CNN
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Singer Chantal Kreviazuk changed the lyrics of the Canadian national anthem during the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game between the US and Canada on Thursday, adding further fuel to a contest already layered with political tension.
Kreviazuk changed the line “in all of us command” to “that only us command” in her pre-game performance of “O Canada,” later posting a photo of the altered lyric written on her hand on Instagram.
Publicist Adam Gonshor told The Associated Press that Kreviazuk made the change to protest President Donald Trump’s comments about turning Canada into the 51st state of the US.
Kreviazuk, who is from Winnipeg, alluded to the friction between the two countries on Instagram, writing: “i am sorry if you think that we’d be better off annexed. here is the thing. art to me is an expression of our truth. and in this very peculiar and potentially consequential moment i truly believe that we must stand up, use our voices and try to protect ourselves…
“no – we should express our outrage in the face of any abuses of power. i was raised in part by music that was inspired by brave voices committed to peaceful conflict resolution.
“Canada , not unlike ukraine is a sovereign nation. period. we have a culture individual to others. we are united in our values. we care. we’re kind. We are strong.”
Since the start of his presidency, Trump has repeatedly stated his desire to see Canada become the 51st state of the US, aimed jabs at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and threatened massive tariffs that would have a devastating impact on Canada’s economy.
This has led to “The Star-Spangled Banner” being booed at rinks across Canada in recent weeks, including on Saturday in Montreal before the first 4 Nations Face-Off clash between the two teams.
“O Canada” was booed briefly before Thursday’s game in Boston, but it appeared as though much of the crowd was singing the Canadian anthem together by its conclusion.
Canada went on to win 3-2 in overtime and capture the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off championship – a midseason international tournament hosted by the NHL.
After the game, Kreviazuk posted a photo of herself on Instagram doing a fist pump with the caption, “and justice prevails.”
Trudeau emphasized the recent bad blood between the US and Canada after the game, posting on X: “You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.”