Before the Los Angeles Dodgers secured an early lead against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, Canadian baseball enthusiasts voiced their discontent regarding the rendition of the national anthem that kicked off Game 3 of the World Series.
A Facebook user within a public Blue Jays fan group expressed their disappointment, questioning the identity of the performer singing O Canada, who was purportedly a Grammy-nominated artist. The solo performance by Canadian singer JP Saxe at Dodger Stadium, where he delivered an a cappella rendition of O Canada, elicited a wave of criticism on social media.
Critics primarily focused on the quality of Saxe’s singing, with some Blue Jays supporters also taking exception to his alteration of the anthem’s lyrics. Instead of “our home and native land,” Saxe sang “our home on native land.”
This modification is not unprecedented, as Canadian R&B artist Jully Black had previously made a similar change during the NBA All-Star game in Salt Lake City in 2023 to draw attention to colonialism and the mistreatment of Indigenous communities in Canada.
Although Saxe faced online backlash for his performance, some individuals came to his defense, emphasizing his pride in singing the anthem. CBC News attempted to reach out to Saxe for comment but received no response at the time of publication.
In a twist of fate, Saxe, who had encountered ticket sales challenges for his tour earlier in the year, had to cancel the tour despite a public plea for support. Subsequently, the Jonas Brothers invited Saxe to perform his popular track “If the World Was Ending” during their tour stop at the Rogers Centre in August.
Deborah Cox is slated to perform the Canadian national anthem during Game 4 of the World Series, while Rufus Wainwright will take the stage for Game 5. Cox, known for hits like “Beautiful U R,” is a Grammy-nominated artist and a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Wainwright, a Canadian-American Juno winner and Grammy nominee, will deliver the rendition of O Canada at Game 5.