Charlie Puth stood in center field, fully aware of the stakes. “The Star-Spangled Banner” breaks careers as often as it makes them. The vocal range is brutal; one flat note and you are meme fodder for weeks. But here’s the thing: Puth wasn’t winging it. Back in November, he’d posted on Instagram about the anthem’s “extreme vocal range,” calling it one of the most beautiful but challenging pieces he’d ever tackle. He knew what was coming: months of prep for two minutes of glory.

Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium, the four-time Grammy nominee delivered. The Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots waited in the tunnel. Thousands watched from the stadium, and millions watched from home. And Puth navigated every note with control: powerful when it needed punch, restrained when it called for reverence.

The military flyover roared overhead as he finished. The timing? Perfect. This wasn’t just another performance slot for the singer who started posting YouTube covers to gain ground. “See You Again” made him a household name – 12 weeks at number one, diamond certification. But Super Bowl LX? That’s a different beast entirely, and Puth knew it full well.

“It’s special to be able to perform on a big stage, the biggest stage in the world, like this because of how many people you’re reaching,” Puth had said about the Super Bowl LX performance.

Translation: you can’t hide here. The anthem sets the tone for everything that follows. Nail it, and you vanish into the night, which is exactly what you want. But botch it, and you become the story instead of the game. Charlie Puth threaded that needle. No frills, no theatrics, just vocals, and Twitter erupted.

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Appreciation pours in for Charlie Puth

Even as the final note of the anthem still hung in the air, everybody took to X to share their verdict on Charlie Puth’s performance. And the reviews were glowing, to say the least.

“Charlie Puth, I love you; thanks for not butchering this song. #SuperBowl,” one fan wrote. That relief was shared by millions. National Anthem performances exist on a tightrope between perfection and disaster, and the fans know it.

Others kept it simple. “Pretty good rendition of the National Anthem from Charlie Puth there.” Another went harder, absolutely impressed with the vocals, “Charlie Puth killed that. Damn.” No surprises there when you deliver clean vocals on football’s biggest stage.

One observer caught the strategic angle: “Charlie Puth opening Super Bowl LX with the anthem is a huge stage moment. Calm, powerful way to start the night.” Given the stakes of the Seahawks vs. Patriots matchup, Puth seemed like the perfect voice to begin it all. Following the performance, another person wrote, “That may have been one of the best National Anthems ever. The Flyover was icing on the cake.”

As kickoff approached, Puth had accomplished the mission: launch the game without becoming it. The Seahawks and Patriots took center stage, and the anthem faded into the background. For one night, that’s the highest compliment a national anthem singer can get.