Super Bowl anthem to feature melding of R&B and country
R&B star Jazmine Sullivan and country singer Eric Church will join forces to sing the national anthem at next month’s Super Bowl, where Grammy-winning singer H.E.R. will perform “America the Beautiful.”
The performances will take place Feb. 7 at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., before the big game and halftime show starring The Weeknd. It will air on CBS.
Deaf rapper and recording artist Warren “WAWA” Snipe will perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful” in American Sign Language. Emmy-nominated musical director Adam Blackstone will arrange and produce Church and Sullivan’s rendition of the national anthem.
Jay-Z’s Roc Nation company is executive producing the halftime show for a second year. Jesse Collins, who has produced the BET Awards and is working on this year’s Grammys and Oscars telecasts, will serve as an executive producer.
Sullivan rose to the top of the R&B charts in 2008 with her debut single and album. She’s earned 12 Grammy nominations and written songs for Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson and Monica. Her new album, “Heaux Tales,” debuted at No. 4 on this week’s all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart.
Church, a 10-time Grammy nominee, released his debut album in 2006 and has topped the country charts with songs like “Drink In My Hand,” “Springsteen,” “Talladega” and “Record Year.” He has released multiple multiplatinum and platinum albums and was named entertainer of the year at last year’s Country Music Association Awards.
H.E.R. won two Grammys in 2019 and has earned critical acclaim for her live performances, including her work as a guitarist. She’s won honors at the MTV Video Music Awards, BET Awards and Soul Train Music Awards and launched R&B hits such as “Focus ,” “Best Part,” “Slide ,” “Damage” and “B.S.” with Jhené Aiko.
Luke Combs to perform before Daytona 500
NASCAR will attempt some normalcy at the season-opening Daytona 500, in Charlotte, N.C., with a live pre-race concert — the first big performance at a track during the pandemic — featuring country-music star Luke Combs.
Combs, who performed virtually for NASCAR’s season finale in November, has not done a live show since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March.
NASCAR, which prides itself on its elaborate pre-race pomp and entertainment, has not had a major live performance since PitBull and Blake Shelton performed in the final race before sports were halted.
“I can’t wait to feel that energy again. Man, I miss it,” Combs wrote in an email to The Associated Press. “It’s the first live show I’ve played since March of 2020, and I’d say it’s pretty dang huge.”
The NASCAR season opens Feb. 14 at Daytona International Speedway, where the Daytona 500 will conclude a week of racing. The 63rd running will be held in front of limited spectators, but officials wanted to continue some of the traditions surrounding “The Great American Race.”
Born in Charlotte but raised in Asheville, Combs made NASCAR races a weekly viewing staple alongside his grandfather.