Singing the National Anthem at Super Bowl 50 is “a total dream come true” for Lady Gaga, the singer reveals in an interview ahead of the big game on Sunday (Feb. 7).
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“I’ve always wanted to sing the National Anthem at a major sporting event since I was a little girl,” Gaga tells the NFL’s Nate Burleson, adding that her all-time favorite National Anthem performance was Whitney Houston at Super Bowl XXV.
“This is one of the highest honors of my career.”
– @ladygaga on singing #SB50 National Anthemhttps://t.co/YqilZKeFzm
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 6, 2016
“This is one of the highest honors of my career,” she continues. “I get a chance to sing for all the athletes who have been working so hard their whole like for this moment.”
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Gaga also addressed whether her upcoming performance will feature any unannounced surprises.
“I have to live up to a song that stands the test of time,” the singer says. “I think the best way to do that is kind of forget about yourself and just focus on what it means. … I’m really singing it from the heart and I’m also singing it really very true to the way that it was written, because I think that’s when it sounds its most majestic.”
At the close of the interview, Burleson asked whether the singer is rooting for the Carolina Panthers or Denver Broncos at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. “I am here to root for everybody,” she responds. “I’m interested in watching the throw down.”