With the eyes of the nation and the world, as the NFL continues to expand its footprint as a global game, the decision on who will sing the pregame national anthem has become a significant event. With heavy action in the prop-bet market always surrounding it, who will be performing the national anthem at Super Bowl 56 in Los Angeles?
Super Bowl national anthem 2022
As the kickoff of Super Bowl 56 quickly approaches, so does the annual tradition of the playing of the national anthem. While a staple at all US-based sporting events, the Super Bowl is considered the biggest of them all. Many artists call it one of the biggest honors of their professional careers. 2022 is no exception.
For the second year in a row, a country music star will be performing the national anthem. Grammy Award-nominated country music artist Mickey Guyton will sing the 2022 national anthem ahead of kickoff between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams at Super Bowl 56.
Who is Mickey Guyton?
Guyton stepped into the spotlight following the release of her song What Are You Gonna Tell Her, which she performed at the AMC Awards in labelmate Keith Urban’s accompaniment on piano.
One week after the passing of George Floyd, Guyton released Black Like Me. The song was nominated for Best Country Solo Performance, which made Guyton the first Black female solo artist to earn a Grammy nomination in a country category.
In September 2021, Guyton released her debut album Remember Her Name to critical acclaim. The album earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album of the Year, the first-ever for a Black artist. Guyton also received nominations for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance.
She joins a Super Bowl pregame lineup of Jhené Aiko, who will perform America the Beautiful, Mary Mary performing Lift Every Voice and Sing, and Zedd as the pregame DJ.
Guyton is no stranger to performing the national anthem
While some artists picked to perform the national anthem at the Super Bowl are rookies at it, Guyton is a seasoned veteran. In fact, she first sang the national anthem when she was just 13 years old.
“The national anthem is my song,” said Guyton in an LA Times interview. “The first time I sung it was at a basketball game when I was 13, and I kept my eyes closed the whole time. But then they asked me to sing at every game after that.”
Super Bowl national anthem prop bets are favoring a quick rendition
One of the favorite prop bets is the length of time it takes the artist to belt out the national anthem at the Super Bowl. As everyone attempts to compete with Whitney Houston’s stirring rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner in 1991, some artists go to great lengths — literally — to make the song their own.
Last year’s duet from Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan upped that mark after lasting 2:17, the third-longest rendition in the past 15 years. Counting that performance, the average length of time has been right at 1:56 from 1991 to 2021. Expect that number to drop following Super Bowl 56.
Current odds for the national anthem
Currently, oddsmakers have set the Super Bowl national anthem length prop bet at 1:35 (-115). However, it can be found up to 1:38. As a note, when betting on the national anthem, there is no definitive or official “clock.” Some sportsbooks might give differing official times.
Timing is based on the first syllable to the ending of the word “brave” the first time an artist says it. For example, in 2019, Gladys Knight sang “brave,” the last word of the anthem, three different times. So, why is Guyton’s projected time so low compared to the historical average? Because she wastes no extra time when doing it, as shown in recent performances.
In May, Guyton performed the Star-Spangled Banner for the 2021 National Memorial Day Concert. That rendition came in at a blistering 1:23, well under the currently listed prop bet. Back in 2015, at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, Guyton also quickly sang the anthem. This time she clocked in at around 1:30.
The last performer to sing the anthem under 1:38 was Kelly Clarkson before Super Bowl XLVI. I would expect Guyton to join Clarkson and favor the under on Super Bowl national anthem prop bets.