(Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Over the weekend, Loomis was all the talk on social media after a video of her fumbling a National Anthem performance went viral. Organizers of the Free and Equals Elections presidential debate selected the singer for the opening performance of ‘Star-Spangled Banner.’
However, seconds into the performance, Loomis fumbled the words, cussed on live television, and proceeded to explain herself in between trying to recoup. Now, she’s apologizing for ruining her long-desired opportunity.
As mentioned, the presidential debate for the independent candidates aired live on Thursday (Oct. 24). As Loomis took the mic, she successfully sang the first few lines of the national anthem. However, while approaching a higher note, she seemingly became nervous, and her voice cracked. Struggling to recover, she let her inner thoughts out with no filter!
“I f**ked it up. I f**ked it up. Can I go back, can I go back please,” she asked, looking around for production.After someone off-camera reminded her that the performance was live, she tried to recover the performance. After another lyric, she paused and explained, “I got too nervous.”
As social media users ate her up, including comparing her slip-up to Fergie’s at the 2018 NBA All-Star game, she took to Instagram Stories to defend herself. According to TODAY, she shared throwback clips of other performances, adding “I swear I’m not that bad” to at least one post.
On Oct. 26, the singer shared a video and written apology for the double fumble via Instagram. In her caption, she apologized to the organization, their production team, and viewers. Additionally, she explained why she dropped the ball.
“I was a little late there and didnt have a clear cue, which left me flustered when we went live! I know it wasnt my best, and Im truly sorry if it didnt hit the mark. I take full responsibility on my part and ask that you dont use this incident to reflect on the artist Im am and trying to be,” Loomis said.
She added that she felt “grateful for the opportunity and all the love and support” she has received during this “lesson.” Loomis also expressed her excitement about the recovery process. She shared similar sentiments in her video apology as she did in her caption. The singer said she’s wanted to do a national anthem performance since she was a child but was scared to mess it up and ultimately did.
