Let's raise joy.
R&B vocalist Ledisi performed Black National Anthem “Lifting All Voices and Singing” on Sunday ahead of the 2025 Super Bowl matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.
The 52-year-old wore an all-white and joined 125 New Orleans High School students for a performance to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the hymn.
The performance from New Orleans is followed by a performance of John Baptiste's national anthem, Starspangle Banner.
Lauren Dagle and Trombone Shorty also sing “American Beautiful” before Kendrick Lamar's halftime show with special guest SZA.
When was Black National Anthem written?
Originally written as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson 1900“Lift Every Voice and Sing” was set in music by his brother John Rosamond Johnson before it was adopted as the official NAACP song in 1919.
When was the first song sung at the Super Bowl?
It was frequently called as a rally cry during the civil rights movements of the 1950s and 1960s, and was first performed at the Super Bowl in 2020 following protests over police brutality and the death of George Floyd.
Who is Ledisi?
Born Ledisi anibade Young At the Super Bowl Ricks host City of New Orleans, she grew up in Oakland, California and was successful as a vocalist, songwriter, music producer, writer and actress.
With 13 albums in her name, the 52-year-old Chanteuse dropped her first LP, “Soulsinger,” in 2000. The 14-time Grammy Award nominee won her first gramophone in 2021 with her best traditional R&B performance.
She had a breakout moment in 2007 with the release of her album Lost & Found. She was nominated for the Recording Academy for Best New Artist in the same year. Grammy Awards Governing Body also gave Ladysi Three nominations Her 2011 album, “Peaces of Me,” peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's Hot R&B charts.
As actressLedisi appeared in George Clooney's 2008 film “Leatherheads,” and performed Mahalia Jackson in Ava Duvernay's Oscar-nominated film “Selma,” and performed on Broadway. On TV, Ledisi has booked roles in shows such as BET's “American Soul” and FX's “Pause.”
What did Ledisi say about playing “All Voices and Sings” before the Super Bowl?
At a press conference before Super Bowl on Thursday, Ladisi said she felt “overwhelmed” by the opportunity to sing in the Championship Game.
“I feel like I stand in this moment and work with greatness in singing that song,” she said. Daily Mail. “So everything I can say is an honor.”
“I think I've been choking all the time [from] phone. That's where it starts,” she added. “But I'm used to this in my career, standing in the moment, representing the past, future, and the present state of the world, I'm used to that pressure.”
She continued. “I remember who I'm doing it for. I remember my ancestors. I remember those who are waiting for this moment, feeling hope and expressing themselves. .”
“Yeah, I suffocate. I'm suffocating all the time. But I have work to do.”
