Ledisi just showed the world how it’s done. The Grammy Award-winning singer performed “Life Every Voice and Sing” ahead of the highly anticipated 2025 Super Bowl game in New Orleans.
In a striking white gown and backed by a New Orleans youth choir, The Root 100 honoree brought the house down with her out-of-this-world vocals, doing incredible justice to the historic and powerful song. Her rendition immediately went viral on the internet moments after it aired, with viewers rushing to social media to praise the singer.
One user wrote that Ledisi “absolutely nailed” her performance, writing, “no surprise,” and that she has “always has been fantastic.” Another user sharing similar sentiments wrote, “Ledisi looks and sounds angelic, singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” ie the Black National Anthem.”
Others wrote that the performance also served as a moment where Ledisi was able to get some well-deserved flowers. One user wrote, “Ledisi deserves more flowers. One of the most versatile singers and catalogs in modern R&B/soul.”
As we reported, over the last few years, the “Black National Anthem” has been a significant part of the major sports event’s preshow. Alicia Keys performed the song in its Super Bowl debut back in 2021, while Mary Mary, Andra Day and Sheryl Lee Ralph performed it in the years that followed.
Ahead of the performance, Ledisi opened up about the significance of singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” at the Super Bowl when speaking to Entertainment Tonight. She explained, “It’s American history. I mean if you love Black people, if you love people, if you love the home of jazz which is New Orleans!”
“I think ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ fits into that, it’s a hymn,” she added. “One hundred and twenty-five years old and I’m the fifth person to sing it here ... that blows me away!”