to sing well. I liked what she did with it.

[whistler162]

7. Shrug she was better than Rosanne Barr

but not by much!

[tonedevil]

22. That's like your opinion, man. /nt

[Lord Ludd]

26. The Dude abides

[japple]

31. I guess you wanted to hear Lee Greenwood sing it.

eom

[MLAA]

33. Roseanne and Lady Gaga don't belong in the same sentence 💕

[SlogginThroughIt]

40. You should probably just delete your post.

[DavidDvorkin]

42. She was quite bad.

[LanternWaste]

52. I imagine the contrarian demographic of DU has been looking to Jan 20 with antici.. (say it!) pation

But not by much...

[Lucinda]

8. ❤️✿❧🌿❧✿❤️

[trueblue2007]

9. "Later on, mask in place, she could be seen joining in the communal singing of 'Amazing Grace'.

“Later on, mask in place, she could be seen joining in the communal singing of ‘Amazing Grace’. She was the right choice for today.”

[fescuerescue]

10. Trivia: Lady Gaga guest starred on the Sopranos

She was one of the kids that helped to vandalize the pool at AJ's high school

[flibbitygiblets]

27. No shit!? So cool--thanks fescue! /nt

[zentrum]

37. Wow. Thanks!

[lame54]

11. GAGA vs MAGA

[Eyeball_Kid]

12. That was the best rendition of the

National anthem I ever heard.

Gaga is great.

[Karadeniz]

51. That's what I thought!

[catchnrelease]

55. Agreed

I normally hate the song and even the music to be honest. Always the same dreary, plodding melody. Even worse when some singers try to jazz it up with lots of extra notes. But Gaga's rendition and phrasing made me think of how someone might have said it at the original event/battle. With excitement--'Look, the flag is still flying!' and pride. Just my opinion, but it actually made me teary. And of course her voice is amazing and strong through the parts where many singers fade.

side note--I wish we had an anthem that was more about the country instead of a battle that could be about any nation in the world. Like 'America' but with out the god part--it at least describes the natural beauty of the country.

[archiemo]

13. Love her and loved every bit of this rendition!

[StarfishSaver]

14. I burst into years when she sang, "that our flag was still THERE!"

[llmart]

19. So did I.

I was sobbing and had goosebumps from the first note. She truly was the right person to sing it at this time.

[StarfishSaver]

20. It was so beautiful and moving

Especially in light of what happened on that very spot just two weeks ago.

The flag was still there and we are still here.

[llmart]

21. Yes, those were my exact thoughts when she got to that line in the song.

He truly wanted to destroy our democracy and become a dictator. Instead, the real patriots in this country showed him the door.

[electric_blue68]

15. Great rendition! And loved her outfit!

[enough]

16. Me too on both! NT

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

17. K & R. Perfect. Eat your little heart out, Donnie Dumpster. N/T

[BumRushDaShow]

18. That is one of the hardest songs to sing

(in a professional sense) and she easily belted it out. You could feel that come from her chest!

[Roy Rolling]

23. Best Ever

I’ve seen six decades of anthems and this is the absolute best. The change of timing was unique and her vocals are exquisite. Just beautiful.

[Dave in VA]

34. Agree

As a 68 yo white guy, I have heard hundreds of singers sing this song. With the exception of Whitney Houston at the NFL Super Bowl after the September 11, 2001 attack, this is the best rises to that level. I especially enjoyed her turning and looking back at the Capitol Building during part of the song.

[marble falls]

24. I was impressed by her voice and her performance.

[Joinfortmill]

25. She was awesone.

[flibbitygiblets]

28. her voice rose through the words 'that our flag WAS STILL THERE', and held -and held- that last note

That's the point that made my eyes well up. We ALL knew what she meant at that moment. Our republic stands. Our flag is still there.

[3catwoman3]

29. The changes in the phrasing were subtle enough...

...to be interesting without being jarring. Not to much embellishing.

She has quite the set of pipes.

[aka-chmeee]

43. I agree!

I believe that too many "embellishments" and "grace notes" only function is to accentuate the performer at the cost of the content.

[NJCher]

32. I echo the sentiments

of the poster(s) who said she sang it so my ears didn't hurt--one of the few who has ever been able to do that

She was totally fabulous, from the voice to the song interpretation to the dress.

However, I had one thought about the dress. I wonder if she chose it so it would look fabulous from drone photographs. We will know when the drone photos come out.

For any singer, this is a peak career moment and she would stand out great in that dress from a photo taken from above.

I admit I was a little nervous for a second when she made her way down the steps. That would be tough, trying to gracefully get down the steps in that dress. Thank Dog she had the escort.

[marieo1]

35. A national treasure

I have never heard the National Anthem sung so beautifully. Lady Gaga was perfect and it will not ever be forgotten!!

[paulkienitz]

36. she hit exactly the right line to sum up all the shit that had just happened:

OUR FLAG WAS STILL THERE.

[GulfCoast66]

38. Never thought I would here a version better that Houston's.

But I think today’s beat it.

I’m not really an emotional guy, but when she slowed down and belted out “Our Flag Was Still There” it got to me. We all knew what she was communicating.

[KPN]

39. Lady Gaga knocked it out today. And that's from

someone who isn’t a fan. She was awesome.

[locks]

41. I just wish

all of the popular singers if they are asked to sing the great songs we all love and have heard a thousand times would just sing the tunes as they were written and as we know them.

[GulfCoast66]

45. I sympathize, but if that were the case we would still hear the harpsichord

And not the piano when listening to the classics.

Styles and taste change. And while I generally prefer a traditional National Anthem, I felt the changes she made were specifically styled for the threat our Democracy faced.

When she belted out “our flag was still there’ she did slow down the song. But consider she turned he back to the audience and pointed at the flag on the Capitol which was attacked 2 weeks ago in an attempt to overturn our democracy. I thought that was powerful.

[SeattleVet]

53. As originally written and phrased:

Not sure this would be a big hit today. People are much more used to the pondering hymnal quality that it has become.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

44. It's not like Lady Gaga isn't a professional soprano.

But I agree. What I like the most about Gaga's music is her ability to play with the beat and modulate. She did both with class and moderation in the anthem.

[MustLoveBeagles]

46. She was great

[KPN]

47. Lady Gaga knocked it out today. And that's from

someone who isn’t a fan. She was awesome.

[bucolic_frolic]

50. I thought it was epic

but couldn't decide if, as some critics wrote, there were changes in 3/4, 4/4 at some points, and if that was planned or on the fly coordination with the band. No matter. As usual, Lady Gaga broke the rule book.

[bucolic_frolic]

57. The Lady Liberty visuals were Symbolism was for the Ages too

Who made her costume? Ballooned skirt, 1810 political cartoon style, pink - blend of red and white, much like the less dense reds of the Federalist period. (No actual Republican red in her Lady Liberty this day!) Blue, gold eagle, gold hair of course, black interwoven braids, black gloves. A caricature of the last time our Capitol was ransacked, the War of 1812. And the singing. Deeply respectful beginning, rousing descriptive lyrics, climax and peak in tone when the "flag was still there!", and it still is there despite the insurrection, and a bold, defiant ending that defines who Americans are and how they feel at this time.

You move people's emotions with symbolism. This was well orchestrated, and I thought it stole the show.

Did you see Mitch's eyeballs when VP Harris was speaking? A total displeased stare from what I saw.

[tiredtoo]

54. Never a fan of her

Could not even name a song of hers but, her rendition of the anthem was wonderful! IMHO

[Hekate]

56. One of the best renditions I've ever heard, & after the insurrection where the Traitors' Flag was...

...marched thru our Capitol Building, her musical phrasing and her gesture toward the US flag was nothing short of inspired. Lady Gaga brought tears to my eyes.

Thanks for this article — it’s always interesting to read the analysis of a pro.