With the hours ticking down to Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday (Feb. 11), fans are still speculating about whether Taylor Swift will be in the stands cheering on her boyfriend, Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce.
Reba McEntire is no exception. Speaking to People ahead of the game, where she’s set to sing the national anthem, McEntire says she knows exactly what she’ll say to Swift if the two stars cross paths at the Super Bowl.
“I’m going to tell her congratulations on the Grammys. My gosh,” McEntire raves. Swift won two awards at the show last Sunday (Feb. 4), including a history-making Album of the Year win.
“She took that thing by storm,” McEntire continues, adding that she’s also “thrilled to death” that Swift and Kelce are in a relationship, and that “Travis is a cutie pie.”
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McEntire is one of three stars taking the stage before kickoff: Rapper Post Malone is performing “America the Beautiful,” R&B singer Andra Day is singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and of course, McEntire will cap things off with “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
But the country great knows she’s just there to supplement the main attraction: Football. “You know, it’s not about me. It’s about everybody who worked so hard to get to the Super Bowl, and my job is to bring the patriotism,” McEntire relates.
“I’m going to be singing for not only the people who are gonna be performing and playing on the field that day, but it’s for everybody who has worked so hard to ensure our freedom and try to have as much peace on earth as we can,” she goes on to say. “It’s not about me. I’m just the conduit and the water hose who gets to sing the song.”
Which Other Country Stars Have Sung the National Anthem at the Super Bowl?
Having three patriotic songs to kick off the game is a bit of a left turn for the Super Bowl, which typically features just one performance of the national anthem from a different superstar each year.
The show has now booked country singers to perform the anthem for four years running. Before McEntire’s 2024 anthem gig, Chris Stapleton did the honors in 2023, and his bluesy “Star-Spangled Banner” is still one of the show’s most buzzed-about moments.
Mickey Guyton sang the anthem in 2022, and Eric Church teamed up with Jazmine Sullivan in 2021. Over the years, plenty of other stars have repped the genre for the national anthem performance: Remember Garth Brook’s high-drama 1993 Super Bowl gig? Faith Hill, the Chicks, Luke Bryan and Carrie Underwood are all among those who’ve sang the anthem before the big game, too.
Will Taylor Swift Be at the 2024 Super Bowl?
It’s hard to say for sure whether or not Swift will attend the Super Bowl this year, but the bottom line is, it’s certainly possible.
The Kansas City Chiefs will face off against the San Francisco 49ers at Super Bowl LVIII, meaning that Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce — who’s currently dating Swift — will be playing in the big game.
Swift has attended every Chiefs game this season that doesn’t conflict with her current Eras Tour.
The superstar recently resumed the international leg of her Eras Tour, and she played a show in Tokyo, Japan on Feb. 10 — one day before the Super Bowl on Feb. 11.
However, thanks to her private jet and the magic of time zones, Swift still has plenty of time to make it back to Las Vegas, Nev. in time for the big game.
