Charlie Puth Puts Whitney Houston at the Center of His Soulful Super Bowl National Anthem
The way Charlie Puth sang the national anthem at the Super Bowl on February 8, 2026, really made a lot of people feel something. After his set, the “We Don’t Talk Anymore” artist opened up to fans about the legendary figure that inspired his heartfelt take on the classic.
Puth took to X to express his gratitude for the support he got after the performance. “It was such a privilege to perform The National Anthem. I was very intentional in the way I arranged it because I wanted to pay homage to Whitney Houston—I hope that came through,” he explained.
Charlie Puth, who is going to be a father for the first time with his wife Brooke Sansone, also gave a shout out to the different artists that performed with him on the stage.
“Thanks so much to the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, Sainted Choir, Color of Noize Orchestra, Steve Hackman, and Kenny G for their incredible performances in the concert,” he wrote. “Also, a big thank you to Adam Blackstone for composing such a lovely choir part. I just adore music.”
Charlie Puth’s Powerful Super Bowl Anthem Pays Tribute to Whitney Houston
Charlie Puth, at the age of 34, was a very emotional and stirring performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California as part of the Super Bowl event between New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, which latter won 29-13.
Without any hesitation, Puth captivated the audience and players with his gospel-inspired performance after the announcement that he is coming to the stage with the piano alone. NFL stars from both sides were seen by the camera as they were deeply engrossed in the music.
Besides Puth, the event program made a part of music performers such as Coco Jones who sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and Brandi Carlile who performed “America the Beautiful.”
Artists and fans were skeptical at first if Puth’s performance would be on par with the late Whitney Houston’s definitive anthem. However, he managed to express his admiration and respect for her through his creative arrangement and sincere delivery.
Charlie Puth Debuts a Special Super Bowl Anthem Arrangement in Response to Critics
Many people doubted Charlie Puth’s ability to perform at the level of the legendary Whitney Houston when he was announced for the Super Bowl. A social media user was among those who commented in December: “Man, we’ve fallen so far from the days when Whitney Houston performed at the Super Bowl. Charlie Puth? I’m afraid he’s not going to give us any vocals.”
The Grammy-winning composer absorbed the criticism as a challenge and even went as far as to answer the user personally: “I would never say I was as good a singer as Whitney Houston was. But I promise you we are going to have a really special arrangement—in D major. It’s going to be one of my best vocal performances.”
Puth demonstrated through his vibrant performance how committed he was to enhancing Houston’s memory and at the same time, putting forth his own imprint on the anthem.
