I realize that you might have thought that the Super Bowl was ALL ABOUT BEYONCE and that no one else performed at all, but Alicia Keys and Jennifer Hudson were also there, and they also performed. Shocking, I know, that some other ladies were invited to The Beyonce Show! Honestly, I thought Jennifer Hudson’s performance was heartbreaking – she performed with the Sandy Hook Elementary Choir on “America the Beautiful”. Here’s the video:
I thought that was so moving and beautiful, I’m not even going to say anything about her bangs. I like the arrangement of the song too – it sounds like the way Ray Charles would have done it. It’s also notable – Jennifer Hudson’s family was destroyed by gun violence as well. Her brother-in-law killed her mother, her brother and her nephew.
And here’s Alicia Keys singing the National Anthem. I like that she sang live (it feels weird that I have to point that out, but this is the post-Beyonce World). I like the simplicity with the piano accompaniment. But her voice sounds really high, right?
Photos courtesy of Screencaps, Alicia’s Twitter.
I thought they were both wonderful. I really loved the addition of the Sandy Hook choir. So touching.
I’m not even a Alicia Keys fan and I thought she was awesome.
JHud was fantastic.
Agreed.
And they both sang it live.
Now, if they had just asked one of those two to sing at the Inauguration…
I never would have heard of something as vapid as Beyonce-gate.
I thought Jennifer was good. It was sweet and moving how she preformed. Alicia was not great. Im not a big fan of hers anyway, I didnt like it.
I feel like Alicia was off key.
Jennifer and Alicia are better singers (although Alicia voice has a tad faded lately imo) whereas Beyonce is a better performer.
But nah Jennifer bangs look funny, it’s like covering her eyes! And that outfit… She should fire her stylist methinks.
Seems like Jennifer must always wear something tight so nobody forgets that weight loss, when really she is loved for her voice.
Jennifer and Alicia were class acts and great role models. Maybe, they should have done the half time show!
It’s funny that people complain about Beyonce yelling because that’s all Alicia did. She has a terrible voice with no range or tone.
I love JHud but I didn’t like this rendition. It was a little too churchy for me.
I love alicia but she constantly sings out of range live. Just like at Whitney Houston’s funeral. Can’t remember the song was but she SHOUTING it and it hurt my ears.
Agreed.
I thought Alicia Keys sang the anthem painfully slow. She always tries to sing higher than her ability, too. The girl is talented but she needs to accept her vocal limitations.
I didn’t watch her perform, but a lot of facebook friends were saying how slow she sang it.
I get putting a different spin on songs, but when it’s a national anthem, I never understood the need for people to draw out notes and really change the sound or speed of it. But that’s just my taste.
Totally agree. It’s not about YOU, Alicia Phony Name Keys. Hated it.
J HUD had the harder job and did it better!
Yeah, I thought the performance was fine (though she couldn’t hit some of the notes and that flourish in the end was a bit much), though more suited for a lounge bar than for the Super Bowl.
It’s like they were giving away a prize based on how long she could take. You…don’t…need…a…pause…between…every…single…word…
You know Kaiser likes something when she omits the obligatory bang critique 🙂
I was working nights at the museum last night so I caught Alicia Keys and the National Anthem on BBC2 (beautiful), but dozed off during the half time show.
C’est la vie!
I thought AK was the best of the night, followed by JH. BK was as always just shaking her bones and spreading her legs. Not a great voice just okay but boy or boy don’t the men love her act. If she could shoot fire out of her vajay she would.
Mom? (I’m only half kidding-my mother’s name is Dawn and I swear I could hear my mom’s voice as I read this.)
Jhud and the Sandy Hook kids were terrific.
Loved, Loved J-Hud. This is what she is meant to do. She should really focus on her singing and stop talking about her weight loss, because this girl has some serious lungs. I love Alicia Keys, she sang it LIVE with her piano, so good for her.
She’s a paid spokesperson for Weight Watchers and they probably pay her a fortune. She’s the only one they’ve had in recent years that has lost the weight and kept it off. She did a beautiful job with those children.
My theory is that Alicia is losing her voice. I saw her in concert a few years ago and she was wonderful. Ever since then her live performances have become more and more strained. I appreciate the effort, but her voice is gone.
Jennifer Hudson was perfect. Her voice can sometimes be “too much” for me, but she was restrained and lovely.
Her voice is definitely way more scratchy than it used to be but she’s getting older. She’s been singing love and performing almost nonstop since she was, what, 19? She’s probably been overusing her voice just like Mariah in the 90s. Plus she had a baby and I’ve read that it can really alter your voice. Oddly enough I really like the scratchier tone of her voice in her new album.
I thought JHud and AKeys were opposites. Jen sound AMAZING, but looked horrible. Alicia looked great, but the singing and arrangement were terrible.
^^ spot on. Also, Jhud has been soulless though amazingly talented, since her family’s passing. For me there’s always something missing in the performance and behind her eyes; she holds back. I’ve stood ten feet away from her in rehearsals and during tremendous performances; there is light missingand her pain is visible but not in a way that lifts her singing beyond. But she’s got the chops.
Conversely, Alicia has such an engaging, beautiful smile but IMHO it looks put on. The year she came out India arie was also vying for market space and Alicia won the corporate race with her better looks. IndiaArie is more original and rocks.
Alicia was classy/professional, but she sounded AWFUL, to me….I mean, really off.
I love India Arie, as well…she has a beautiful, soulful, smokey voice with lots of range.
I think Alicia has never had an amazing voice-she is a great songwriter and arranger, though.
I’m a fan of AK but I wasn’t feeling the arrangement. I liked JHud’s performance
Alicia is very pretty – maybe she should switch to a career in modeling, because the singing…yikes!
Then you’ve never heard her albums to say that. One of the best female songwriters/singers/musicians out there. I own every album of hers and all of them are really fantastic.
I enjoyed Alicia Keys’ arrangement. It was a little different but stayed true to the song, unlike people like Christina Aguilera butchering it with runs. Her vocals have not been as strongs the last couple of years, due to touring over the years, I guess, and being off having a baby. But I bought her new album, and it is just beautiful, my favorite of the year, more for easy listening, relaxing in front of a fireplace, with just enough kick in some of the songs.
Now, she’s a real songwriter, even though Bey tries to put her name on songs saying she writes. She just adds a little something here or there to get her name on there and give her cred.
Jennifer was fantastic, as usual. Love her.
All three were really good last night.
Alicia stunk imo. Slow, weak, sharp and flat at different times in the performance, and the ending was painful I had to look away. I don’t want to feel uncomfortable while the anthem is being sung. That’s not a good thing.
I hated Alicia Keys’ performance. Awful.
I HATE J-Hud’s singing voice. Hate hate hate it. It was touching to have her with the Sandy Hook kids, which did bring tears to my eyes, but I hate her voice with a passion.
I aqree! I just don’t get her appeal. The Sandy Hook kids didn’t need her to screech and sing over them. Would have been better without her.
I don’t hate Jennifer Hudsons voice but I did hate the over singing. Stick to the darn way the song is written. She sounded like she was in competition with the kids. Ruined it for me.
Alicia sucked! She did not have to play the piano and she could have stood! You don’t just add lyrics to the National Anthem sorry it was crappy!
Not American so I can’t appreciate the song fully but anytime J Hudson sings live I love love love it. She should quit the I lost weight circuit and let her voice speak for itself.
I started crying the moment they announced the Sandy Hook choir. It was so sweet and sad and moving.
Ditto! And I couldn’t help thinking that someone like Jennifer Hudson was the right person to pair with them. She has enough confidence and class to let them sing first, on their own, letting everyone see and hear them. I doubt Beyonce would’ve done that.
Jhud is flawless. Ugh I love her and she did a great job. I was nearly in tears.
Bansheelicia Keys needs to step away from the mic forever because her vocals are beyond wack. She used to be a decent singer with an amazing discography ( ‘you don’t know my name’ is one of my favourite songs ever and so is ‘superwoman’) but now her music is blah and her voice is just…lord have mercy. She looked beautiful though even if I’m not really feeling that hairstyle.
OT: Alicia has the cutest baby in the world. Egypt is so precious.
I am not a JHud fan by any stretch of the imagination but her performance was nice. She didn’t* wail and she didn’t try to out sing the the children.
Alicia Keys isn’t my favorite either but I enjoyed her performance and her appearance for the first time in a long time. But this statement, Conversely, Alicia has such an engaging, beautiful smile but IOMHO it looks put on. The year she came out India arie was also vying for market space and Alicia won the corporate race with her better looks. IndiaArie is more original and rock ” made me gag.
Alicia Keys popularity on the early 2000s had nothing to do with her “better looks” it had every thing to do with the marketability/crossover appeal of her songs. India.Arie does not have the same crossover appeal. Her music is by far better and more soulful but her not being mainstream has nothing to do with her physical appearance.
Jennifer hudson and the sandy hook choir did a beautiful job. Alicia…..keyes….sang………so…slowwwwww.
They say it takes the average performer to sing the National Anthem in like 90 seconds or so…Alicia tripled that number by taking a whopping 2 minutes and 34 seconds. She has the new record on longest time it takes to sing this song, SERIOUSLY.
The Sandy Hook kids would have been better without Hudson. More touching. It didn’t need her. Also I thought Alicia Keys was terrible. Sing the National Anthem like it is supposed to be sung.
I haven’t seen the performance, but I think Jennifer Hudson was the perfect choice of singer to accompany the Sandy Hook choir, given the way gun violence destroyed her own family. That’s as touching as anything in my estimation.
Jhud’s voice is beautiful. Her look? Not so much. Alicia is gorgeous and her piano playing is brilliant but her screaming has got to stop. Her voice is awful.
I thought they were both awful actually. I don’t care for JHudson’s voice in general (a little to “church choir” for me) And Alicia dragged that song out FOREVER. Seriously. Me and some coworkers were just talking about that. One of them said the reason why she took so long between each verse is because she was afraid of her voice cracking or forgetting a word. I tend to agree.
Aside from her hair, Keys killed it.
Aside from that hideous skirt that made her hips look bigger than Kim Kardashian’s, Hudson won the evening. I was at a party and when she started singing there were multiple shouts of “At least SHE isn’t lip-synching!” and applause.
They are both very talented and gave a good performance.
Much better than beyonce. I founs the whole thing to narcaasistic. Like it qas a cwlebration of her career not a celebration of a huge sports event.
They are both very talented and gave a good performance.
JHud was fantastic!! Alecia Keys. YUK. It’s the National Anthem…it’s about the country, not about you. But what do you expect from her?
I guess Beyonce, Alicia Keys and Jennifer Hudson are the only singers in the world. At least, that’s what it seems like these days. And the only one I like is JH. Beyonce is beyond fake, and Alicia Keys is just sickening.
I loved how high and slow Alicia sang the anthem. It gave it a really neat jazzy feel to it that I feel hasn’t really been done before. A bit of a Norah Jones vibe. Didn’t like the performance so much when she got to the parts of the song where she had to belt out the notes, but I understood the need for it.
Bey must hate Jen H. She stole Showgirls from her and won a Oacar for it. She performed live at the inuauguration to raving reviews. She outperformed Bey at the SB last night. And while I didn’t care for Jen’s skirt, she wasn’t dressed like common street trash the Mrs. Carter was. Damn talk about thunder thighs. Bey should get the Weight Watchers tip from Jen.
Oh ho, day-um!!