Don’t stop!
Jon Batiste’s national anthem performance clocked in at 120 seconds, according to John Ewing of BetMGM.
The Grammy-winning singer, 38, delighted viewers when he took to the field at Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, February 9, before returning champs the Kansas City Chiefs took on the Philadelphia Eagles.
Batiste played the piano as he belted out “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Alicia Keys still holds the record for the longest National Anthem performance at the Super Bowl. When she sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, her rendition was two minutes and 36 seconds. It was also the last time New Orleans hosted the game.
She knocked off the previous record holder, Natalie Cole, who sang it for two minutes and 33 seconds in 1994.
Last year’s national anthem crooner was country star Reba McEntire, who clocked in at one minute and 36 seconds at Super Bowl LVIII.
Batiste was announced as the National Anthem performer by the NFL and Roc Nation via social media in November.
Following the announcement, the Louisiana native shared a message about the honor.
“Music is the ultimate unifier,” Batiste wrote. “Coming home for National Anthem-Batiste xo @nfl @rocnation.”
The “I Need You” singer celebrated his recent Grammy wins with his wife, Suleika Jaouad, from home after revealing her cancer had returned for the third time.
“On this lazy Sunday, life is good,” Suleika captioned a joint Instagram post of the couple on the couch instead of at the award show. “We’re so honored to win the Grammy for Best Music Film (and also for Song Written For Visual Media too!). We couldn’t make it to the ceremony but we’re beaming love from our couch to yours, and sending gratitude to all who made this film possible.”
Fellow Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar will also be hitting the field during the big game.
After winning five gramophones at the award show on February 2 for his Drake diss, “Not Like Us,” Lamar got ready for another big event — Super Bowl halftime.
Ahead of the big day, Lamar revealed that SZA (also a Grammy winner) would be performing with him.
The friends and collaborators are co-headlining the 2025 Grand National Tour, slated to kick off in Minnesota on April 19.
About Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime, Jesse Collins, the executive producer of the show, told NBC News, “Everyone will agree this is a halftime show like none other in Super Bowl halftime history.
“The creative concept is really something brilliant, spectacular and special. In all of our years of doing this — and I think every show that we’ve done has been amazing — but I have never seen an artist take this creative approach to it.”
