Singer Rachel Platten has broken her silence following accusations of “fake crying” after singing the national anthem ahead of the Vikings-Rams playoff game in Arizona on Monday night.
Platen, who entertained fans with a pregame show at the State Farm Stadium, changed the lyrics of her hit single ‘Fight Song” to honor Los Angeles amid the deadly wildfires. She tweaked the line “I might only have one match, but I can make an explosion,” changing it to “We might have been knocked down, but I know we’ll keep going.”
The performance attracted some buzz on social media, as some users argued over whether it was appropriate. Fans also accused her of faking it after she appeared to cry after singing the anthem.
Tonight’s national anthem performed by singer songwriter and author Rachel Platten pic.twitter.com/19VBeVtr6V
— 𝒥𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝒯𝑒𝑒𝓃⚡️🤍| Fan Account (@Rlop1234Goat) January 14, 2025
Fake crying after singing the anthem 😂
— Elliot (@Elliot_Dennis) January 14, 2025
Rachel Platten Breaks Her Silence
The singer has since discussed the performance with Billboard, claiming the night was an emotional one for her, given the circumstances.
“It was such an emotional night,” she said. “It was so much bigger than me and the song.”
She also had a strong message about mourning and healing.
“I feel really incredibly grateful for the whole night,” Platten added. “We can do so many things with tragedy. We can mourn together, and we can cry together — but then there are also times to be strong together. What I felt on stage was, ‘May this song touch people like medicine, may this song be healing.’ I did feel a reverberation and an echo in the stadium of that hunger for hope in the midst of darkness. Sometimes music can do what words can’t.”
Platten hopes her performance inspired at least a few fans. But we have to imagine the Rams did, as they shocked the Vikings with an otherworldly defensive outing on the night.
The performance saw them progress to the Divisional Round, where they will face the Philadelphia Eagles, who beat the Green bay Packers to secure their own progression.
The city of L.A. needed such a result, especially after the Chargers lost, but it will be a long time before it can rebound from the disaster, especially given that it remains a significant threat after claiming 25 lives and destroying thousands of structures.
