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Charlie Puth did his homework.
The pop music wunderkid sang the "Star-Spangled Banner" at the 2026 Super Bowl, delivering a rendition of the National Anthem that was musically complex and moving. It begins simply with Puth playing a Rhodes electric keyboard, before a a choir, orchestra and none other than Kenny G join him. His arrangement was fittingly compositionally complex (Puth is famous for his perfect pitch and deep music theory knowledge), with surprising timing and plenty of harmonic modulation.
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Puth shared his gratitude for the opportunity after performing in a post on X. Notably, he wrote, "I wrote the arrangement in a very specific way to honor Whitney Houston- I hope that was heard."
Houston gave one of the most iconic performances of the National Anthem in 1991. Houston's longtime bandleader Rickey Minor decided to rewrite the anthem in a 4/4 time signature, rather than its famous 3/4, to give her more time to sit in each measure. Listening to Houston's rendition, you can hear the musical spaciousness and rhythmic malleability that comes form the extra breathing room.
You can also hear that in Puth's 2026 version, which has a similarly kinetic quality. Rather than the usual arrangement's strict march-like pacing, Puth and Houston were both able to find a very human expressionism in the song.
The National Anthem is always a fraught piece of music, but it feels especially so right now, with the nation reeling after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of ICE.
As the nation held its breath for Bad Bunny's highly anticipated (and controversial) half time performance, Puth's rendition of The National Anthem was a relieving moment of musicality, briefly transcending the Anthem's heavy significance.
