5 Quick Facts About Super Bowl Singer Brandi Carlile Ahead of 'America the Beautiful' Performance

Brandi Carlile could not contain her excitement after being tapped to sing 'America the Beautiful' at the Super Bowl. The singer candidly revealed that this will be her first time ever singing the song, and as a famed artist, Carlile plans to make her version of the track unique. During her interview, she said she will be performing a melodically centred version.

Carlile also talked about the importance of performing on the Super Bowl stage, especially for someone who is part of a marginalised community. As a queer individual, the singer said it's imperative for her to represent others and acknowledge both the pain and hope woven into America's story.

Eleven-time Grammy Winner

Carlile has been in the industry for many years, but it was only in 2019 that she started getting a Grammy award. At the time, she received the Best Americana Album award for By the Way, I Forgive You, Best American Roots Performance for 'The Joke', and Best American Roots Song for the same track.

Two years later, Carlile won the Best Country Song award for 'Crowded Table'. In 2023, the singer received the Best Americana Album for In These Silent Days, Best Rock Performance for 'Broken Horses', and Best Rock Song for the same track.

Breakthrough Album

In 2007, Carlile released her album titled The Story, which propelled her to international stardom. Ten years later, Carlile opened up about the success of the album, as well as the song by the same title. She said many people still resonated with the track, so she thought of re-releasing it.

Pearl Jam Connection

Carlile's song, 'Again Today', was performed by Pearl Jam. The rock band gave the song a political twist. Commenting on the band's version, Carlile said the group gave her song a new sense of urgency.

'There's a new urgency to it because they did it in the style of The Ramones. It was like a power ballad before, when I did it, and now it's so fast and such a call to arms. That's a potent performance that reminds me of why we made the record in this way', she said.

Coming Out Early

During an interview, Carlile shared that she didn't have much choice but to come out early. After all, she wanted to live an authentic life.

'I felt like it was radiating out of me and that I needed to live authentically at a really young age because my queerness was really tied with my gender and the way that I presented myself', she told Billboard.

Family Life

Carlile is happily married to her wife, Catherine. The couple first met in 2009, and their relationship started as purely professional. At the time, Catherine phoned Brandi to discuss the possibility of donating Beatles memorabilia to her Fight the Fear Campaign. Three years later, the couple tied the knot. The couple now has two children together.

The Super Bowl takes place on Sunday. Other performers taking the stage include Bad Bunny, Coco Jones, Green Day, and Charlie Puth.