To introduce this year’s Super Bowl, Mickey Guyton delivered a powerful, gospel-tinged rendition of the National Anthem to an excited crowd of fans. Before hitting the stage at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, Guyton was described as having the “voice of an angel.” In a floor-length, blue gown, her crystalline vocals soared, and she looked as if she was nearly moved to tears during the track.
Ahead of Guyton, Jhené Aiko kicked things off with a moving performance of “America the Beautiful” alongside a harpist.
This evening’s game in Los Angeles wasn’t the first time the “Black Like Me” singer has performed the “Star-Spangled Banner.” For the last six years, Guyton has sung it on numerous occasions including Nashville’s CRS conference and a Memorial Day concert in Washington D.C. Her Super Bowl set follows the release of her critically-acclaimed debut studio album Remember Her Name, which was released in September.
Earlier this month, Guyton expressed her excitement about the opportunity on Twitter saying, “I am shook, I am grateful, I am praise dancing. So excited to be singing the national anthem.” The “Star-Spangled Banner” has loomed large in Guyton’s life over the years. She revealed in a 2015 interview that watching LeAnn Rimes perform the national anthem during a Texas Rangers game as a child helped inspire her to become a country artist herself.
Tonight’s Big Game will feature the Cincinnati Bengals battling the Los Angeles Rams, and the halftime show will host a slew of hip-hop icons including Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar.
The estate of Prince has shared a previously unheard recording of “With This Tear,” a track the late icon originally wrote before passing it on to Celine Dion in the early 1990s.
The newly revealed version, released through NPG Records and Legacy Recordings, presents Prince’s own recording of the piano driven ballad, fully written, produced and performed by him. It was initially recorded at Paisley Park in November 1991 and had stayed in the vault until now.
Dion’s interpretation of “With This Tear” was included on her 1992 self titled album, highlighting one of many moments where Prince created songs for other artists while holding back his own versions. His original recording feels more minimal, putting the focus on his vocals and piano arrangement.
The newly issued version has been given an updated mix by Grammy nominated producer Chris James, who has worked on several Prince related releases before. This drop is part of the Prince Estate’s ongoing effort to open up more of his deep archive of unreleased music.
The release arrives at a meaningful moment, just ahead of the 10th anniversary of Prince’s passing. Since 2016, a consistent flow of archival material including deluxe reissues, vault recordings and rare collaborations has kept his legacy active in today’s music landscape while offering a closer look at how much he created.
“With This Tear” also highlights Prince’s long established role as a songwriter for others. Across his career, he wrote and produced tracks for a wide range of artists, often shaping songs that evolved into entirely new identities outside his own discography.
The release comes amid growing attention around Prince’s archive in recent years. In 2024, a demo of “Baby Doll,” an unreleased collaboration between Prince and Kylie Minogue, surfaced online and showed just how much material still remains unheard.
While there has been no official confirmation of a larger vault project, reports continue to suggest that more archival releases could be on the way.
