Need to clarify, Dom.
Are you defending or criticizing CA?
I am going against CA. I didn't hear what she did, but I heard about it. It doesn't matter what song a singer is singing, if they forget the words they are a bad worker. The music industry is a industry. It's entertainment, it has performers. CA is a part of it and is an entertainer.
I don't see how anyone with a record deal can screw up this song. Even then, they should have had plenty of time to practice it. Yet she is the one with the record deal and here I sit complaining that I don't. It's just one of those things when you see someone that lacks the skill to fit the job have the job. I know we all see it, I sure have... I have to admit I was that guy when I worked for my father.
So who knows. Maybe they wanted her to screw it up so we would keep talking about her. Look what we are doing now? We are discussing a poor performance (of which the performer has had years of experience with positive feedback) instead of the game itself. This is probably just what they wanted. Seems to happen every few years. First Janet Jackson, now this.
Whatever it is, it'll be forgotten about soon. Water under the bridge. Maybe brought up again next year, but that's it.
Not to stroke my ego, but I did something like this years ago, but didn't screw it up. For high school home coming in 2001 I played the anthem on my electric guitar in front of the whole school Jimmi Hendricks style. Being that 9-11 just happened and I was spelling it out like Jimmi people loved it. I was getting the good word for days. Even bullies that hated me came up to me and said it was the best version they ever heard of that song. SO I know what it can mean to someone to play/sing that song the way it should be done. It's a shame people like CA get the green light and screw it up. I had to play my version so make sure it was okay first then I got the approval.
I know how it's done. I've done it before and did it well. Only took about 10 minutes of editing sheet music (while in math class) and 20 minutes of practice at home. Standing ovation and enemies are now friends. It's simple. You have it or you don't. That night CA wasn't having it.
The next year a new teacher came around and told me not to do it. I cranked the amp and did it anyway for the following home coming and got the electric guitar banned from school. Decent crowd response, but nothing like in 2001.