Country music singer Mickey Guyton opened Super Bowl LVI with a powerful performance of the national anthem.
Dressed in a floor-length blue gown, Guyton confidently belted out the anthem in front of thousands of fans at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California just before the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals kicked off the big game.
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Guyton was backed by a choir of male and female singers, all dressed in white. They stood in front of the American flag in picture perfect 79 degree weather. As Guyton ended her performance, Air Force jets flew overhead.
USA Today reported Guyton’s version of the anthem clocked in at 1:51.
.@MickeyGuyton’s incredible rendition of the National Anthem! #SBLVI pic.twitter.com/G6099dDz1U
— NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2022
Meanwhile, R&B songstress Jhené Aiko turned in a jazzy rendition of “America the Beautiful.” Aiko, a six-time Grammy nominee, wore a sequined gown and was backed by a harpist.
Guyton recently received a Grammy nomination for best country album for her debut release, “Remember Her Name.” She’s also nominated for best country solo performance and best country song, and will find out if she wins at the rescheduled Grammy Awards in April in Las Vegas.
The Arlington, Texas native’s disc “Remember Her Name” includes the single “Black Like Me” about her experiences as a Black woman in America. The track was released in the wake of the George Floyd protests and the Black Lives Matter movement, and led Guyton to become the first Black woman ever nominated in the Grammy’s best country solo performance category.
.@JheneAiko performs America the Beautiful! #SBLVI pic.twitter.com/QtTOcG4nSA
— NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2022
