Fans Share Passionate Reactions to Reba's Rendition of the National Anthem

Reba McEntire

To start Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sunday, Feb. 11, country music star Reba McEntire stepped up to sing the national anthem.

McEntire, a Grammy-winning country singer, gracefully took on the well-known song, putting a little spin on the tune with her signature style of singing. Adding some unique flair, McEntire sang the classic "The Star-Spangled Banner," signifying the start of the highly anticipated football game.

There were plenty of fans of the "I'm A Survivor" singer's rendition of the anthem, with one person writing, "That was the most Reba McEntire way to open up the Super Bowl. Exactly what I was expecting."

"an iconic start," wrote the official Las Vegas account, "THAT WAS AMAZING!!!! LOVE REBA!!!," another reacted to the performance, while a third complimented McEntire, saying, "Reba absolutely crushed it."

But, as is often the case, some critics didn't hold back while sharing their thoughts about McEntire's singing. "Reba McEntire’s rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” was OK. Chris Stapleton’s unbelievable rendition from last year still lives rent free in my head. #SuperBowl," said one viewer.

A different criticism of the 68-year-old's performance also compared it to Stapleton's, adding, "No national anthem compares to Chris Stapleton… not even Reba Mcentire…."

Another stated that "it should have been Taylor," throwing Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce's girlfriend and pop star Taylor Swift into the mix.

This was McEntire's first time performing at the NFL Super Bowl, and the star was initially hesitant to take on the job. Ahead of the game, she shared in an interview that the person who convinced her was her boyfriend, Rex Linn.

When she first told her manager she wanted to "think about it," McEntire recalled, "My boyfriend, who is a huge football fan, he said, ‘Yes! She’ll do it!’” It seems like Linn's enthusiasm led her to finally decide to perform on Feb. 11.

Although it was her first time singing at this particular sporting event, McEntire didn't seem too nervous, and she had previous experience singing "The Star-Spangled Banner." She mentioned the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma in the interview before noting, "I sang the national anthem there for 10 years."

At the big game on Feb. 11, soon after McEntire concluded her national anthem performance at the Super Bowl LVIII, the anticipation for kickoff quickly ramped up. Fans cheered on the Chiefs and the 49ers as they finally went head to head to decide who will take home the title this year.

Next: Taylor Swift, Ice Spice, Blake Lively and More Celebrities Spotted at Super Bowl LVIII