Super Bowl 2025: Jon Batiste caps New Orleans pregame with emotional national anthem ahead of Chiefs-Eagles rematch
Jon Batiste crushed the national anthem on Sunday afternoon.
The New Orleans area native and seven-time Grammy winner sang the 'Star Spangled Banner' ahead of Super Bowl LIX on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome. Naturally, his rendition of the song left plenty of players both on the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles incredibly emotional.
Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones, who cried during last year's national anthem, came prepared this time around.
Chris Jones came prepared with the tissues this time around 😭pic.twitter.com/6kCkM4mJsw
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) February 9, 2025
.@JonBatiste delivers a stunning performance of the National Anthem 🇺🇸 #SBLIX pic.twitter.com/YfM3oZn4Q0
— NFL (@NFL) February 9, 2025
The national anthem came after Troy Andrews, who is known as Trombone Shorty, and Lauren Daigle sang 'America The Beautiful," which followed what was perhaps the most New Orleans introduction possible. That featured an incredible marching band medley led by Harry Connick Jr, Big Freedia, Human Jukebox and others.
Southern University Marching Band performing at the pre-show. It's giving BLACK. It's giving CULTURE. We're tuned in #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/uW3uhOMX7g
— REVOLT (@revolttv) February 9, 2025
Ledisi also sang 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' before the game. The NFL also honored former Chicago Bears owner Virginia Halas McCaskey with a moment of silence, too. McCaskey died at 102 earlier this week.
Batiste, who led the house band on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' for years, was right at the predicted length with his rendition. The over/under length on the song was set at 120.5 seconds by BetMGM, and he went right up to that mark after extending the end of the song. BetMGM's John Ewing said that the under was awarded as the winner, though just barely.
Batiste's version was significantly longer than last year's version, which was a bit controversial after Reba McEntire drew out the final lines of the song and sang the final two words twice. Her version lasted about 95 seconds, well over the initial 90.5 seconds that BetMGM had set.
Regardless of the betting aspect, Batiste and others crushed the unique intro on Sunday night.
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