Charlie Puth Reveals Inspiration Behind Super Bowl 2026 Performance

Charlie Puth’s national anthem rendition hit all the right notes.

Following his performance of the national anthem before the 2026 Super Bowl on February 8th, the singer of “We Don’t Talk Anymore” shared the source of his emotional rendition.

He expressed his gratitude for the kind messages he received, writing on X on February 8th that it was an honor to sing the National Anthem. He explained he’d intentionally arranged the song as a tribute to Whitney Houston, and hoped people recognized that.

Charlie, who is expecting his first child with his wife, Brooke Sansone, also expressed his gratitude to the musicians who performed with him.

He continued, thanking the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, the Sainted Choir, the Color of Noize Orchestra, Steve Hackman, and Kenny G for performing with him. He also expressed his gratitude to Adam Blackstone for composing the lovely choir arrangement, adding that he has a deep love for music.

Charlie, age 34, recently showed his appreciation after an impressive performance at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Before the New England Patriots played the Seattle Seahawks – who won the game 29-13 to claim the Lombardi Trophy – Charlie beautifully played and sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” on a modern keyboard.

As the singer performed the powerful song, the camera showed players from both football teams enjoying the performance, which sounded like a gospel song.

The opening events also featured performances by Coco Jones, who sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and Brandi Carlile, who joined in with a rendition of “America the Beautiful.”

Some people doubted Charlie could live up to the memory of the singer of “I Will Always Love You,” and this may have inspired him to honor her work.

Okay, so everyone was doubting Charlie Puth before the Super Bowl, honestly! I couldn’t believe the negativity. I saw one person online in December saying we’d gone downhill since Whitney Houston’s performance – can you believe it?! They basically said he wouldn’t be able to deliver the vocals we deserved, and it stressed me out. I knew he’d be amazing, but the hate was just… a lot.

The composer wasn’t bothered by the criticism and replied directly to the user, saying he didn’t pretend to be as talented a singer as Whitney Houston. However, he promised a truly unique arrangement – in the key of D major – and believed it would be one of his strongest vocal performances yet.

Charlie wasn’t the only famous face at the 2026 Super Bowl! Keep reading to find out who else showed up to the big game…

Following his halftime performance, Bad Bunny was joined onstage at Levi’s Stadium by several celebrities who had been taking photos backstage. They danced along with him during his song, “Yo Perreo Sola.”

As a lifestyle expert, let me tell you, the Super Bowl 2026 Halftime Show was electric! Bad Bunny absolutely killed it, and the biggest surprise of the night? Lady Gaga joined him on stage! It was a moment everyone was talking about – a true pop culture highlight.

Jay-Z took his daughters, ages 14 and 8, to the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California, in 2026. Beyoncé was also there with them.

The rapper took photos before the Seahawks and Patriots played their big game.

The Blackpink singer was repping Levi’s while getting a ride into the stadium.

Looks like he indeed had his head in the game.

The rapper had his playlist on lock for the NFL championship.

The Baby Driver actress was calm, cool and collected while watching the action unfold.

The Titanic star made a lowkey entrance into Levi’s Stadium.

The couple had a winning date night at the 2026 Super Bowl with matching ‘fits.

The actor—who split with Katy Perry last year—kept it casual in all-black for the California event.

The former Dancing With the Stars contestant, who was recently linked to Tom Brady, wore a leather crop top and jeans to the game.

The longtime Patriots fan attended the game to introduce his fav NFL team before kickoff.

As a huge fan, it was amazing to see the Marvel actor officially introduce the Seahawks! What made it even cooler was that he brought his son along, making it a really special day for both of them – a true father-son experience.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who is engaged to Taylor Swift, didn’t reach the championship game this year, but he was there to cheer on his team from the sidelines.