Canadian National Anthem Singer References Indigenous Land With Controversial Change To Lyrics At NBA All-Star Game

The NBA All-Star Game has long served as an opportunity for musical artists to experiment with the national anthem, whether right or wrong, and Sunday was no different. Canadian R&B icon Jully Black made a small, controversial change to the lyrics of 'O Canada' that has sparked a lot of debate.

There have been quite a few instances throughout the years where the national anthem singer at the NBA All-Star Game took creative liberties with the arrangement. Where some people believe that the anthem should be sung as written, others appreciate the musicality.

Marvin Gay's rendition in 1983 stands out as one of the most famous.

Fergie's, though, is perhaps the most famous for all of the wrong reasons.

Jewel sang the Star Spangled Banner on Sunday night and did not stray too far from the original arrangement.

Black, who sang the Canadian anthem, did not mess too much with the notes themselves. She chose to make her change not in the music, but in the lyric.

The rewrite to 'O Canada!' was subtle, but bold.

Canadian anthem lyrics open: "O Canada! Our home and native land!"

Black changed the lyrics to begin "O Canada! Our home on native land!"

Most Americans who do not know the lyrics to 'O Canada' likely didn't notice. Here is her performance:

Black's decision to change "and" to "on" was deliberate. She spoke with TSN after her performance and explained why she made the switch.

The change, while small and fairly insignificant, carried a lot of weight and made an intentional statement. It's also worth noting that Canada changed its anthem to include gender-neutral language in 2018.

Black's decision received praise from some, but saw pushback from others.

What do you think of Black's decision?