Now that Super Bowl LX is in the books, most of the online chatter has been about Bad Bunny’s electrifying halftime show. But if you weren’t watching all of NBC’s coverage, you may have missed another buzz-worthy performance that happened long before kick-off.
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During the pre-game show, actress and singer Coco Jones performed a powerful rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” for the crowd at Levi’s Stadium, which has been getting lots of attention for its style and substance.
Clips of Jones’ performance have been going viral as commenters loved her soul-stirring interpretation of the Black National Anthem.
“Every ancestor in my soul is standing in joy!! Yes, CoCo,” wrote someone on TikTok.
Many online have commented that the performance was just what they needed at the start of a Black History Month happening in a moment when Black people feel like the country is moving away from all of the progress made during the Civil Rights Movement. But fans are also buzzing about the beautiful way Jones paid tribute to another iconic Super Bowl performance: Whitney Houston’s 1991 rendition of the National Anthem at Super Bowl XXV.
With the help of hip-hop stylist Sankara Xasha Turé Jones stunned in an all-white Karl Kani look, including a bubble skirt with a long train and a cropped jacket highlighted by red, black and green stripes on the armband – a nod to the Pan African flag. In an interview with “Entertainment Tonight,”Jones confirmed that her outfit was inspired by the late R&B legend, who delivered what was arguably one of the most memorable renditions of “The Star Spangled Banner” in a tracksuit from French sportswear designer Le Coq Sportif and Nike sneakers.
But just like Jones’ look, Houston’s was intentional and very much about the moment. She took the stage at the biggest football game of the year just 10 days after the start of the Gulf War, when the United States and other countries launched military operations in response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait.
In her memoir, “A Song for You: My Life with Whitney Houston,” Robyn Crawford, Houston’s long-time friend, confirmed that the singer made a last-minute decision to ditch her original choice – a sleeveless black dress and heels –for the tracksuit, something she decided was more appropriate during a time when the nation needed to be united.
Houston reflected on the choice in an interview, which was in included in the “Whitney Houston Greatest Hits” collection.
“In the stadium I could see the fear, the hope, the intensity, the prayers going up, you know, and I just felt like this is the moment. And it was hope, we needed hope, you know, to bring our babies home and that’s what it was about for me, that’s what I felt when I sang that song, and the overwhelming love coming out of the stands was incredible,” she said.
Just as Houston’s performance continues to move people today, we have a feeling people will be talking about Jones’ rendition for years to come.
“It’s the sound of black resilience for me!” wrote someone on TikTok.
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