NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Chris Stapleton, an eight-time Grammy winner, opened up during an interview with Willie Geist on NBC's 'Today' show. He revealed feeling 'terrified' before singing the national anthem at the 2023 Super Bowl.
On Sunday's edition of 'Today' with Willie Geist, the host had a conversation with the country music icon Stapleton, discussing a range of topics.
Stapleton delved into his latest album 'Higher,' reflected on his journey in country music, and touched upon his Super Bowl performance, which moved many to tears.
Chris Stapleton shares his 2023 Super Bowl performance experience with ‘Today’ host Willie Geist
While talking about his 2023 Super Bowl performance, Chris Stapleton revealed to Willie Geist during Sunday, October 29, sitdown, “The national anthem’s a hard one for any singer, I don’t care who you are.”
Stapleton disclosed that his nerves were at an 'exponentially' higher level prior to the Super Bowl.
To tackle this, he engaged in rigorous preparation for his two-minute song performance, surpassing the level of readiness he had ever dedicated to any previous television appearance.
This rigorous preparation ultimately proved to be worthwhile. Stapleton's rendition garnered significant praise on social media.
Dressed in an all-black outfit, his distinctive deep and resonant voice, combined with a slow, melancholic electric guitar, delivered a performance that deeply touched viewers both in the stadium and those watching from home.
Notably, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and center Jason Kelce were visibly moved during the performance, with tears in their eyes.
When asked by Geist if he was aware of the impact of his performance, Stapleton modestly downplayed it.
He said, “People were like, 'Oh. You made people cry.' I was like, 'Oh, OK. Good, I’m gonna go watch the game.’”
Now, he is being considered as a potential contender for the title of the best Super Bowl national anthem performer, placing him alongside greats like Whitney Houston.
When questioned about this, his response was modest as he said, "I'll differ."
Chris Stapleton talks about new album ‘Higher’
Regarding Stapleton's demo recordings, the title track of his upcoming album, set to be released on November 10, is reportedly derived from his personal archives.
This song originated from a demo session conducted when he first moved to Nashville in his twenties.
He said, “I wrote that song by myself, and it’s been hanging out ever since.”
Stapleton acknowledges that over the course of more than two decades, the song's meaning has evolved, both for himself and for the audiences who have heard it.
“I can think a song means one thing, and I can write it, and I can sing it. And then, it goes out into the world or you see people singing it back," he said.
Stapelton continued, "And you see that it means something to them that’s probably not what you intended or maybe it’s exactly what you intended, but you see it in real time."
He shares that it’s a feeling that he’ll never get sick of considering he doesn’t perform “for the fame part.”
He shared, “It doesn’t get old.”
