Charlie Puth set the tone for Super Bowl LX with a piano-led rendition of the US National Anthem, and while the moment drew cheers inside Levi’s Stadium, it also sparked a wave of mixed reactions online as fans weighed in on his performance.
Before either the New England Patriots or the Seattle Seahawks took the field, the singer opened the night by accompanying himself on the electric piano, delivering a simple but emotional performance.
Puth began softly, gradually increasing the intensity before his voice rose in the vein of “rocket redglow,” accompanied by a chorus as joint Navy and Air Force aircraft flew over the stadium to close the pregame spectacle.
When the final note sounded, he raised his arms and waved to the crowd, visibly soaked in the moment.
Puth’s performance came as part of a star-studded pre-show lineup that also included Coco Jones with Lift every voice and singBrandi Carlile performing America the beautifuland green day.
Bad Bunny headlined Apple Music’s Super Bowl LX halftime show later that night.
Before the game, Puth talked about how seriously he was taking the moment.
“I think the best way to approach it specifically is that the deal means everything to me,” he said during a recent conversation with apple musicIt’s Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden.
“I always reverse engineer how I hear my own music in my head and then just break it down and turn it into a sustainable product. I’ve been rehearsing this in my head for months, if that makes sense.”
Its appearance was not without controversy even before the start. When some fans questioned whether he was the right choice for such an iconic slot, one X user compared him unfavorably to Whitney Houston’s legendary 1991 performance.
Puth responded directly, writing, “I will never claim to be as good a singer as Whitney Houston was. But I assure you that we are preparing a truly special arrangement, in D major. It will be one of my best vocal performances.”
Fan reaction to Charlie Puth’s performance at Super Bowl LX
Once the anthem was aired, social media quickly filled with reactions.
On Reddit’s music forum, opinions were divided.
One listener wrote: “The performance itself was fantastic, but I wasn’t a big fan of the arrangement. A little cheesy.”
Another commented: “It sounded like a Christmas carol,” while someone else added: “I’m getting Disney song vibes.”
Questions about vocal effects dominated much of the discussion.
One user stated: “I don’t know, it sounded very auto-tuned and pre-recorded…”, while another echoed the sentiment, saying: “You could literally hear it kick in when out of tune. Very unpleasant.”
One disappointed fan asked: “Why did you use auto tuning? It sounds so much better without it.”
Others rushed to his defense.
“I don’t want to be that girl, but of all the people who don’t need autotune, it’s Charlie,” one commenter wrote.
“That man is a musical genius and has perfect pitch.” Another added: “Have you never heard him live? The guy has an internal autotune that God gave him.”
Praise also came in from fans who loved the moment, with one writing: “This was easily one of the best performances I’ve ever heard” and another simply posting: “Absolutely cooked bro.”
In the pop culture forum, the tone was more supportive.
One fan urged critics to chill out, writing: “It was great. Stop hating on things.”
Another insisted: “His voice was wonderful and he didn’t lip sync,” while a third noted: “His voice really sounded like it had an effect, so it sounds like his albums. Now you can do certain effects live.”
The performance of the anthem comes as Puth continues the release of his upcoming fourth album, Whatever is smartwhich will be released on March 27.
talking to The Hollywood Reporter Last year, he hinted at a new chapter in his music, saying: “I can’t say when, but I plan to release music soon. And when it comes out, I feel like a lot of questions are going to be answered… Life for me is very different from what it was 10 years ago, when a call away either see you again came out, so there are some things to say.”
Whether viewed as poignant or overproduced, Charlie Puth’s Super Bowl LX anthem clearly struck a chord, generating debate, praise and criticism in equal measure as internet fans shared their reactions in real time.
