LOS ANGELES — Award-winning R&B singer Jhené Aiko was one of the first performers at Super Bowl 56 with her rendition of “America the Beautiful.”
The 33-year-old singer follows in the footsteps of friend and collaborator H.E.R., who stunned fans last year with an electric guitar solo during a powerful performance of the well-known patriotic song.
This year’s performance, signed by Sandra Mae Frank, featured Aiko singing in her distinctive smooth, soprano voice and accompanied by a harpist.
Some Twitter users were quick to point out that NBC accidentally included an initial shot of National Anthem singer Mickey Guyton with Aiko’s name card, before switching to a shot of Aiko and redisplaying her name card.
Who is Jhené Aiko?
Known for her feathery vocals, Aiko first gained recognition as a featured singer and performer in several songs and accompanying music videos of the R&B boy band B2K.
Sony’s Epic was set to release her debut album in 2003, but Aiko eventually asked to be released from the label in order to focus on her education, according to The Vibe.
She garnered wider industry buzz following the release of her 2011 mixtape “Sailing Soul(s)”, which featured collaborations with artists like Kanye West and Drake.
Aiko’s first album, Souled Out, was widely anticipated and became both a commercial and critical success, selling over 70,000 copies and debuting at number 3 on the Billboard 200 charts.
Her third and most recent album, Chilombo, nominated for best album of the year at the 2021 Grammy’s. It won Outstanding Album award at the 2021 NAACP Image Awards.