“Who is Ingrid Andress” is a very popular Google search after the 32-year-old country singer’s performance of the National Anthem at the MLB Home Run Derby on Monday (July 16).

The short answer: Andress is a three-time Grammy nominated singer with a pair of Top 5 country hits. The long answer helps explain what may have happened when she sang the Anthem in Arlington, Texas.

• Andress is signed to Warner Nashville via a cooperation with Atlantic Records.
• She grew up near Denver, Colo.
• Her two studio albums are the critically-acclaimed Lady Like (2020) and Good Person (2022).

Who Is Ingrid Andress?

Ingrid Andress broke through with a female empowerment anthem called “Lady Like” in early 2019. The song received tremendous acclaim from critics, for both its lyrical integrity and musical appeal. Strong live performances and several music videos earned millions of streams.

A song called “More Hearts Than Mine” was her first big hit. It made Taste of Country’s list of the Best Country Songs of 2019 (No. 2) and received near-universal praise for the her performance and message. Two years later, her Sam Hunt duet “Wishful Drinking” became another Top 5 and once again made ToC’s year-end list.

For five years Andress was a popular opening act on tours (Dan + Shay, Keith Urban, Walker Hayes), in part because of her small, but dedicated fanbase, but also because she was a very good live performer.

Andress is not a stage neophyte, which makes what happened at the Home Run Derby so perplexing.

Ingrid Andress at the MLB Home Run Derby

Part of Andress’ appeal is her pure talent as a vocalist. She graduated from Berklee College of Music and once competed on NBC’s The Sing-Off as part of an a cappella group called Pitch Slapped. Pop-singer/songwriter (and former American Idol judge) Kara KioGuardi mentored her.

“Lady Like” showcases her range and ability to pour emotion into a song. Album cuts like “Good Person” rely on her ability to sustain low notes and subtle tones. Andress made just about every New Artist to Watch list from 2018 to 2020 because of her rare ability to combine top-level songwriting with powerful, meaningful vocals.

So, what happened?

Andress hasn’t yet commented on her criticized National Anthem performance, but she does have a show scheduled for Wednesday night (July 17) in Nashville.

A screen-grab of a message sent to her fan club prior to the anthem finds her talking about parting with members of her team and dealing with depression in recent months.

“I was at the lowest point I’ve ever been,” she shares.

Other artists have struggled with the National Anthem on large MLB stages, too: Luke Bryan famously wrote the lyrics on his hand prior to his 2012 performance and received tremendous criticism.

Historically, many artists have chosen to pre-record the National Anthem due to the pressure of the moment and difficulties in singing in that type of venue without a practical rehearsal.

Billy Dukes is a Senior Editor and Executive Producer of Video Content at Taste of Country. He specializes in country music interviews, trend analysis and the Secret History of Country Music. Additionally, Billy covers Yellowstone, 1923 and related television shows through the Dutton Rules podcast. To date, he’s written more than 13,000 articles for Taste of Country and produced over 3,000 videos for the Taste of Country YouTube channel.