Charlie Puth’s national anthem performance at Super Bowl LX earned him a round of applause from fans.
And now, he’s revealing that his performance was meant to honor the late and great Whitney Houston.
Ahead of his performance on Sunday, Feb 8, the “Attention” crooner acknowledged that he was going into it “fully” aware of another version of “The Star Spangled Banner” that came before him—Houston’s performance at Super Bowl XXV in 1991, whose powerhouse performance has gone down in history as one of the best ever.
And while he may have been intimidated and overwhelmed by the pressure ever so slightly, he also confessed that he went out of his way to pay homage to the star.
“Thank you everyone for your kind words. It was an honor to sing The National Anthem,” he began in a post on X, thanking everyone for the praise he received following the performance.
He then admitted, “I wrote the arrangement in a very specific way to honor Whitney Houston– I hope that was heard.”
And he couldn’t have done it without the assistance of the choir and orchestra, which surrounded him as he played his Rhodes keyboard in the middle of the field, as fighter jets soared in the sky above.
He extended his gratitude to those who joined him during the performance, noting, “Thank you to the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, the Sainted Choir, the Color of Noize Orchestra, Steve Hackman, and Kenny G for joining me on stage. And thank you Adam Blackstone for writing such a beautiful choir part. I love music so much.”
Fans were left impressed, writing, “I absolutely loved your rendition of the anthem. Your vocals were beyond amazing! You brought me to tears. I have never been prouder of you” and “Beautiful tribute to Whitney ,chills! You nailed it, Charlie. Gospel choir was perfection.”
Another emphasized, “The way you blended Whitney’s timeless influence with your own musical genius—especially with that legendary lineup of collaborators—was a masterclass in honoring the past while creating something entirely breathtaking.”
Prior to the event, Puth emphasized the importance of “the arrangement,” revealing to Movin’92.5 that he has a little trick when he approaches songs: “I always reverse engineer how I hear my own music in my head and then it’s kind of just like pulling it apart and making it a feasible product. … So I’ve been rehearsing this in my head for months, if that makes sense.”
Shortly after hitting the field during the pregame ceremony at Levi’s Stadium, the NFL posted a clip of the singer/composer’s performance, calling the moment “UNREAL.”
The internet even called for the “cameraman” to get a “raise,” following Puth’s performance, impeccably timed with the military flyover, all in the same frame.
