Petition proposes R. Kelly’s ‘Ignition (Remix)’ as next national anthem

Could R. Kelly be the next Francis Scott Key?
Credit: Getty Images

The song you got down with during your high-school dances could be this nation’s next national anthem.

It probably won’t, but that didn’t stop someone by the name of S.R. in Wilmington, NC, to create a petition on WhiteHouse.gov proposing that R. Kelly’s 2003 hit “Ignition (Remix)” be the country’s new national anthem.

“We, the undersigned, would like the Obama administration to recognize the need for a new national anthem, one that even a decade after its creation, is still hot and fresh out the kitchen,” the petition reads.

While the idea may seem totally crazy and makes us wonder how S.R. has enough free time on his hands to create this petition, it already has almost 5,000 signatures in support of the cause.

“America has changed since Francis Scott Key penned our current anthem in 1814. Since then, we have realized that after the show, it’s the afterparty, and that after the party, it’s the hotel lobby, and–perhaps most importantly–that ’round about four, you’ve got to clear the lobby, at which point it’s strongly recommended that you take it to the room and freak somebody,” the petition reads on.

What do you think of this song choice? Does it reflect America in the way a national anthem should?

Follow Mary Ann Georgantopoulos on Twitter @marygeorgant