Charlie Puth blasts off hate over Super Bowl 2026 performance

It didn’t take long for Charlie Puth to quiet the critics after he was announced as the artist who will perform the national anthem at the 2026 Super Bowl.

The NFL confirmed on Nov. 30 that Puth will kick off the game with The Star-Spangled Banner, and reactions online were immediate. 

One X user questioned the choice by comparing the moment to Whitney Houston’s famous 1991 performance, writing, “He’s not gonna give us vocals I’m afraid.” 

The comment suggested fans shouldn’t expect a powerful delivery.

Puth didn’t let the negative take slide and responded directly to the concern. 

“I’ll never claim to be as good of a singer as Whitney Houston ever was,” he wrote. 

“But I assure you we’re putting a really special arrangement together, in D major.” 

He also promised, “It’ll be one of my best vocal performances.”

Along with Brandi Carlile and Coco Jones, who will deliver America the Beautiful and Lift Every Voice and Sing, Puth is now preparing for one of the biggest moments of his career. 

And he knows exactly how challenging it is. 

In a Nov. 30 Instagram video, he described the anthem as one of the toughest songs for any singer. 

He explained that The Star-Spangled Banner has an unusually wide vocal range, noting it spans from a low D to a high D and “five more notes, all the way up to a very high A.”

While the discussion online began with doubts, Puth made it clear he’s ready to take on the pressure and deliver a performance worthy of the spotlight.