Reba McEntire Soars on Super Bowl National Anthem, Post Malone, Andra Day Get Mixed Reviews

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Reba McEntire Soars on Super Bowl National Anthem, Post Malone, Andra Day Get Mixed Reviews

Fans light up social media as Reba McEntire takes the lead ahead of Super Bowl LVIII with her powerful performance of the national athem alongside Post Malone’s rendition of “America the Beautiful” and Andra Day’s take on “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

A half a game before the highly-anticipated Halftime Show, the music kicked off early at Super Bowl LVIII with a triple-threat of talent set to help kickoff the big game with style and patriotism.

Reba McEntire was given the coveted national anthem, with Post Malone admitting his nerves ahead of his performance of “America the Beautiful” and Andra Day taking on “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” performed here for the fourth time ahead of the Super Bowl.

Day had a small choral accompaniment with her powerful take on what’s become known as the “Black national anthem” to set the stage for what was to come. The Golden Globe and Grammy-winning artist certainly proved she didn’t need the support, with the backup singers instead enhancing her own soaring vocals.

The star of The United States vs. Billie Holiday exhuded confidence and glamor as she approached the microphone and took full control of the moment, and the melody of the song as she took it to church. This is the fourth time the song has been performed at the Super Bowl, with Day following Alicia Keys, Mary Mary, and Sheryl Lee Ralph.

Fans were mostly enthusiastic about the performance, but there were a small few who thought Day wasn’t quite up to her usual high standards. Nevertheless, they got her trending on social media.

After the introductions of the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, it was time for Malone to shake off the nerves and take his moment in the spotlight. His voice was definitely a little shaky at the top as he accompanied himself on guitar.

Vocally, he brought a real tenderness to the song as he settled in with just enough power to carry the higher notes. Not to worry, there was a shot of Taylor Swift midway through to fuel the outrage machine, but all ears were on Malone’s very folksy take on an American classic.

There was definitely a more mixed reaction to Malone on social media (even trending higher than Reba), with many finding it jarring to see him performing with a guitar and his real voice. He’s always had a soulful side to his music, but this sound is certainly a big departure if you’ve not been paying attention to his career trajectory.

One of America’s most beloved musical icons didn’t seem to have any nerves at all as she delivered an authentic and straightforward take on “The Star-Spangled Banner.” There was no milking of notes or grandstanding. It was respectful, tasteful and classy — just like Reba.

She was radiant and smiling as the song reached its final moments and the jets flew over Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. There were tears seen among the players as Reba brought it home and set the perfect mood for what could arguably be said to be America’s biggest global export.

The Sphere even got in on the action, with the American flag emblazoned on it. Social media picked out the moment Reba appeared to point at it during her performance while singing “our flag.”

Providing sign language accompaniment on the night were three renowned deaf performers. Actor and choreographer Shaheem Sanchez joined Day. Actress, model and dancer Anjel Piñero offered ASL for Malone, while CODA star Daniel Durant was on hand to sign the national anthem.


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