R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan and country singer Eric Church performed the National Anthem during Sunday’s Super Bowl, which took place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
Church played the guitar while wearing a purple jacket and sunglasses, while Sullivan wore a cream-colored pantsuit and a bejeweled headpiece. At the end of their performance, three bombers flew overhead, while fireworks went off. Numerous video shots of the NFL players suggested that seemingly nobody was kneeling during the performance. (Reigning champs Kansas City Chiefs are taking on Tampa Bay Buccaneers.)
Before the National Anthem, H.E.R. sang “America the Beautiful” in sparkly jeans and a colorful jacket. She also rocked the guitar, playing a lively solo midway through her performance.
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Sullivan, Church and H.E.R. also were accompanied by Warren “Wawa” Snipe, a deaf artist who performed both songs in American Sign Language.
.@jsullivanmusic and @ericchurch sing the National Anthem ahead of #SBLV! pic.twitter.com/dnhOTrHKfW
— NFL (@NFL) February 7, 2021
.@HERMusicx sings America The Beautiful! #SBLV pic.twitter.com/X5cxxotkwQ
— NFL (@NFL) February 7, 2021
National youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman, who read a poem at the inauguration last month, also read a poem titled “Chorus of the Captains” — honoring community heroes — immediately before kickoff on Sunday, just after the National Anthem.
What a moment. @TheAmandaGorman #SBLV pic.twitter.com/v8VM9uhPww
— NFL (@NFL) February 7, 2021
Ahead of the pregame show, Miley Cyrus performed at the TikTok Tailgate Super Bowl pre-game live show in front of an audience of 7,500 vaccinated health care workers. “This is my first show in about a year, and I could not imagine a better way than here in Tampa surrounded by all these healthcare heroes,” Cyrus told the audience. “Our gratitude toward you is infinite.” Throughout her show filled with new rock tunes, Cyrus was joined by onstage by Billy Idol to sing their duet “Night Crawling” and later Joan Jett. The singer’s show follows the release of her album Plastic Hearts, an album Cyrus said she knew she “might never get to perform it live” for fans but was grateful to be able to do so now and hopes she can “have more” shows like this in the future.
In addition, Alicia Keys performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing” via a pretaped video in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. CBS commentator introduced the performance by noting the NFL’s troubled history with issues of race: “This season the league has indeed had a renewed focus on racial justice through its Inspire Change initiative, and while progress has been made, we still know we have a ways to go. But anything can be accomplished … when you lead with love.” The performance was preceded by a slew of NFL players encouraging people to fight for equality and freedom and love for people of all races.
Meanwhile, The Weeknd is set to perform during the halftime show.
