“Oh say can you see….” we all make mistakes

Christina Aguilera will be remembered for singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl, but not for the reason she probably hoped. Even though she knocked the vocals out of the park, it’s hard to praise her voice when she sang the wrong lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

I’m not an expert on memory or nerves, so I can’t offer the reason for her mistake. What I can comment on from a public relations perspective is the way she handled the after-math. Aguilera responded gracefully and respectively. Like Aguilera, below are two important steps to smoothing over a crisis:

Own the mistake: According to the Huffington Post, Aguilera said, "I got so lost in the moment of the song that I lost my place. I can only hope that everyone could feel my love for this country and that the true spirit of its anthem still came through." She openly admitted to her mistake, not that she had a choice. I mean, it’s one of the largest televised events in the U.S. Nevertheless, instead of hiding from the media, she answered questions regarding the blunder and apologized.

Offer a solution: Aguilera apologized to the public and remained positive. Even though she messed up the lyrics, she reflected on the true patriotism and spirit of the anthem with her public statement..

Aguilera may have a reputation for forgetting notable lyrics for awhile, but she handled the situation correctly. Some celebrities, like Super Bowl half time singer Fergie, have supported Aguilera. In a recent Twirlit blog post, Fergie said, “it’s such a huge venue, your nerves take a hold of you. I completely understand, she’s one of the best singers of our time. Nobody can take that away from you….But you get nervous at these things. We’re human.”

True fans like someone they can relate to, so if Aguilera plays her cards right, her singing blunder might turn into a success story.