Babyface Says Singing 'America the Beautiful' at 2023 Super Bowl Was Not Something He 'Saw Coming' (

Babyface serenaded the crowd inside the State Farm Stadium and viewers around the world with "America the Beautiful" ahead of kickoff at Sunday's Super Bowl. 

The musician sang a stripped-down version of the song while accompanying himself on a guitar, which was emblazoned with the American flag. "I'm glad I'm done," he later told ET's Kevin Frazier. "As you're up there, you're just hoping that you get through every note and do it right."

Deaf Native American interpreter Colin Denny signed the song during Babyface's performance. The singer was in esteemed company as Chris Stapleton performed the National Anthem and Sheryl Lee Ralph sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing."

"It was a honor to be on the field with him 'cause he’s so good and it was a nice contrast for how I sing and how he sings," Babyface said of Stapleton. "I thought it was well done, well thought through."

At halftime, Rihanna took the stage for her much-anticipated performance during the inaugural Apple Music halftime show, debuting her baby bump in the process. 

In January, Babyface celebrated the news of his performance on Instagram, writing that he was "truly honored" by the opportunity. 

"I didn’t see this coming," he told ET after his performance. "Very thankful to Roc Nation, to Jay-Z for even opening the door and saying, 'Yeah, him. Let him do this,' 'cause it wasn’t anything that I saw coming, I think anybody saw coming for that matter, so I just knew I had to just be emotional as I can, as heartfelt as I could and be myself and then hopefully it works that way."

The 2023 Super Bowl aired Sunday, Feb. 12 on Fox. For more exclusive Super Bowl content, visit ETonline.com. Additionally, CBS Sports has full in-depth Super Bowl coverage.

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