Imagine having millions of followers on Spotify and being a 23-year-old pop star, but still not being able to deliver a pleasing rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. This is the unfortunate reality for Conan Gray, whose recent performance of the national anthem at a Home Run Derby in Los Angeles has been dubbed as one of the worst ever attempted.

According to baseball fans in attendance, Gray’s version of the song was “impossibly bad”. The backlash on social media was swift, with dozens of Twitter and Instagram users ridiculing the young pop singer for his poor performance in front of a large audience.

Amidst the criticism, some fans came to Gray’s defense, citing his talent as a performer and urging others to listen to his album or watch any other live performance before judging his singing ability.

Gray, a native of Texas, rose to fame after uploading videos of himself on YouTube and has since gained a significant following on Spotify. His second album, Superache, received praise from both critics and fans and made it to the top ten charts in the United States and the United Kingdom.

While Gray’s fans continue to support him, it cannot be denied that his rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner will go down in history as one of the poorest performances of the American national anthem. Some even went as far as comparing his singing to Fergie’s infamous rendition at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game.

Listen to Gray’s performance below and decide for yourself. What do you think about his rendition during the Home Run Derby?