The Canadian songstress who sang the American national anthem before an NFL game over the weekend has finally addressed the controversy her performance sparked online. Cassandra DiFruscio captivated the audience at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara by singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” just before the San Francisco 49ers faced off against the Seattle Seahawks. Originally from Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario, Canada, DiFruscio now resides in Nashville.

Though her rendition garnered mixed responses, some fans were outraged that a Canadian was chosen to perform the U.S. anthem on such a prominent occasion. A few days after her San Francisco performance, the 32-year-old artist spoke out, affirming her commitment to her craft despite the criticism. “My focus is on singing, and anthem performances can evoke strong and varied emotions,” she explained to CTV News, a Canadian television network. “I’m certainly not the first to face scrutiny over an anthem performance.”

DiFruscio continued, expressing her enthusiasm to continue performing the anthem. She began singing anthems at the age of 14 during her older brother’s junior hockey games and has since taken the stage for several Toronto sports teams, including the MLB’s Blue Jays, NBA’s Raptors, and NHL’s Maple Leafs. Despite the online backlash, her performance was met with enthusiastic applause at Levi’s Stadium, and the 49ers organization offered immense support behind the scenes. “They were incredibly supportive,” she emphasized.

DiFruscio has also performed the anthem at various NBA playoff games, and Saturday night’s showdown between the 49ers and Seahawks had major playoff implications. Seattle’s 13-3 victory in Santa Clara handed them the No. 1 seed in the NFC, ensuring they get a bye week and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.