Let the rejoicing rise.
R&B vocalist Ledisi performed the black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” ahead of the 2025 Super Bowl matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
The 52-year-old wore all white and was joined by 125 New Orleans high school students for the performance, in honor of the hymn’s 125th anniversary.
The New Orleans native’s performance will be followed by Jon Batiste’s rendition of the National Anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner.”
Lauren Daigle and Trombone Shorty also will sing “America the Beautiful” before Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show with special guest SZA.
When was the Black National Anthem written?
Originally penned as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson in 1900, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was set to music by his brother John Rosamond Johnson before being adopted as the official song of the NAACP in 1919.
When was the song sung for the first time at the Super Bowl?
Frequently invoked as a rallying cry during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, it was first performed at the Super Bowl in 2020 in the wake of protests against police brutality and the death of George Floyd.
Who is Ledisi?
Born Ledisi Anibade Young in Super Bowl LIX’s host city of New Orleans, she grew up in Oakland, Calif., before finding success as a vocalist, songwriter, music producer, author and actress.
With 13 albums to her name, the 52-year-old chanteuse dropped her first LP — “Soulsinger” — in 2000. A 14-time Grammy nominee, she won her first gramophone in 2021 for Best Traditional R&B Performance.
She had her breakout moment in 2007 with the release of her album “Lost & Found,” which earned her a Best R&B Album Grammy nomination. She was nominated by the Recording Academy for Best New Artist that same year. The Grammys governing body also gave Ledisi three nominations for her 2011 album “Pieces of Me,” which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot R&B chart.
As an actress, Ledisi appeared in George Clooney’s 2008 movie “Leatherheads,” played Mahalia Jackson in Ava DuVernay’s Oscar-nominated film, “Selma” and performed on Broadway. On TV, Ledisi has booked roles on shows such as BET’s “American Soul,” FX’s “POSE,” among others.
What did Ledisi say about performing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” before the Super Bowl?
In a pre-Super Bowl press conference on Thursday, Ledisi said she felt “overwhelmed” by the opportunity to sing at the championship game.
“I feel like I’m in alignment with greatness to stand in this moment and sing that song,” she said, per the Daily Mail. “So that’s all I can say, I’m honored.”
“I think I’m choked up the whole time, even [from] the phone call. It starts there,” she added. “But I’m used to this in my career, standing in moments, representing the past and the future and the current state of the world, I’m used to that pressure.”
She continued, “I just remember who I’m doing it for. I remember my ancestors, I remember everyone waiting for this moment to feel hopeful and to feel represented.”
“So yeah, I do get choked up. I’m choked up the whole time. But I have a job to do.”
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