Anthony Hamilton mesmerized crowd with national anthem at All-Star game, putting Fergie to shame

Anthony Hamilton delivered a breathtaking rendition of the national anthem on Sunday night, and the reactions couldn’t be more different from those that trailed last year’s performance by Fergie.

Hamilton was chosen to perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the NBA All-Star Game, and the singer/songwriter did not only impress the audience but also managed to win the approval of social media users.

The NBA shared a video of Hamilton’s performance on its YouTube page and netizens could not get over how the R&B singer, rocking a gold jacket and black pants, mesmerized everyone with a song that has been heard over and over again.

“Anthony Hamilton is the most underrated R&B singer of all time,” commented one YouTube user in response to the video.

“He makes you feel like you never heard the anthem a million times,” chimed in another.

The brilliance of Hamilton’s performance only further highlighted last year’s and the backlash that followed it.

Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie, decided to put a sultry spin on the national anthem but the result was laughter from the audience -- including some of the basketball players -- and outrage on social media.

Hamilton's vocal prowess is not the only thing that makes his performance a hit.

The "Big Girls Don't Cry" singer apologized for her lackluster performance in a statement sent to TMZ.

“I’ve always been honored and proud to perform the national anthem, and last night I wanted to try something special for the NBA,” she said. “I’m a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn’t strike the intended tone. I love this country and honestly tried my best.”

As it often turns out, the internet never forgets, and they pulled a lot of comparisons between Fergie and Hamilton.

One person was quite brutal in their assessment:

“He could've just read the National Anthem and it would've been better than Fergie's performance.”

Another person addressed Fergie saying:

“This right here is how you put a spin on the national anthem... Fergie.”

Folks have also placed Hamilton’s anthem version in the same league as Marvin Gaye’s 1983 performance, which is widely regarded as the greatest rendition of the National Anthem.

Meanwhile, Hamilton's vocal prowess is not the only thing that makes his performance a hit among internet users. The Grammy winner also has his bass guitarist to thank.

Towards the end of the anthem, Hamilton decided to put his twist on the song, and even though most folks didn't seem to mind, the guitarist seemed a bit thrown off and showed his displeasure with a face that has quickly become viral.

See the stirring rendition below. The guitarist's epic facial reaction is at the 2:15 mark.