Washington native Brandi Carlile performs ‘America the Beautiful’ at Super Bowl

Brandi Carlile described her interpretation of “America the Beautiful” with lyrics that “reads more like a prayer than a boast.”

The folk-rock heroine also said in her pregame news conference that she wanted to “put my whole self into that song.”

Carlile succeeded with her heartfelt rendition of the stirring song created from the Katharine Lee Bates poem “Pike’s Peak” in 1893.

The Washington state native, clad in a blue suit with red and white striped tie, used her acoustic guitar and the string stylings of SistaStrings as her backdrop as she sang the heartland song.

Carlile put her emphatic phrasing into the patriotic hymn, elongating notes and smiling at herself after a slight vocal squeak at the end.

Charlie Puth sings National Anthem

Standing behind a keyboard, Charlie Puth, known for his mellifluous touch on songs, added a sweet coating to a beloved song.

Cameras roamed the sidelines, catching players Cooper Kupp And Sam Darnold feeling the impact of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Seattle Seahawks coach Mike MacDonald swayed with his eyes closed while New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel stood tall with a hand over his heart

Puth, 34, backed by a small orchestra, was pitch-perfect on the song and seemed in awe of his surroundings as he ran his hands through his hair to look skyward at the flyover.

The singer was dogged in his pursuit of the anthem assignment. He recorded a demo of himself singing the song with his Rhodes piano – as he used in his Super Bowl performance and sent it to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, explaining that he wanted to put a personal spin on the classic.

In his pregame news conference, Puth explained why the national anthem is so difficult to sing with its escalating octaves, but also made a promise to himself to “not oversing it.”

Puth, who releases his fourth studio album, “Whatever’s Clever!” March 27, has been a pop radio staple since 2015 with hits including “Marvin Gaye” and “Attention,” as well as featured roles in smashes “See You Again” with Wiz Khalifa and “I Hope” with Gabby Barrett.

Coco Jones soars through ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’

As the daughter of former NFL defensive lineman Mike Jones, Coco Jones already had some football cred heading into her Super Bowl performance.

But the R&B singer showcased her musical chops on “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often referred to by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People as the Black national anthem.

Backed by an eight-piece string section, Jones, in a flowing white outfit with pops of red, ⁠blue and green along with a white headband, closed her shaded eyes throughout the moving song. Jones sang with pathos, feeling every word.

As the song reached its pinnacle, ⁠Jones put her hand to her chest, looked directly into the camera and let her voice soar.

This article originally appeared on USA Today

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect