Sophia Michaels
Chris Stapleton became the third consecutive country music singer to perform the national anthem at the Super Bowl on Sunday.
Dressed in all black and sunglasses, accompanied only by his guitar, the “Tennessee Whiskey” vocalist delivered a sturdy and respectful rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs kicked off Super Bowl LVII. Players on both teams could be seen tearing up at Stapleton’s emotional, down-home performance.
At last year’s Super Bowl, Mickey Guyton had the honor of singing the anthem, delivering a stirring, gospel-inflected version. The year prior, in 2021, Eric Church and R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan paired up for their interpretation. Other country artists who’ve performed the song at the Super Bowl include Faith Hill in 2000, the Chicks in 2003, Carrie Underwood in 2010, and Luke Bryan in 2017.
The national anthem was preceded by a rendition of “Lift Every Voice” by Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Babyface performing “America the Beautiful.”
Stapleton was riding high going into State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Last Sunday, he joined Stevie Wonder to perform a ferocious collaboration on “Higher Ground” at the 2023 Grammy Awards.
Rihanna is slated to headline the Super Bowl LVII halftime show. Earlier this week, she talked to reporters about the pressures associated with the high-profile slot. “The setlist was the biggest challenge. That was the hardest, hardest part, deciding how to maximize 13 minutes but also celebrate,” she said. “It’s going to be a celebration of my catalog in the best way we could have put it together.”
