Reba McEntire’s National Anthem Named ‘One Of The Best’ In Super Bowl History

The Kansas City Chiefs might have won Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday after a tense overtime, but Reba McEntire won the hearts of viewers with her country spin on the national anthem. Before the match between the Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers kicked off, McEntire took to the field and delivered a performance that had both sides of the field united in their love for her rendition.

This isn’t McEntire’s first rodeo when it comes to singing the national anthem – in fact, part of her discovery story as an artist was some 50 years ago when she sang the “Star-Spangled Banner” at the 1974 National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma. But the over 100 million viewers who watched Super Bowl LVIII witnessed McEntire’s first time singing at the big game – and for a first-timer, she’s gotten big ratings!

Reba McEntire makes an explosive debut singing the national anthem for Super Bowl LVIII

68-year-old McEntire had viewers – in the bleachers, on the field, and at home alike – emotional with her country spin on the national anthem. She wore a sleek black shirt under a beige blazer; both items were simple big flatting. But the real embellishment was with her pants, made of black fabric and delicate silver detailing forming a shimmering meshwork of vines and flowers.

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When McEntire sang, her performance matched the glamorous look. While her delivery and bearing were both powerful, the footage of the rest of the stadium told an equally powerful story of just how well she was doing. Clips of other players showed several of football’s finest brought to tears, including defensive tackle Chris Jones whose face was shining with tears. Footage of Chris Jones shows a similar reaction.

The NFL shared clips of these emotional responses on social media, along with captions noting “Emotions running high.”

All new frontiers on the field

Online, fans are still gushing about McEntire and her country spin on the national anthem. “I had goose bumps. #Reba did a good job,” one viewer praised. Another agreed, “Reba McEntire proving why she’s a living legend. No gimmicks needed.” A different comment proposed, “Reba! Should have been the halftime show!”

For how awed viewers were watching McEntire, McEntire was just as wowed to be where she was.

“I have never sang the national anthem at the Super Bowl,” she said in a Thursday press conference on Thursday. “I am honored beyond words to be chosen to get to sing it. It means that I get to sing a very special song for all Americans, people all around the world who have really worked so hard for our freedom and to give us peace.”

It almost wasn’t to be, though, and we have McEntire’s boyfriend of four years, Rex Linn, for getting her to do the gig.

This match enjoyed quite a bit of hype leading up to it, as it was a rematch from 2020 that saw the Chiefs win in a 31-20 victory. With an estimated 113,055,000 viewers, Super Bowl LVIII has the second-highest viewership rating of the last 15 years, behind only 2015 with some 114 million viewers.