Post Malone, Reba McEntire Go Country for Super Bowl Opening Songs

Reba McEntire and Post Malone teamed up for countrified versions of the opening performances at the 2024 Super Bowl on Sunday (2-11). We knew country music’s modern queen had been booked to perform the National Anthem, representing the country genre for America’s biggest media audience all year. But post Malone who’s dabbled with country in the past also brought the twang.
Post Malone took the field to sing “America The Beautiful” wearing a turquoise bolo tie and carrying an old Martin guitar like a country star. Then when he started singing, the sweet tones from a steel guitar accompanied him, making for a surprisingly country version of the song.
When Reba took the field to sing the National Anthem, the steel guitar remained, along with a full blow band by the end of the rendition. This was in contrast to the often a capella versions we’re commonly used to in these situations. It was a a solid and strong performance by Reba, though perhaps not as landmark as some other performances over the years.
Country star Ernest’s steel guitar player Chandler Walters played with Post Malone. Veteran country steel guitar player Travis Toy played with Reba. See both performances below.
For Reba McEntire, performing the National Anthem at the 2024 Super Bowl is a full circle moment. In 1974 while a sophomore in college at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Reba McEntire performed the National Anthem at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City, or NFR. In the crowd that day was legendary country songwriter and performer Red Steagall, who ultimately helped McEntire land her first record deal.
For country music, this makes three big performances of the National Anthem in the last three years at the Super Bowl. Mickey Guyton received praise for her 2022 National Anthem performance, and some consider Chris Stapleton’s 2023 version of “The Star Spangled Banner” one of the best ever.
This story has been updated.
.@PostMalone delivers a special performance of America The Beautiful! #SBLVIII pic.twitter.com/gnZalcIKzi
— NFL (@NFL) February 11, 2024
.@reba sings the National Anthem at Super Bowl LVIII! #SBLVIII pic.twitter.com/yEQi89hYGg
— NFL (@NFL) February 11, 2024
February 11, 2024 @ 5:09 pm
Great performances
February 11, 2024 @ 5:13 pm
Post Malone just needs to do his thing, and he will find his place in Country.
February 12, 2024 @ 5:29 am
For the record, it’s not me.
February 12, 2024 @ 4:24 pm
Must be your ghost then, eh?
February 13, 2024 @ 6:55 am
I liked Post Malone’s performance at the Super Bowl ????
I can’t help but feel embarrassed for him to have altered his handsomeness by facial tattoos and ruining his teeth .
Maybe some doctors can help him.
February 11, 2024 @ 5:16 pm
Did Toby Keith ever sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
Because he damn should have done it. Legend ????????
February 11, 2024 @ 6:22 pm
If folks keep gaming the “like” buttons, I’m just going to remove them. Whether it’s you Country Charley or someone else, it’s not cool.
February 11, 2024 @ 6:56 pm
Yep hard to not notice that 10 minutes after some people post the most inane shit possible that they have 80+ likes in a thread where no other post breaks 20.
February 11, 2024 @ 8:37 pm
Idk … restrict the “likes” per one IP address. Plenty of other blogs/sites do that
February 11, 2024 @ 9:54 pm
That’s already being done. That is why it’s being “gamed.”
February 11, 2024 @ 11:31 pm
I wonder if it’s time for you to go to a more modern message-type board form of communication. I like this form a lot, but it has its limits. Anyway, I appreciate it in this form too.
February 12, 2024 @ 7:28 am
This is not supposed to be a message board, though some treat it as such. It’s a comments section. I’ve hosted a message board in the past. Perhaps I’ll do that again in the future. But with the way people take advantage of the openness of this comments section already, It seems like it would be more hassle than it’s worth.
February 13, 2024 @ 4:20 pm
Trig, the IP thing hasn’t worked ever since that last update or overhaul of the website. Just by reloading a page I was able to like again comments I already liked. And believe me when I say I’m eminently incapable of gaming anything of this sort.
February 11, 2024 @ 5:49 pm
Pedal steel makes everything better. Nice. “Our National Anthem”… The United States Constitution does not explicitly or implicitly say, or even imply, the “United States of America” is a consolidated Nation. It is (or was sold as) a Federation of Sovereign States (aka “Federalism”), composed of sovereign individuals. Don’t believe the hype. “But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government…”
“ Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect every one who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it, but downright force: Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined.” – Patrick Henry 1788
February 11, 2024 @ 5:52 pm
Does this guy know how to party or what?
February 11, 2024 @ 6:13 pm
Serious issues deserve serious attention and attitude. When The Pink Stones hit Texas, ask Hunter if I know how to “party” at a concert. (Seriously, I hope you attend one of their shows). All the best, “Trigger”!
February 11, 2024 @ 9:55 pm
Nicely done, working in the Wayne’s World reference.
February 11, 2024 @ 9:49 pm
I think most reasonable and intelligent people would probably conclude that when The United StatesConstitution created a single United States Congress with the power to coin money, collect taxes, borrow money, raise armies and a navy and declare war; and a single President of the United States, who would be Commander in Chief over the U.S. Army and Navy AND the militias of the different states when called into service of the United States–that that explicitly or implicitly said, or at least implied that the “United States of America” is a consolidated Nation.
At least we’ve been a consolidated Nation for two centuries plus several decades, though I can’t hazard a guess over whether or not we will be one for another decade.
February 12, 2024 @ 3:11 am
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” – Tenth Amendment
February 11, 2024 @ 6:16 pm
Her smile…
February 11, 2024 @ 6:34 pm
Mr. Post Malone – Thank you for the heartfelt performance of, America The Beautiful.
February 11, 2024 @ 6:43 pm
If you put a red wig on Dana Carvey, he would look like Reba. I can’t believe he never did a skit.
Good tunes though seriously!
February 11, 2024 @ 11:29 pm
The new Beyoncé and Usher tracks are part of the hoe-down, too. Great game, great performances, hopefully we can all come together on those high notes a little bit.
February 12, 2024 @ 8:34 am
Not going to lie. The new Beyoncé single has given me extremely high expectations of Beyoncé countrified. We got a taste of it with that song she did with the Chicks.
February 12, 2024 @ 9:48 am
I have no doubt she could make a solid country album if she decided to. The song is still too overproduced for my taste, but it’s not bad
February 12, 2024 @ 4:20 am
…did anybody else do a “cream on the left – cream on the right?” toss about whether reba would wear that red dress for the occasion? guess, my oreo got it wrong. next time, i might as well flip a fudge round.
February 12, 2024 @ 6:54 am
nice job but not on Stapleton level (who is?). I’m not american but that performance pushed me to apply for a green card.
February 12, 2024 @ 9:17 am
I wasn’t a fan of Post starting off, but the dude has talent and has done some solid country covers and has give subtle nods to those in the Americana/underground country atmosphere. When he does a country album I know there’s going to be some pop country on there but I hope he leans heavier into the other direction. Great job by him and Reba
February 12, 2024 @ 9:25 am
Gotta be kidding here.
Post Malone – another current act with a weak excuse for a voice. Seems to me that too many of today’s “singers” have weak, breathy unmemorable voices. Cannot believe that people want to listen to THAT! He should spend more time working on his vocals rather than on his ridiculous tattoos. Cannot take anyone seriously with tattoos on their face.
On the other hand Reba nailed it (as usual)
We need another channel to offer an alternative Super Bowl half-time show for folks that want to hear real music. This year’s choice was ear-splitting awful.
February 12, 2024 @ 10:53 am
Maybe all of the networks could get together and offer halftime shows featuring every genre of music — rock, country, gospel, classical, folk music, yodeling, Gregorian chanting, etc. That way everyone gets to hear what they like and not have to be confronted with realization that the world doesn’t revolve around their individual musical tastes.
Or people could just turn down the volume on their TVs for a few minutes.
February 12, 2024 @ 1:18 pm
The biggest Country music storyline from the superbowl has to be the Beyonce country album. This is going to be a massive country music story over the next year. She will be certain to win the country music grammy with it. If that becomes controversial – that in itself will be the controversy. The ACM simply aren’t going to be able to ignore it either (though it remains to be seen whether it will get mainstream country music radio play).
Beyond all that the two songs she posed are great. Seems like she is taking the project really seriously and not just doing countryish pop music. Robert Randolph and Rhiannon Giddens involvement suggests its going to be the real deal.
February 12, 2024 @ 1:33 pm
Yes, I am going to have something on this soon. But before we get into the weeds of the Beyonce announcement, I wanted to celebrate the folks that helped bring a country flair to the Super Bowl.