Jhene Aiko just gave the performance of her career! The 33-year-old sounded absolutely incredible as she made her Super Bowl performance debut in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 13 with “America The Beautiful.” Confidently commanding the field (and massive crowd), she added her own groove to the iconic song, showcasing her impeccable vocals for all of America to hear.
.@MickeyGuyton delivers a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem at #SBLVI. 🏈 https://t.co/O1HrtowVI6
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) February 13, 2022
“America, America…But now wait a minute, I’m talking about/America, sweet America,” she crooned, reciting the lyrics written by Katharine Lee Bates in 1895, set to music by Samuel A. Ward. “You know, God done shed his grace on thee/He crowned thy good, yes he did, in brotherhood/From sea to shining sea,” she sang.
Jhene looked red carpet ready in a stunning burgundy sequin gown with a high slit for the epic moment. The fitted number included long sleeves and a high neck, which dazzled and sparkled under the bright Los Angeles sun. She accessorized with a dramatic ear piece on her left hand side, opting to keep her dark, straight hair tucked behind her ear to show it off. “Thank you,” she demurely said at the end of her performance as Mickey Guyton came on shortly after for the national anthem.
Earlier this week, Jhene shared her excitement via Instagram about the milestone career moment — shouting out her parents Dr. Karamo Chilombo, who hails from Cincinnatti (just like the Bengals) and her mom Christina Yamamoto (who is a Los Angeles native). “my Daddy’s from Cincinnati… Mom is from L.A.,” she said in the post, written on Feb. 1, 2022.
“America the Beautiful,” she added with a heart eye emoji. “Only 12 days until the big game… SEE YOU THERE! @nfl @nbcsports #SBLVI,” she signed off, shouting out the official broadcaster (NBC) of the big game. A week before the performance, she shared an image of a clear, sunny day writing, “God is in everything that i see.”
Jhene has had a successful career in music over the last decade, which has earned her six GRAMMY nominations — including three for 2020 album Chilombo, which got a nod in the Album of the Year category.