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Published Feb 8, 2026, 6:30 PM EST
Senior Music Editor at Screen Rant, Sarah's love of sound and story drive the beat. A globetrotting brand whisperer and award-winning journalist, she’s built cross-cultural narratives around the world—but music has always been her true north. She launched DJ Mag North America, successfully introducing the iconic UK brand to the U.S. market. Previously, she carved a space for EDM inside the pages of VIBE, blending electronic and hip-hop culture long before it was trendy.
The pressure of performing the national anthem at Super Bowl LX is a unique beast, but for Charlie Puth, it was a calculated musical experiment. From the moment his selection was announced, the 34-year-old Berklee College of Music alum faced a wave of social media skepticism, with critics openly doubting if his "pop" vocals could measure up to the legendary 1991 performance by fellow New Jersey native Whitney Houston.
Puth’s response was not one of defense, but of music theory. He leaned into his "Professor Puth" persona, promising a custom arrangement in D major designed specifically to navigate the anthem's notoriously difficult three-octave range.
While many artists approach the anthem with raw power, Puth approached it like an architect. He spent months "reverse-engineering" the song, treating the performance as a standalone vocal showcase to prove his merit beyond his production credits.
- The Key of D Major: Puth specifically chose this key to highlight his ability to hit the "five more notes above the octave" required for the high notes—specifically reaching a very high A during the "land of the free" finale.
- Technical Precision: As a singer with perfect pitch, Puth focused on the interval jumps that make "The Star-Spangled Banner" a "singer's nightmare" compared to most pop songs that stay within a single octave.
- Live Vocal Guarantee: In a high-stakes move, Puth vowed that his mic would be 100% live, even though the accompanying orchestra was partially pre-recorded to ensure sound quality in the cavernous Levi's Stadium.
The Shadow Of 1991
The inevitable comparison to Whitney Houston wasn't just about vocal talent; it was about New Jersey pride. Puth is the first Garden State native to sing the anthem at the Super Bowl since Houston’s iconic rendition 35 years ago.
- Vocal Styles: Critics argued Puth's preference for falsetto and "airy" delivery couldn't compete with Houston's legendary power and sustain.
- The Demo That Sold Jay-Z: To win the gig, Puth recorded a stripped-down demo of himself singing with a Rhodes keyboard. The recording was so impressive that it reportedly moved from Jay-Z at Roc Nation directly to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
The Verdict: A New Type of Success
Puth’s performance wasn't a "dethroning" of Houston, but a modern redirection. By focusing on arrangement over raw belting, he used the Super Bowl stage to rebrand himself as a standalone vocalist ahead of his fourth studio album, Whatever's Clever!, arriving on March 6, 2026.
Ultimately, Puth never tried to be Whitney; he tried to be a musical professor—and for a stadium of 100,000 people, the experiment in D major was a technical triumph.
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