Super Bowl LX kicked off with stellar performances from pregame artists Green Day, Coco Jones, Brandi Carlile and Charlie Puth.
First up was Jones, who brought soul and heart to a string-backed performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Known colloquially as the Black National Anthem, it originated at the top of the 20th century and only in recent years has become part of the Super Bowl musical repertoire. Alicia Keys’ pre-recorded rendition played ahead of the 2021 Super Bowl, and her performance was followed in the years afterward by gospel duo Mary Mary (2022), Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph (2023), Andra Day (2024) and Ledisi (2025). A powerhouse vocalist, Jones presented a sublime, sweeping take on the powerful ballad.
As previously announced, iconic Bay Area-hailing rock band Green Day headlined the sports event’s opening ceremony. The group, led by vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong, ushered generations of Super Bowl MVPs onto the field amid a medley of hit tracks “Holiday,” “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and fan-favorite “American Idiot.” The four-time Grammy-winning group rocked the stage, with Armstrong laying it all out with a transcendent guitar solo on the latter song; he was also censored for singing the lyric “the subliminal mindfuck America,” though the word was caught in advance and didn’t make it to air.
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While many expected Armstrong, a staunch critic of Donald Trump, to launch a statement about ICE — as he did earlier this week — no such political moment took place during Green Day’s set. Instead, the musician yelled out, “Welcome to the Bay! It’s Super Bowl 60,” in celebration of the big game’s diamond anniversary.
Brandi Carlile, accompanied by her guitar, brought heart to her rendition of “America the Beautiful,” backed by two string musicians. Her soaring voice and the simple backing instruments led to audible crowd cheers and moving athlete reactions.
Finally, Puth, playing the keyboard, brought soul and his pitch-perfect voice to the National Anthem. The song’s final crescendo was punctuated with the obligatory military flyover, later giving way to the coin toss and eventual game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.