National Anthem Super Bowl Performances: See the Best Over the Years

As much as everyone loves the Super Bowl halftime show, nothing is more powerful than the singing of the national anthem. After all, it’s what kicks off the big game … you know, aside from the actual kickoff.

This year, for Super Bowl LV in 2021, Jazmine Sullivan and Eric Church will perform a duet and join the ranks of esteemed artists like Demi Lovato, Jennifer Hudson, Lady Gaga and Kelly Clarkson in singing The Star-Spangled Banner before the big game.

Surprisingly, Jazmine and Eric never crossed paths before the Super Bowl. “I have not met Eric yet, I’m excited to meet him, we definitely come from two totally different, um, everything,” the Grammy-nominated songstress told Entertainment Tonight on January 27. “But, I’m excited, I think it will be cool to blend the different sounds of music and just show some unity.”

She added, “I just hope that it brings unity and it shows that you can be from two different parts of life and come together, you know, for a good common cause, basically.”

Believe it or not, there are a ton — and we mean A TON — of people out there who place bets on the length of the national anthem. Ultimately, it’s your basic over-under system with a two-minute benchmark. Take Gladys Knight, for example. In 2019, the legendary soul artist completed her rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner in two minutes and one second.

Last year, Sports Illustrated correctly predicted that Demi would stay under — she unofficially clocked in at one minute and 59 seconds. The popular athletic publication made their guess by referencing every time the former Disney Channel star sang the national anthem. Demi’s longest rendition was in 2017 and clocked in at two minutes and 11 seconds. Her shortest was in 2011 at one minute and 49 seconds.