Its majesty lies not only in the purple mountains. It’s in Brandi Carlyle’s voice. Brandi Carlile has one of the most recognizable vocal ranges in modern American music, and she was aptly chosen by the NFL to sing “America the Beautiful” before the kickoff of the first Super Bowl on Sunday.
“I’m a little worried,” Carlyle admitted in an interview with Variety magazine on Saturday. “He put the key in the lock on the ceiling for me, so he comes out swinging.” In fact, she placed this song in one of her upper registers and added vibrato.
Playing acoustic guitar, she was accompanied by Sista Strings, a string-playing sister duo that frequently accompanies her on recordings and concerts, and she provided interludes while the camera cut across Seattle and New England cityscapes. “So it’s not going to be a rhythmically-focused version, it’s going to be a melody-focused version,” she said before her performance.
Brandi Carlyle (left) performs “America the Beautiful” during Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots on February 8, 2026 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
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Carlyle spoke to Variety about the song’s intentions and the lyrics, which were written by social activist Katherine Lee Bates more than 125 years ago. “I don’t want to put words in her mouth. She was beyond amazing. But as I sing this song today, I feel like she felt about this country. Just this fleeting hope, love, belief in where it could be, and recognizing where it could have been and realizing we’re not there yet. And that’s what I… That’s what I think is very American about this song – that the full celebration is out of order and our prayers are still in order. But the only way to move forward is to have faith…and I think on some level we have to remember that if we’re going to save this country as a people, deep down we love this country.”
Addressing an audience that may feel like now is not the time to sing patriotic songs and celebrate America, Carlyle said: “You know, this is an interesting song, and it’s also an interesting decision that I’m making. I definitely don’t want to be seen as a neoliberal or someone who glosses over the problems that this country has. I want to be seen as one of those who supports.”
Carlyle acknowledged there is controversy over the entire Super Bowl music lineup, which also includes Bad Bunny, Charlie Puth and Coco Jones, but said, “It can’t be. It’s just like America! It’s just like America. It’s like the players on the field, it’s like the people watching the sport. And with so many demographics represented and so many passionate people excited to celebrate the big game in a unification game, that’s the way it should be.” I think the guys who put together the entertainment portion of this year’s Super Bowl did a really great job, and it’s going to be a great halftime show. ”
Regarding whether he would wear a costume commemorating his hometown team, Carlisle said, “I’m not allowed to do that. But in my heart of hearts, I’m going to wear a Seahawks jersey.”
