Ahead of one of the most-watched television events on the planet, Brandi Carlile is preparing to deliver a performance that matches both her powerhouse vocals and her deeply held convictions. The Grammy-winning artist will sing “America the Beautiful” just prior to the kickoff of Super Bowl LX on Sunday, a moment she sees as more than just a patriotic prelude.
In an interview ahead of the game, Carlile revealed she has intentionally placed the song in a key at the very top of her range. “I put it in a key that’s right at the ceiling there for me, and so I’m gonna come out swinging,” she said. She’ll be accompanied by the acclaimed duo SistaStrings for a “melodically centered” arrangement.
While many perceive “America the Beautiful” as a simpler, scenery-focused alternative to “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Carlile connects profoundly with its lyrical depth. She reflected on the full verses, written by Katharine Lee Bates—a scholar believed by many to have been gay. Lines like “God mend thine every flaw” and “Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law” strike her as powerfully aspirational and relevant.
“It almost feels like she was feeling the way about the country when she wrote it that I’m feeling today singing it,” Carlile said. “Just this fragile hope, love and belief in where it could be, and acknowledging where it’s been, and acknowledging that we’re not there yet… that total celebration is not in order; that our prayers are still in order. But that the only way to move forward is with belief.”
For Carlile, taking the Super Bowl stage also holds significance as a visible member of the LGBTQ+ community. She sees the performance as an opportunity to represent that community on a global platform while honoring a song co-created by a woman who may have shared her identity.
Carlile has sung “The Star-Spangled Banner” at major events before, including a Seattle Seahawks playoff game in 2015, but this will be her first time performing “America the Beautiful.” She cites Ray Charles and Whitney Houston as owning the “definitive versions” that “can’t be touched,” but aims to bring her own resonant, hopeful interpretation to the iconic lyrics.
The performance comes just two days before Carlile launches a massive world tour, making an already intense week even more so. Yet, for an artist whose anthems like “The Joke” are nightly vocal marathons, the Super Bowl is another chance to deliver a message of perseverance and faith—not just in a nation, but in its possibility for better.
