On February 8, 2026, the world watched as the Super Bowl 60 festivities unfolded in California, but before the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks squared off in the NFL’s championship game, the spotlight belonged to Brandi Carlile. The 44-year-old Grammy winner, celebrated for her powerful vocal range and deeply personal songwriting, delivered an emotional acoustic rendition of “America the Beautiful” at the pregame ceremony—a performance that resonated far beyond the stadium.
Carlile’s decision to take the stage was rooted in a sense of responsibility. As she shared with Variety, “I have my own moral code, my own moral imperative, that I have to answer to at the end of the day, as a wife and mother, and I believe in my ability and responsibility to do this, and that's why I'm here.” With her wife Catherine Shepherd and daughters Evangeline and Elijah in mind, Carlile explained that representing the queer community at one of America’s biggest sporting events was not just an opportunity but a duty. “The throughline to being queer and being a representative of a marginalized community and being put on the largest stage in America to acknowledge the fraught and tender hope that this country is based on, it's something you don't say no to. You do it.”
But Carlile’s performance wasn’t just about her own journey or her family. It was a moment that reflected the country’s diversity and the evolving landscape of American culture. She was joined on stage by Julian Ortiz, a deaf artist who signed the song in American Sign Language (ASL), and by SistaStrings, the acclaimed string-playing sister duo who have often accompanied Carlile in concert. Cameras panned from Carlile’s stage to sweeping cityscapes of Seattle and New England, tying together the music, the teams, and the nation in a single, moving tableau.
The song’s placement was no accident. Carlile admitted to Variety that she chose a key “right at the ceiling” of her range—“so I’m gonna come out swinging.” The result was a melodically centered version, rich with vibrato and emotional nuance, that brought fresh life to Katharine Lee Bates’ 125-year-old lyrics. Reflecting on those words, Carlile said, “It feels almost like she was feeling the way about the country when she wrote it that I’m feeling today singing it. Just this fragile hope, love and belief in where it could be, and acknowledging where it’s been, and acknowledging that we’re not there yet. And that’s what I think is so American about that song—that total celebration is not in order; that our prayers are still in order. But that the only way to move forward is with belief… And I think if we’re gonna save this country as a people, we have to be reminded on some level that deep down we love it.”
Carlile was keenly aware that not everyone would view her performance as simply patriotic. “This is an interesting song. And it’s an interesting decision that I’m making. I definitely don’t want to be seen as neoliberal or as someone who’s glossing over the problems that we have in this country. I want to be seen as one of the people that’s helping.” Her hope, she said, was to stand as a representative of those working for progress, not as someone ignoring the nation’s challenges.
The Super Bowl 60 entertainment lineup was as diverse as the country itself. Alongside Carlile, Charlie Puth took the stage to sing the national anthem, accompanied by ASL performer Fred Beam. Coco Jones delivered a stirring performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often called the Black national anthem. The iconic rock band Green Day, returning to their San Francisco roots, opened the pregame ceremony by celebrating six decades of Super Bowl history and welcoming generations of MVPs onto the field. “We are super hyped to open Super Bowl 60 right in our backyard!” Billie Joe Armstrong exclaimed when the news was first announced. “We are honored to welcome the MVPs who’ve shaped the game and open the night for fans all over the world. Let’s have fun! Let’s get loud!”
Yet, it was the halftime show that drew perhaps the most attention—and controversy. Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican superstar who previously performed at the 2020 Super Bowl halftime, was chosen as the 2026 headliner. His selection sparked debate, with a petition circulating in October 2025 calling for country legend George Strait to take his place, citing concerns about family-friendly values and American heritage. The petition read, “The Super Bowl halftime show should unite our country, honor American culture, and remain family-friendly, not be turned into a political stunt. Bad Bunny represents none of these values; his drag performances and style are the opposite of what families expect on football’s biggest stage.”
Bad Bunny responded with characteristic humor and pride. During an appearance on “Saturday Night Live,” he teased, “I’m very happy, and I think everyone is happy about it—even Fox News,” before adding in Spanish, “Especially all of the Latinos and Latinas in the world here in the United States who have worked to open doors. It’s more than a win for myself, it’s a win for all of us. Our footprints and our contribution in this country, no one will ever be able to take that away or erase it.”
Carlile, for her part, saw the diversity of the entertainment bill as a strength, not a liability. “It looks exactly like America! It looks exactly like the United States. It looks like the players on the field, and it looks like the people that are watching the sport. And that’s how it should look, with a lot of demographics represented, and a lot of enthusiastic people excited to celebrate a huge game on a unifying day.” She praised Bad Bunny, calling him “an incredible spirit and performer,” and summed up the lineup as “really good. It’s gonna be a fabulous halftime show.”
Despite the political turbulence and the scrutiny that comes with performing at such a visible event, Carlile embraced the moment with a sense of hope and unity. “When your life flashes before your eyes, you’ll see things like this,” she mused at an Apple Music press conference. “And you don’t want to be gone. You want to be there.”
As a lifelong Seahawks fan, Carlile joked that although she couldn’t wear a Seahawks jersey on stage, “I’ll have a Seahawks jersey on in my heart.” And as the music faded and the game began, she left millions with a reminder that America’s beauty lies not just in its mountains or its anthems, but in the courage to show up, to represent, and to hope for something better—even on football’s biggest stage.