Babyface (whose real name is Kenneth Brian Edmonds) kicked off Super Bowl LVII with a soaring performance of “America The Beautiful.”
The GRAMMY-award winning singer performed the classic patriotic tune on Sunday (Feb. 12) at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Donning an all black suit, 64-year-old Babyface strummed an all pink acoustic guitar complete with the American flag and NFL logo while belting out the lyrics to the tune that was penned by Katharine Lee Bate.
Watch Babyface’s Performance of “America The Beautiful” below.
Prior to his performance, Babyface admitted that he was “truly excited and honored” to have been chosen to perform “America The Beautiful.”
After rehearsing for the big game, Babyface posed for a photo with Chris Stapleton, who performed The National Anthem, which he shared on social media with the caption, “blessed to be sharing the field with greatness.”
Chris Stapleton also turned heads with his soulful performance of The National Anthem, which brought many viewers to tears and earned praised from the country music community.
Additionally, the performers were joined by Academy Award-winner Troy Kotsur, who signed the National Anthem, “America The Beautiful,” “Life Every Voice and Sing,” and will sign the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in American Sign Language. Kotsur, who is only the second deaf person to win an Oscar, is an Arizona native known for his work in the film CODA.
Later in the show, RIHANNA will deliver the Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show, which is produced by DPS with Roc Nation and Jesse Collins serving as executive producers, and Hamish Hamilton serving as director.
“Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has surpassed expectations at every turn,” Jay-Z, Rihanna’s “Umbrella” collaborator and the founder of Roc Nation, previously said in a statement. “A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent artists ever. Self-made in business and entertainment.”
In a recent interview with Billboard, Collins, who is the President of Jesse Collins Entertainment, shared that RIHANNA is “working hard.”
He went on to promise viewers that the “Stay” singer will perform “all” of her major hits and that the Apple Music Halftime Show will be “like none other.”
The performance will mark RIHANNA’s first performance in five years.
The 34-year-old pop star has mostly remained out of the spotlight in music over the last several years to focus on her Savage X Fenty lingerie and beauty line. In May of 2022, RIHANNA welcomed her first child with her boyfriend A$AP ROCKY.
“Oh, man. I’m just as excited as you guys, if not more. Yeah, I’m super excited. This is as huge. This is incredible. I’m so glad that my lady’s back making music again and whatnot, and getting back out there. It’s just incredible,” A$AP ROCKY recently told Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1. ”Especially for both of us, it is a good year for both of us to be more active and be out there. But the Super Bowl is huge, and her being the creative she is she going to bring it, man. I’m excited. I’m more excited than everybody else, honestly.”
The worldwide phenomenon later released two new songs, “Lift Me Up” and “Born Again,” which marked her first new music since 2016’s Anti. Both tunes appear as part of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.
The chart-topping superstar recently scored her first-ever Oscar nomination at the 95th Academy Awards for Best Original Song for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever single, “Lift Me Up,” which is also her first solo single in six years.
RIHANNA follows previous Super Bowl halftime performers Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent, The Weeknd, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, and many more.
Super Bowl LVII, which will find the Kansas City Chiefs fa
