Mickey Guyton helped kick off Super Bowl LVI on Sunday (Feb. 13) with a powerhouse performance of the national anthem. Wearing a belted blue dress and backed by a vocal choir and piano, Guyton’s version of the anthem pulled out all the stops for a dazzling performance.
Still, the star of the show was Guyton’s voice itself, complete with acrobatic vocal runs and a pitch-perfect delivery of the anthem’s octave-spanning finish. A packed stadium watched on during the country star’s performance, as did the two NFL teams facing off at this year’s Super Bowl: The Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams.
Interspersed with her performance was footage of U.S. Arcent Soldiers watching live from Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, as well as aerial shots of the U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight Team.
During her performance, many of Guyton’s country music colleagues were watching on in support. Brothers Osborne tweeted their support, saying “Now the world knows what us in Nashville have known for years. Smashed it, Mickey.”
The singer’s Super Bowl performance was a major full circle moment. Guyton was inspired to become a country star when she saw LeAnn Rimes perform the National Anthem at a Texas Rangers game, according to Rolling Stone. After Guyton announced her upcoming Super Bowl performance, Rimes herself responded to the news with excitement and praise, writing, “There’s no one I’d rather hear sing it!”
Guyton’s Super Bowl appearance is just one of several exciting moments she’s got planned for early 2022. Also on the books is the upcoming Grammy Awards; she’s nominated for three awards at this year’s ceremony, tying with Chris Stapleton for the title of most-nominated country artist.
Later on in tonight’s game, a group of A-List rappers will play the halftime show: Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre make up the all-star bill.
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