Charlie Puth's Super Bowl National Anthem Performance Sparks Widespread Criticism
NFL fans expressed their displeasure in no uncertain terms as they heavily criticised Charlie Puth for his rendition of the national anthem before Super Bowl LX. The singer, originally from New Jersey, took to the stage on Sunday evening ahead of the highly anticipated clash between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Unconventional Performance Leaves Crowd Stunned
Puth raised eyebrows with what he described as a 'special arrangement' of The Star-Spangled Banner, featuring a series of highly unusual vocal runs that left the assembled crowd visibly stunned. The performance immediately sparked a wave of negative reactions across social media platforms, with viewers taking to X to voice their disapproval.
One viewer wrote: 'This gotta be the worst national anthem I’ve heard.' Another commented: 'Charlie Puth singing like it’s the funeral of America,' just moments before Super Bowl LX got underway. A third added: 'One of the worst performances of the National anthem ever.'
Puth's Preparation and Response to Criticism
Prior to the event, Puth had offered fans a teaser from his soundcheck on Saturday, with the empty stadium looming in the background. He overlaid the clip with Whitney Houston’s legendary 1991 national anthem performance, writing: 'I am singing the national anthem on Sunday, fully knowing that this version exists.'
The choice of Puth to sing The Star Spangled Banner was eviscerated and criticised extensively on social media. The Attention singer noticed some of that backlash, particularly from conservative political commentator Link Lauren, who posted: 'Man we've really fallen from when Whitney Houston sang at the Super Bowl. Charlie Puth? He's not gonna give us vocals I'm afraid.'
Puth saw the comment and replied: 'I'll never claim to be as good of a singer as Whitney Houston ever was. But I assure you we're putting a really special arrangement together - in D major. It'll be one of my best vocal performances.'
NFL Defends Their Selection
The Grammy-nominated singer had announced his selection for the prestigious job in a post to his Instagram account. Puth explained to a room full of football players in uniform that the national anthem is one of the hardest songs to master because of the required vocal range to perform it.
The NFL has stood by their selection of Puth for one of the most coveted gigs in American music. An official announcement read: 'Charlie Puth has proven to be one of the industry's most consistent hitmakers and sought-after collaborators across multiple genres.'
Broader Super Bowl Entertainment Controversies
The pregame ceremonies also featured Brandi Carlile's rendition of 'America the Beautiful' and Coco Jones' performance of 'Lift Every Voice and Sing.' Puth's performance preceded both Super Bowl LX and its half-time show, where Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny took to the stage despite major fan backlash.
In the build-up to the big game, a number of high-profile names - including former US president Donald Trump - lamented the NFL's decision to award the half-time show to Bad Bunny and revealed that they would be boycotting the game as a result. Many, such as former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, revealed that they would instead be tuning into Turning Point USA's own half-time show.
NFL Commissioner Supports Entertainment Choices
Despite this, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell previously insisted the NFL is happy with the call to have Bad Bunny, which was made in conjunction with Roc Nation. 'He's one of the leading and most popular in the world. That's what we try to achieve,' he said at one of the NFL's league meetings in New York.
'It's an important stage for us, an important element to the entertainment value. It's carefully thought through. I think it's going to be an exciting and a united moment.'
Bad Bunny's Political Stance
The Latino artist has previously spoken out against the Trump administration and cited ICE agents as a reason why he did not include any mainland US dates for his tour - before once again calling out the federal law enforcement group at the 2026 Grammys last weekend.
'Before I say thanks to god, I'm going to say, ICE Out,' Bad Bunny said after winning an award. He received a massive ovation from the crowd before he continued: 'We are not savage. We are not animals. We are not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans.'
'The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love. So, please, we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love. We don't hate them, we love our people, we love our family, and that's the way to do it, with love.'
