Kinsley Murray, eight, draws Fergie comparisons with ‘passionate’ National Anthem at Pacers game

‘Icon. She’s going places,’ says viewer

A little girl has gone viral for her performance of the US national anthem at an NBA game.

Kinsley Murray, eight, kicked off the Indiana Pacers vs Toronto Raptors game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday 26 February with a powerful rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and Canada’s national anthem, “O Canada”.

Murray was decked out in a glittering red, white, and blue gown printed with the American flag as she belted the national anthem. She accessorised her ensemble with silver star clips in her hair, white gloves, and a pearl necklace.

The eight year old put on a show-stopping performance, throwing her hands in the air with every high note. A clip of Murray singing was posted to the Pacers’ official TikTok account, where it’s since been viewed more than five million times.

“The passion. The outfit. This anthem performance was unmatched,” they captioned the video.

“Icon. She’s going places,” one TikTok user commented.

“She’s a star omg,” said someone else.

“No one’s gonna talk about her high notes tho? She’s killing it,” a third person wrote.

In fact, Murray drew many comparisons to another singer who went viral for her own version of the national anthem: pop star Fergie. For those who are unaware, the former Black Eyed Peas member received millions of views on her jazzy performance of the national anthem at the NBA All-Star Game in 2018.

In response to Murray’s video, one person commented: “Fergie is calling.”

“Fergie’s long lost child,” another pointed out.

“All I’m saying is that no one has seen her and Fergie in the same room,” someone else jokingly said.

This isn’t the first time Murray has gone viral for singing the national anthem; she’s actually performed hundreds of times before at other sporting events throughout Washington state, according to KREM 2 News. Back in November 2021, Murray received internet attention after performing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Gonzaga Bulldogs women’s college basketball game when she was just aged six.

“The experience was absolutely amazing,” Murray told The Spokesman-Review at the time. “I loved the big roar that I heard when I was done. The roar makes me get better and better.”