While much is made of the Super Bowl halftime show, the pre-game national anthem performer bears equally immense responsibility. Throughout the years, artists like Chris Stapleton, Mariah Carey, and Beyoncé have embodied patriotism with their own unique renditions of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and Whitney Houston’s 1991 performance still stands out as the gold standard. As a fellow New Jersey native, Charlie Puth had big shoes to fill as he took the field at Levi’s Stadium ahead of Super Bowl LX. And the “Light Switch” crooner may have just etched his name into NFL history.
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Charlie Puth Fulfills a Longtime Dream With Super Bowl LX National Anthem Rendition
This year’s national anthem performance marked Charlie Puth’s Super Bowl debut. As the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks readied for battle, the four-time Grammy nominee, 34, delivered a knockout version of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Charlie Puth sings the National Anthem for Super Bowl LX 👏
— ESPN (@espn) February 8, 2026
(📺 NBC) pic.twitter.com/LOdxRcn1kw
Leaning heavily into R&B territory, Puth slowed down the patriotic anthem a bit, inflecting every word with a jazzy, bluesy feel.
Some even hailed Puth’s performance as “the best national anthem ever sung.” The artist himself would likely disagree, given that 2026 marks 35 years since fellow New Jersey native Whitney Houston delivered her stunning rendition.
That was the best national anthem ever sung imo.
— The Real LG /// TEXAS GAL💯 (@Lisac55458405C) February 8, 2026
Wtf Charlie puth…
That voice!#SuperBowl #SuperBowlLX
As the second Garden State native to ever have the honor of performing the national anthem ahead of the Super Bowl, Puth revealed he didn’t take this responsibility lightly. In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe leading up to Sunday’s (Feb. 8) game, he discussed his rigorous preparation.
“I always reverse engineer how I hear my own music in my head, and then it’s kind of just, like, pulling it apart and making it a feasible product to hold,” he said. “So I’ve been rehearsing it in my head for months, if it makes sense.”
charlie puth i didn’t know you had vocals like that sorry for underestimating you
— quinn (@friedpilled) February 8, 2026
This Marks 35 Years Since Whitney Houston’s Iconic Performance
While he wasn’t yet born when Whitney Houston gave her iconic Super Bowl national anthem performance, Charlie Puth has wanted this gig for quite some time.
“I auditioned for it, but I made up my own audition because I’ve always wanted to do it — because I love it musically,” he told Rolling Stone last month. “It’s the best song. Musically, it’s so special.”
However, Puth isn’t looking to match Houston’s version. “I’m going to be inspired by what Whitney did, but I can’t ever touch what she did. That’s the best one ever done — that and the Chris Stapleton one,” he said. “That was raw. Made grown men cry.”
[RELATED: Chris Stapleton Nods to His Iconic National Anthem Performance in New Super Bowl Ad]
He continued, “I just want to do my own thing with the hardest piece of music ever written. And I just wanna show people that I can do it.”
Featured image by Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images
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