Pink delivered a strong rendition of the National Anthem ahead of Super Bowl LII Sunday night despite battling the flu. The singer, a self-professed Philadelphia Eagles fan, is from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, which is about 30 miles outside Philadelphia.
Flanked by members of the military and an American flag, the Beautiful Trauma singer started with a smile and the disposal of her chewing gum. With striking power, she hit the notes without strain and completed the song in just under one minute and 55 seconds. The performance also featured actress Alexandria Wailes, who accompanied Pink in American Sign Language on behalf of the National Association of the Deaf.
Pink wrote on Instagram the day before the Super Bowl that she had the flu, but didn’t want to miss the opportunity to perform in front of her family, military family, the Eagles and the world. “Trying to practice the flu away,” she wrote. “I’ve been waiting to sing this song since 1991 when I saw my idol, Whitney Houston, own this song.”
Pink said arriving at this dream come true was “slowly becoming a sort of nightmare” due to her illness – which she got from her children Willow Sage and Jameson – but, she added, “this is one of the biggest honors of my life.”
The pre-game performances also included a performance of “America the Beautiful” from Hamilton star Leslie Odom Jr. This marked the second straight year that a former Hamilton cast member has performed the song at the Super Bowl.
Pink released her most recent album, Beautiful Trauma, last October. The record debuted at Number One on the Billboard 200, while her single, “What About Us,” peaked at Number 13 on the Hot 100. Pink will embark on a massive North American tour in support of Beautiful Trauma March 1st in Phoenix, Arizona.
