So here’s the thing about Charlie Puth and the National Anthem: He absolutely understood the assignment. And yet, the internet still can’t decide if he crushed it or auto-tuned it into oblivion.
Before the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks battled it out at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday night, Charlie Puth took center stage at the Super Bowl, in a brown leather bomber jacket that screamed “I’m here to sing, not play football.” Standing at his keyboard, the 34-year-old launched into “The Star-Spangled Banner” with the kind of earnest precision that’s become his calling card. Meanwhile, a choir dressed in all-white flanked him, adding dramatic flair to what the NFL later called “UNREAL.”
But let’s back up a second. Getting this gig wasn’t exactly handed to Puth on a silver platter. In a January interview with Rolling Stone, he revealed he essentially auditioned himself. “I applied. I auditioned for it, but I made up my own audition because I’ve always wanted to do it,” he explained. He recorded a demo on his Rhodes piano and sent it to Roc Nation. The response? “I’ve been told Jay-Z loved it,” Puth said, “and it got to [NFL Commissioner Roger] Goodell and they all said that I could do it.”
Talk about manifesting your dreams.
And honestly? He delivered. His vocals soared on “the rockets’ red glare,” complete with perfectly timed fireworks and a military flyover. Cameras caught players from both teams visibly moved, hands over hearts, taking in the moment. The NFL wasted no time praising the performance, sharing clips across social media.
Of course, this is the internet we’re talking about. Reactions were… let’s say diverse. One fan gushed on X, “Man, Charlie Puth crushed that.” Another wrote, “Charlie Puth straight taking us to Church with that national anthem! Hallelujah 🙌.” Someone else declared it “elite national anthem.”
Still, Puth knew he was walking into a minefield. Days before the performance, he acknowledged the elephant in the room by posting Whitney Houston‘s legendary 1991 rendition with the caption, “I am singing the national anthem on Sunday, fully knowing this version exists.” He’d previously told Rolling Stone, “I’ll never claim to be as good of a singer as Whitney Houston ever was. But I assure you we’re putting a really special arrangement together—in D major. It’ll be one of my best vocal performances.”
.@charlieputh sings a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem ahead of Super Bowl LX 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/mB0T6e5D9d
— NFL (@NFL) February 8, 2026On the flip side, critics came out swinging. “National anthem way overproduced this year. There should never be auto tune in a national anthem man,” one viewer complained. NESN’s Keagan Stiefel added, “Autotune the national anthem at the super bowl is insane work.” Over on Reddit, one user wrote, “Sounded like a Christmas carol,” while another noted, “I got Disney song vibes.”
Ouch.
To be fair, Puth defenders quickly jumped in. “Not to be that gal, but of all the people that does not need auto tune, it’s Charlie,” one commenter wrote. And they’re not wrong—the man’s made a career out of pitch-perfect vocals and radio-ready arrangements.
Looking skyward as the Air Force jets roared overhead, Puth seemed to soak in the moment. For someone who’d called the national anthem “the hardest piece of music ever written” and explained it requires an extreme vocal range from “a low D to a high A,” he certainly showed up prepared.
Whether you loved it or found it overproduced, one thing’s certain: Charlie Puth gave the people something to talk about. And isn’t that the whole point of the Super Bowl, anyway?
