New Orleans native Jon Batiste kicked off the Super Bowl with the National Anthem at Caesars Super Dome. The singer is coming off a Grammy Awards win and appeared on form. However, some viewers were less than impressed.
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One just has to look at the comment section to see a host of comments from viewers that aren't big fans of the performance. Take this one for instance. One wrote, "mehhh .. chris stapleton did better." Another wrote, "Thats how u ruin the national anthem ?"
Yet another wrote, "Let's not have the Super Bowl in New Orleans again."
Another wrote, "Trash performance."
However, some people were fans. One person wrote, "Jon baptiste magnificent! As always."
Another wrote, "Jon is pure joy."
Yet another wrote, "Jon Baptiste was awesome!"
Super Bowl National Anthem
This comes in the lineage of some truly fantastic Super Bowl national anthems. The Chris Stapleton rendition in 2023 is the most recent and one of the more powerful examples on how to make the anthem sound special. Rather than go strictly vocals, he makes it particularly memorable with guitar flourishes. Moreover, Stapleton is also just a fantastic singer. There's real heft and emotion to his vocals that puts real dramatic weight into anything he sings. Instead of just another routine, you stand through and pledge before big events, he makes it sound like the only important thing in the universe. Even the most unpatriotic would gasp at how beautifully the Tennessee Whiskey crooner sang.
While Stapleton's country twang adds weight and distinction to the anthem, Whitney Houston's take on the Star Spangled Banner in 1991 was truly breathtaking. She's one of the most powerful singers to ever grace a stage.
Through sheer force, she's unreal, where America is depicted as almost mythical in its bravery. Some context matters in understanding too. The U.S. was only ten days into the Persian Gulf War with Americans naturally fearful of more conflict. However, it's moments like these that alleviate anxieties, where fear turns into courage and faith. Only the best singers can pull that out of the anthem.
