Reba McEntire's soaring national anthem moves Super Bowl players to tears
While the Super Bowl halftime show secures the biggest spotlight, the trio of pre-kickoff performers warrant plenty of kudos.
Reba McEntire, Post Malone and Andra Day were tapped to handle the Super Bowl 58 honors, with McEntire tackling the daunting assignment of the national anthem.
Standing in front of the Color Guard, McEntire unleashed her familiar twang, causing some Kansas City Chiefs players including Chris Jones to tear up in the moment.
Clad in black pants with a prominent buckle and a cream blazer, the elegant McEntire jutted her hand out to emphasize the lyrics as footage cut to a shot of the Las Vegas Sphere showcasing the image of the American flag.
McEntire, a robust vocalist, hit the high note in the song with her own spin - though the "home of the brave" line was drowned out by fans screaming "home of the CHIEFS."
McEntire remains one of the most visible and distinctive voices in country music, having produced 24 No. 1 singles in her 47-year-career.
Miss the halftime show? Watch every Super Bowl 2024 performance, from Usher to Post Malone
This also marks the fourth consecutive year that a country singer has handled the national anthem. Prior to last year’s tear-inducing wallop from Chris Stapleton, Mickey Guyton delivered the song in 2022 and Eric Church shared duties with Jazmine Sullivan in 2021.
Three sign language interpreters were also on site at Allegiant Stadium to perform the national anthem, “America the Beautiful” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Post Malone sings ‘America the Beautiful’
Though he’s better known as a pop-rap-rock singer, the familiar voice behind hits such as “Better Now” and “Rockstar” stayed true and reverent to the 1890s-era hymn.
Armed with an acoustic guitar, a low-key Malone picked out a gentle version of the song, his eyes closed with passion as he stood at the center of the NFL logo on the 50-yard line.
Malone professed to feeling “very nervous, but excited” to perform the soaring song, but said he promised himself that, “I’m just going to do my best.”
Andra Day performs soaring rendition of ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’
A lauded actress as well as a singer, the sublime Day soared.
In a beige pantsuit, Day gestured with her left hand as she worked through the lyrics, her voice escalating throughout as female backup singers buoyed her performance with gospel runs.
Standing atop a white platform, Day grabbed the mic for the second verse, hiting skyscraper notes as she patted her heart with her hand while many in the stands sang along.
Day said a couple of days before the Super Bowl that she felt “honored” to sing what has been referred to by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People as the Black national anthem.
“It feels intentional, and I like to do things with intention and purpose,” she said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Reba McEntire delivers a soaring Super Bowl national anthem
