The song, originally written to celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, is commonly known as the Black national anthem.
LAS VEGAS — Famed soul singer Andra Day performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” more commonly known as the Black national anthem, at the start of Super Bowl LVIII.
Wearing a beige coat, a gold crucifix and large hoop earrings, Day began the song slowly, almost mournfully.
But as the song picked up, she lifted the mic from its stand and — backed by six Black women as a chorus — raised her own voice to sing the later verses.
Day’s performance was the first of three pre-game songs that traditionally kick off the Super Bowl. Reba McEntire is singing the national anthem, while Post Malone is performing “America the Beautiful.”
Reba has been singing the “Star-Spangled Banner” for 50 years, including an anthem at the World Series. But when she sings it at the Super Bowl in just a few minutes it will be for the biggest audience of her epic career.
She said she’s got a few nerves, but if past performances are any indication, she could sing one of the quickest anthems in Super Bowl history. Oddsmakers have put the over-under on her “Star-Spangled Banner” at 90.5 seconds. Last year Chris Stapleton went past the 2-minute mark
Why is “Lift Every Voice and Sing” called the Black national anthem?
The song was originally written in 1899 by James Weldon Johnson, according to the civil rights activist’s foundation.
Johnson, an author, lawyer and civil rights activist, wrote “Lift Every Voice and Sing” in honor of President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. In the decades after he wrote it, the song took on a symbolic meaning to Black Americans and became known as the Black national anthem.
Despite its long history in Black culture, the song has only been featured at three Super Bowls before Super Bowl 58. It first debuted at the big game in 2021.
Who is singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” this year?
Andra Day, a famed musician known for her R&B and soul singing, performed the Black national anthem at the Super Bowl.
Since her musical debut in 2015, Day has earned several accolades, including a Grammy in 2021.
Day is also an acclaimed actress, starring as the iconic singer Billie Holiday in the biographical drama “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” in 2021.
