Charlie Puth’s upcoming national anthem performance at Super Bowl LX sparked unexpected debate this week after political commentator Link Lauren criticized the choice on social media. Lauren shared his reaction on X, writing, “Man, we’ve fallen from when Whitney Houston sang at the Super Bowl. Charlie Puth? He’s not gonna give us vocals, I’m afraid.” The post quickly circulated, drawing both support and pushback from fans who argued that comparing any artist to Houston—whose 1991 performance remains the gold standard—is both unrealistic and unfair.
Puth responded directly and with notable humility. “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. It’ll be one of my best vocal performances.” Lauren later softened his stance, replying, “Can’t wait! I wish you nothing but success, but just miss our big belting divas like Whitney. What an era. Make sure they know it’s D major and not B minor. Cheers, Char!”
The exchange arrives at a high-visibility moment for Puth. The NFL officially announced on November 30 that the 33-year-old hitmaker will perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl LX, taking place February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Produced in partnership with Roc Nation, the pregame lineup highlights musical diversity and features Brandi Carlile performing “America the Beautiful” and Coco Jones delivering “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” each accompanied by dedicated ASL interpreters.
Puth’s Super Bowl performance will arrive just a month before the release of his fourth studio album, Whatever’s Clever!. Set to drop on March 6, 2026, the album marks his first full-length project in nearly four years. He has already given fans a first glimpse of the record with the lead single “Changes,” which arrived in October.
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