7-Year-Old Girl’s National Anthem Blows Crowd Away at the MLS Game

9/26/2018
Updated:
12/30/2023

On Sept. 23, 7-year-old Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja performed the national anthem before a game between the L.A. Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders, which stunned the soccer enthusiasts attending the match.

According to ABC News, the Galaxy announced that Malea had won the chance to sing the national anthem at the Sunday game on social media on Wednesday, Sept. 19.

The Galaxy told the outlet that it was the first time they had picked a national anthem singer by hosting a social media contest.

In the video, the master of ceremonies introduced Malea Emma as a “tiny but mighty” performer at the Major League Soccer opening.

“I was thinking that I cannot do anything wrong because it’s a really special song to America,” Malea told ABC.

She also said that she had practiced every night singing to a lamp with her dad coaching her before the Sunday performance.

Even Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who plays forward for the LA Galaxy, has retweeted a clip of Malea’s national anthem performance, captioning “MVP of the game!”

“The Star-Spangled Banner” was previously performed by Fergie at the NBA All-Star game in February 2018, which has drawn various controversies regarding her rendition.