Fergie Defends Christina Aguilera's Anthem Accident

USMagazine, Monday, February 7, 2011, 1:01pm (PST)

There are probably only a handful of people who know exactly what it's like for Christina Aguilera to be scrutinized for her Super Bowl performance -- and one of them is Fergie. The Black Eyed Pea rushed to her fellow singer's defense on Monday, after Christina was criticized for flubbing the words to the national anthem.

"You know what? It's such a huge venue, your nerves take a hold of you," Fergie told listeners during Dan Patrick's radio show. "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."

And, Fergie says, there were problems with her halftime show performance, too. "Some of my notes were pitchy to me," she admitted, though she says she still had a great time. "It

was so exhilarating. The whole thing. It was so big. That's a once-in-a-lifetime thing."

Aguilera apologized for her lyrical mix-up earlier today. "I got so caught up in the moment of the song that I lost my place," Aguilera said in a statement. "I can only hope that everyone could feel my love for this country and that the true spirit of its anthem still came through."

RELATED ON WONDERWALL & MSN:

See which celebs went to Super Bowl parties

Learn all about the Black Eyed Peas on MSN

VIDEO: The Black Eyed Peas plan their Super Bowl halftime show

RELATED ON USMAGAZINE.COM:

PHOTOS: Fergie's style evolution

VIDEO: Check out the best Superbowl commercials

PHOTOS: Celebs at the Superbowl