Nezza breaks down after singing the national anthem in Spanish at Dodgers game despite being told not to: ‘Out of all days… I needed to do it’.
Latin-R&B artist Nezza turned a performance into a powerful act of defiance and emotional expression at Saturday’s Los Angeles Dodgers game, singing “The Star Spangled Banner” in Spanish even after being explicitly told she could not.
In a TikTok post that quickly went viral—garnering over 4 million views by Sunday afternoon—Nezza shared footage that began with a Dodgers representative informing her that the anthem would need to be sung in English. “We are gonna do the song in English today,” the rep says. Her smile immediately fades before the clip cuts to her proudly finishing the anthem en español, drawing cheers from the crowd.
The singer, who wore a Dominican Republic jersey during the performance, captioned her post: “Watch the Dodgers tell me I can’t sing the Spanish ‘Star Spangled Banner’ that Roosevelt literally commissioned in 1945… So I did it anyway.”
@babynezzapara mi gente ❤️ i stand with you♬ original sound – nezz
In a tearful follow-up video later that night, Nezza opened up about why the moment meant so much to her. “Bear with me ’cause I’m still very shaken up and emotional,” she said, referencing the historical legitimacy of the Spanish-language version of the anthem. “It was officially commissioned in 1945 by the U.S. State Department as a part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s good neighbor policy to foster a better relationship with Latin America.”
Her emotional breakdown was raw and deeply personal. “I’ve sung the national anthem (in English) many times in my life, but today out of all days I could not, I’m sorry,” she explained. “I just felt like I needed to do it.”
@babynezzai love you guys stay safe out there♬ original sound – nezz
Nezza, of Colombian-Dominican descent and a Bay Area native, also reflected on her immigrant parents and the pain she felt considering recent immigration crackdowns. “They got documented really early, but I just can’t imagine them being ripped away from me,” she said, wiping away tears. “What are we doing?”
Though she worried aloud that she may be banned from the stadium—“Safe to say I’m never allowed in that stadium ever again”—the Dodgers told the Los Angeles Times there were no repercussions. On background, a team spokesperson confirmed there would be “no consequences” and that Nezza is welcome back.
Nezza previously performed the anthem in English at an Oakland A’s game in the Bay Area on June 3, possibly influencing the Dodgers’ assumption that she would do the same.
The singer-songwriter-dancer, who graduated from Santa Clara High and moved to L.A. to pursue music, released her debut EP Club Solita in 2021. While much of her discography is in English, her most streamed song on Spotify is the Spanish-language “Corazon Frio.” Her latest single, “Classy,” dropped June 6 via Plush, setting the stage for her upcoming debut album.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers have faced criticism from local media and fans alike for remaining silent amid heightened ICE raids and growing unrest in L.A.’s Latino communities. L.A. Times columnist Dylan Hernández called out the team’s reluctance to speak out, writing, “The Dodgers boast that more than 40% of their fan base is Latino, but they can’t even be bothered to offer the shaken community any words of comfort.”
Manager Dave Roberts addressed the unrest only vaguely, calling baseball a “positive distraction.” Popular player Kike Hernández, however, directly acknowledged the crisis on Instagram, writing in both Spanish and English, “I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart.” He ended with the hashtag #CityOfImmigrants.
In the midst of this climate, Nezza’s decision to sing the anthem in Spanish was not just musical—it was personal, political, and deeply resonant. “Everything I do is out of love,” she said. “And I am proud of myself for doing that today.”
