A Star-Spangled Songstress Shines at the Super Bowl
Country music royalty Reba McEntire brought her legendary vocals to football’s biggest stage on Sunday, delivering a show-stopping rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the 2024 Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Resplendent in a steel gray fur coat that evoked Old Hollywood glamour, McEntire captivated the stadium crowd with her trademark twang on the cherished anthem, marking a full-circle moment for the singer 50 years after her discovery at the National Finals Rodeo singing that very same song.
“This ain’t my first rodeo!” the ebullient McEntire quipped ahead of her premiere Super Bowl performance. “I’d never have imagined when I sang the anthem at the National Finals Rodeo 50 years ago that I’d be singing it today at the Super Bowl.”
Accompanied by flag-bearing military members against a breathtaking Nevada sunset, McEntire brought her trademark verve and vocal power to the time-honored lyrics. Having long ago traded the rodeos of her youth for sold-out stadiums and chart-topping albums, she nonetheless tapped into the spirit that first captivated audiences five decades prior. Clasping hands with longtime love Rex Linn as she entered the stadium, her infectious enthusiasm lit up the arena.
“I’m honored to be part of something as big and historic as the Super Bowl coming to Las Vegas for the first time,” she shared ahead of the event, preparation for which consisted simply of “warm[ing] up like you do a concert and sing[ing] it about five or six times.” Ever the consummate professional unwavered by the scale of the event, McEntire delivered the anthem with grace and grit, backed by fighter jets streaking colorfully across the purpling sky.
While the Super Bowl stage may have dwarfed even her wildest dreams back when she first crooned the national anthem amongst rodeo riders in 1974 Oklahoma, McEntire has never been one to back down from a challenge. From charting over 25 number-one hits to conquering Broadway and the silver screen, her decades-long career has set the bar for perseverance, charisma, and vocal excellence within the country genre and beyond.
As the first female solo artist to perform the national anthem at the Super Bowl since Gladys Knight in 2019, McEntire’s appearance felt remarkably full circle. From one legend to another, her star-spangled vocals marked the long-overdue return of country music’s beloved songstresses to one of pop culture’s most-watched stages. For McEntire and country music alike, the opportunity solidified country’s rightful place amongst popular music’s pantheon.
When the final notes of McEntire’s flawless delivery rang through Allegiant Stadium, she had once again lived up to her reputation as one of music’s most versatile entertainers. In that goosebump-inducing moment as fighter jets streaked red and blue behind her, the Queen of Country Music staked country’s claim amongst the Super Bowl’s most memorable musical moments.
