Chris Stapleton had the honors of getting the event started by singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” prior to the kickoff of Super Bowl LVII, and the country crooner’s rendition did not disappoint.

The Super Bowl halftime show and national anthem performances are often more anticipated than the game itself, and 2023  was no exception. As Stapleton sang the beloved anthem, cameras scanned the sidelines where players stood with their hands over the hearts, waiting to take the field. Tears were seen in the eyes of players and staff from both the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. Perhaps the most touching moment was when the camera settled on the face of Eagles head coach, Nick Sirianni, who made no effort to hide the tears running down his face.

Social media immediately erupted with posts from fans and some of Stapleton’s fellow musicians praising his performance, with most admitting that the song brought them to tears as well. Many compared Chris’s performance to that of Whitney Houston who most would argue had delivered the best rendition to date. Chris Stapleton became only the 9th country singer in the Super Bowl’s 57-year history to sing the national anthem. Charley Pride (1974), Garth Brooks (1993), Faith Hill (2000), Dixie Chicks (2003), Carrie Underwood (2010), Luke Bryan (2017) Eric Church (2021) and Mickey Guyton (2022) all previously had the honor.

Hear Chris Stapleton’s tear-jerking performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” in the video below.