Music’s biggest night is purportedly the Grammys, but this upcoming Super Bowl Sunday ain’t too shabby a time for music either. For those of us who don’t care about men giving each other CTE, there’s still a lot to enjoy: dips galore, new commercials, and, most importantly, a bunch of musicians turning up. This year, not only are we getting a halftime show, the national anthem, the Black national anthem, and a rendition of “America the Beautiful,†but we’re also getting an in-game DJ, a choice that truly exemplifies the “more is more†ethos that America is all about. Below, find the music lovers’ guide to the 2024 Super Bowl, because even if you don’t care about football, you should get to enjoy Super Bowl Sunday.
Who’s singing the national anthem?
Reba McEntire, Voice coach, sitcom star, and country music legend, is taking on “The Star-Spangled Banner†this year. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. ET, so if you’re looking to make sure you don’t miss Miss Reba, we’d recommend tuning in around 6:15.
Who else is performing pre-kickoff?
Two other performances are happening before Travis Kelce takes the field. Oscar nominee Andra Day will perform the Black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.†Then, folk-singer and former rapper Post Malone is singing “America the Beautiful.†And on Nickelodeon, SpongeBob will be performing “Sweet Victory.â€
Sorry, what’s up with the DJ situation?
Fair question. The 2024 Super Bowl is supposed to feature an “in-game DJ†for the first time, as a tribute to Las Vegas, where the game is being held. The DJ in question was intended to be Tiësto, who was scheduled to warm up fans prior to the game and play during breaks. Then, Tiësto himself tweeted that he would no longer be able to perform due to a “personal family emergency.â€
It felt like the best bet for a replacement would be one of the major DJs that are household names: David Guetta, Diplo, etc. Calvin Harris is probably a no-go, given the T. Swift x T. Kelce of it all. If we had our way, Middle America would be introduced to the genius of Kaytranada. But it ended up being Kaskade, who confirmed the news on Instagram. “To be able to be the first Electronic Musician to be part of the full game experience of the Super Bowl held in Las Vegas seems like coming home, and I’m beyond excited to represent my community,†he captioned his announcement post.
Okay, let’s talk halftime show.
Watch this — Usher is doing the halftime show. Usher did confirm to Billboard that there will be special guests, though no specifics on the “who.†TMZ since confirmed that Alicia Keys is set to join for “My Boo,†while Usher himself noted that his “Yeah!†men Ludacris and Lil Jon will just happen to be in Vegas at the same time. Even Justin Bieber may be in on the action, with TMZ reporting that Usher spoke directly to his former mentee about a guest spot. And those are just the guests we know about. It’s hard to say exactly when the show will begin, but it’s typically around 8:15 to 8:30 p.m. ET. If you’re worried about missing it, just listen closely for the sound of gay men and straight women everywhere barking at the TV.
This post has been updated.