Canadian anthem singer Chantal Kreviazuk breaks silence after she changed ‘O Canada’ lyric during 4 Nations Face-Off final

The Grammy-nominated singer who altered the Canadian national anthem during a hockey game to make a statement against President Trump

Chantal Kreviazuk, the Grammy-nominated singer, changed the lyrics of the Canadian national anthem during the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game in Boston as a way to express her disapproval of abuses of power. Despite apologizing for any pitch imperfections, she defended her decision to modify the anthem’s lyrics.

In an Instagram post, Kreviazuk explained, “In this very peculiar and potentially consequential moment, I truly believe that we must stand up, use our voices, and try to protect ourselves. We should express our outrage in the face of any abuses of power.”

The Winnipeg native intentionally changed the lyrics from “in all of us command” to “that only us command” while performing the Canadian national anthem before the game began.

She further expressed, “I am sorry if you think that we’d be better off annexed. 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.”

Kreviazuk’s representative indicated that the change in lyrics was a response to the escalating political tension between the United States and Canada.

She had planned the lyric alteration in advance, as evidenced by a photo she shared with the updated phrase written on her hand. Prior to her performance, she posted several images on her Instagram story, including a video where she expressed how honored she felt to sing the anthem.

Although President Trump did not attend the championship game, he showed his support for the American team via a social media post. The rivalry between the two nations was evident during the tournament, with fans booing each other’s national anthems at different venues.

Despite the controversy surrounding her lyric change, Kreviazuk stood by her decision, emphasizing the importance of using art to express truth and stand up against perceived injustices.

The competition ended with Canada defeating the US in a thrilling overtime victory, setting the stage for a potential rematch at the Winter Olympics in 2026.