H.E.R. Gave an Incredible Performance of ‘America the Beautiful’ at the Super Bowl

The 2021 Super Bowl had a lot of wins, and we’re not talking about who took home the big trophy. H.E.R. delivered a memorable performance of “America the Beautiful.” Jazmine Sullivan and Eric Church came together to sing the national anthem. Timothée Chalamet channeled Edward Scissorhands for a commercial. And a historic number of women were on the field. 

But let’s circle back to H.E.R. The singer, born Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, took the stage to perform the patriotic song ahead of the kick-off between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, February 7. Wearing a metallic jacket and rocking out on an electric guitar, the singer was a highlight of the night before it had even really begun. But did you expect anything less? 

The Grammy winner and recent Golden Globe nominee told Entertainment Tonight that she was feeling “kind of nervous” but also excited to be performing at the Super Bowl. “It’s a huge stage and it doesn’t get any bigger, you know?” she said. “But I think the goal, for me, is to make [the song] my own.”

She continued, “I’m a huge fan of the different versions of ‘America the Beautiful,’ but I really want to bring some different elements in there…make it H.E.R.” Mission accomplished. 

Ready to see for yourself? Watch H.E.R. perform “America the Beautiful” below:

H.E.R’s comments about performing at the game echo Sullivan’s, who recently opened up to Glamour about singing the national anthem. “Honestly, I’ll be the first to say I’ve played myself small all my life,” she said in an interview about her new EP, Heaux Tales. “So I never even dreamt of performing at the Super Bowl. I always looked at that as a moment for someone who had a career that was bigger than mine. So I’m just super grateful, in shock, and excited to share this moment with my loved ones who have seen me go through all the things I have in my life. I just feel like it’s all God’s timing because they picked the Blackest, most soulful artist they could find to do this with Eric Church. He’s a country singer, and we are the total opposites of each other. But I’m representing for my people, our lives, our struggles, and everything we’ve been through. I can’t even explain it. I’m completely honored. I’m just gon’ go and sang.”