Andra Day Performs Powerful ‘Lift Every Voice And Sing’ At Super Bowl

Andra Day performed a powerful rendition of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" during the kick-off of Super Bowl LVII. "Lift Every Voice and Sing" is known as the Black National Anthem and was first performed at the Super Bowl by Alicia Keys in a pre-recorded video for the Super Bowl LV 2021 game. Mary Mary performed the following year outside of the stadium in Los Angeles at the SoFi Stadium Super Bowl LVI. Last year, Emmy-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph performed on the field (the first time the song was performed at the stadium) in Arizona for Super Bowl LVII.

Day was announced as one of the performances during the Big Game last month alongside country superstar Reba McEntire and Grammy-nominated rapper Post Malone. McEntire performed the National Anthem, and Posty performed "America The Beautiful." The Super Bowl Halftime Show will be performed by Usher.

Instead of the regular 12-13 minute show for the musicians to act on the big stage, Usher managed to get his set two extra minutes, bringing it to a total of 15.

So, how did Usher manage to get the extra two minutes? The singer chalked it up to his team.

"I can’t explain why, but it’s a funny thing that I was able to do and craft," Usher explained to Entertainment Weekly. "That was a huge strategic thing that happened between me and my agency."

Reasons as to why his set will be longer seem to correlate with the fact that he plans to preview new music.

"It’s really hard to determine what moment matters more than others, especially with a new song," Usher told Billboard in his cover story. "But there’s the dance, the wardrobe, the lighting, how long you stay in a song, the fact that the audience may sing along … It’s a lot."

Last year, Rihanna headlined the Super Bowl, which took place at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It was there that the "Diamonds" singer announced that she was pregnant with her second child with partner A$AP Rocky. Their second son, Riot Rose, was born in August. The Grammy-winning artist performed some of her greatest hits, such as "Bitch Better Have My Money," "All Of The Lights," "Run This Town," "Diamonds," and more. Chris Stapleton, Babyface, and Sheryl Lee Ralph also performed at Super Bowl LVII prior to the game. Rihanna has the most-watched Super Bowl Halftime performance in history with 121 million views.

Take a look at Day's performance below:

R&B legend Usher will be playing the Halftime show at next year's Super Bowl! It was announced on Sunday (Sept. 24), that Usher will be performing at the 2024 Super Bowl, something that the superstar has wanted for quite some time.

"It’s an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list. I can’t wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they’ve seen from me before,” Usher said in a statement on Sunday, adding, "Thank you to the fans and everyone who made this opportunity happen. I’ll see you real soon."

Jay-Z, who signed a multi-year partnership with the NFL through his label Roc Nation, praised Usher's longstanding legacy in the music industry.

"Usher is the ultimate artist and showman. Ever since his debut at the age of 15, he's been charting his own unique course. Beyond his flawless singing and exceptional choreography, Usher bares his soul," said JAY-Z. “His remarkable journey has propelled him to one of the grandest stages in the world. I can't wait to see the magic."

The 2024 Super Bowl will be in Las Vegas where Usher has performed for over a year. He extended his performances one last time. Twelve new shows have been added: Nov. 3-4, 7-8, 10-11, 22, 24-25, 29 and Dec. 1-2. Additionally, he will take his show to Paris from the end of September through early October.

In addition to the Super Bowl announcement, Usher will release his new album Coming Home. The LP will be released on the same day as the Super Bowl, Feb. 11, 2024.

This year Rihanna took the stage and made history as the most-watched Super Bowl performance Rihanna's total views during her performance were 121 million, which beat the record held by Katy Perry in 2015 with 118 million views. Perry brought out Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott during her performance, while Rihanna did the show solo.

While Usher is known for his solo efforts, we wouldn't be upset if he brought out some of his celebrity friends on stage with him. Take a look below at some artists we believe would make great additions to the show:

After Usher played an April Fool's joke during his Dreamvile concert performance, he certainly owes his fans to bring Beyoncé out. The superstars only have one song together which is "Love In This Club Part II." However, they had very memorable performance for Usher's Live From Puerto Rico concert special back in 2005. Beyoncé stayed on stage for Usher's performance of "Bad Girl" and fans would not mind if they decided to have a repeat performance. Take a look at the throwback moment here. She headlined one of the best Halftime shows ever, in 2013. In 2016, she stole the show when she guested with Coldplay.

Alicia Keys and Usher did not beat dating allegations after they dropped "My Boo." While they didn't date in real life, it is definitely fans' top features for both artists. The duet by the R&B powerhouses was released in 2004 and served as the fourth single on Usher's Confessions album. We hope that Alicia's invitation to the Super Bowl stage is already out there.

We'd love if Usher, Jon, and Luda could do it again -- and this time at the Super Bowl. Usher has two hits with both artists including "Lovers and Friends" and "Yeah." Both songs are high energy compared to Usher's soulful R&B tunes which would be a great overall vibe to his show.

If Usher really wants everybody up and out of their seats he definitely needs to send an invite over to Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am. The two made "OMG" in 2010 which served as the fourth single on Usher's album Raymond v. Raymond. The song is a part of Usher's "EDM era" which was a popular sound in the 2010s. Fans responded well to Usher's "OMG" which gave the legend his ninth No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

To "usher" in his new era, the singer should invite 21 Savage and Summer Walker on stage. Both artists are on his song "Good Good" which will be on his new album Coming Home. The LP will be released on the same day as the Super Bowl which is February 11.