Andra Day thrilled the Super Bowl audience on Sunday when she stepped onto the field and performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Dressed in a taupe-colored pantsuit with matching heels and gold jewelry, the Grammy-winning singer and songwriter began her performance just before Super Bowl LVIII kicked off at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
With backing vocals from a gospel choir, Day moved the audience with her emotional performance of the song, which is also known as the “Black National Anthem.”
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Super Bowl LVIII Live! Replay @AndraDayMusic’s performance of Lift Every Voice and Sing: https://t.co/iRY2u9XlOa #SBLVIII @NFL @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/vjsgMbxemj
— Roc Nation (@RocNation) February 11, 2024
The iconic hymn was written as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson in 1900, according to the NAACP. Weldon’s brother, John Rosamond Johnson, composed the music. In 1919, the NAACP began calling the song the “The Black National Anthem,” for its power in voicing a cry for freedom for African Americans.
Day is perhaps best known in the music world for her 2016 hit “Rise Up.” She received a best actress Oscar nomination and took home a Golden Globe for her feature film acting debut in the Lee Daniels-directed biopic, The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021).
Her second album, Cassandra, is set to be released in the spring.
Following Day on Sunday, Post Malone sang “America the Beautiful,” and country music legend Reba McEntire belted out the national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Actor Daniel Durant, who starred in the Academy Award-winning film CODA, performed the national anthem in ASL on behalf of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD).
Actress, model and dancer Anjel Piñero signed “America the Beautiful,” and actor and choreographer Shaheem Sanchez signed “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
The Kansas City Chiefs defended their title against the San Francisco 49ers. The game aired live on CBS and streamed on the Paramount+ platform.
You can watch the full version of Andra Day performing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” here.
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