H.E.R. to sing 'America The Beautiful" at the Super Bowl

SCREEN CAPTURE

H.E.R. performed during the Grammy awards show.

OPINION

R&B singer H.E.R., aka Gabriela Wilson, will be singing her version of "America the Beautiful" during the Super Bowl, the huge sporting event with the biggest audience, this Sunday.

The 23-year old Filipino American told Entertainment Tonight, "Honestly, I am so excited to just be performing at the Super Bowl. It's a huge stage and it doesn't get any bigger, you know?"

"But I think the goal, for me, is to make (the song) my own. I'm a huge fan of the different versions of 'America the Beautiful,' but I really want to bring some different elements in there ... make it H.E.R." said Wilson, whose mother is Filipino and father is Black.

Just wondering out loud: Wouldn't it be so meaningful if she took a cue from Jennifer Lopez, who when singing America the Beautiful during President Joe Biden's inauguration and sang a line in Spanish. H.E.R. could possibly throw in a line in Tagalog and/or Spanish? It would so reflect the beauty of contemporary America and the contributions of immigrants to this country in the past and during the current pandemic. Just saying.

H.E.R., who grew up in Vallejo, CA, which has a huge Filipino American population, was asked by People what it means to be taking the microphone at the major event as a Black woman. "I think the No. 1 thing I think about a lot is the fact that I'm a young Black girl from the Bay area that never imagined that I would be on a stage like that. I think it's a message to other young Black women that you can do it too," she said.

2021 is turning out to be quite a year for H.E.R. Besides singing in the Super Bowl, one of her songs, in partnership with Dernst Emile II and Tiara Thomas, was nominated for the Golden Globes: “Fight for You” from the film Judas and the Black Messiah. She also was nominated for  three Grammys.

Watch H.E.R. sing "Fight For You"

"Fight For You" meant a lot to the artist, she told People. "Especially making something from that time the late '60s, early '70s is one of my favorite eras of music," H.E.R. said. "You know the connection to what was happening then, what's happening now, and what's still happening unfortunately...and being from the Bay Area, I think these are all such cool things that show me I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing."

"The fact that I'm now nominated for a Golden Globe, it's incredible you know. I never would have imagined making something like this. I'm just happy to be a part of it," said H.E.R.

To watch H.E.R. perform "America the Beautiful," tune in early to CBS to watch the pre-game festivities and entertainment at 5:30 p.m. EST.  The pregame show will also feature Miley Cyrus and poet Amanda Goring, who stole the show at Biden's inauguration with her poem "The Hill We Climb." and Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan will sing the National Anthem.

The Weeknd will perform the half-time show in front of a trimmed-down audience in attendance due to keeping the health guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs are facing off at Super Bowl LV this Sunday (Feb. 7). The game will air on CBS at 6:30 p.m. EST.

UPDATED Feb. 5 12:40 p.m. PST to correct time of the pregame show.