Lauren Daigle talks 'rhythmic' Super Bowl performance, which team she's rooting for

When Lauren Daigle steps onto the Caesars Superdome field at Sunday’s Super Bowl in New Orleans, it won’t be her first time in that space.

In 2020, Daigle, a former Louisiana State University student, performed the national anthem in the stadium prior to the College Football Playoff Championship game (in which her beloved LSU Tigers beat the Clemson Tigers).

This weekend, the song and company will be different – she’s singing “America the Beautiful” accompanied by fellow Louisianian Trombone Shorty (aka Troy Andrews) – but the honor is only heightened. Her inclusion is part of a home state musical blitz for this year’s game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, with fellow Louisiana staples Jon Batiste and Ledisi on the lineup with the national anthem and Black national anthem, respectively. (California native Kendrick Lamar is handling the halftime show.)

Daigle, 33, has cultivated a decade-long career blurring the lines between Christian and pop music. Songs including “Trust in You” and “Hold on to Me” swamped the Christian music charts, while her Grammy-winning “You Say” and 2023’s tender exploration of providence, “Thank God I Do,” garnered mainstream attention.

The vivacious and engaging Daigle took some time after her Super Bowl press conference this week to talk to USA TODAY about what to expect from her and Trombone Shorty’s version of the classic song, how Batiste is a “wellspring of life” and why she’s rooting for the Chiefs (hint – it’s all about grandma).

Question: You and Trombone Shorty have a solid creative relationship. Does that go back to playing together at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2022?

Lauren Daigle: That was one of our first times together. We’ve done some charity events and he was in my video for “These are the Days” last year. We’ve had a lot of moments to cheer each other on in the process of bringing the soul and spirit of New Orleans to what we do. I feel l have a brother in him.

How will you two inject a New Orleans flair into the traditional aspect of “America the Beautiful"?

I come from Lafayette, about two hours away from New Orleans and Troy comes from New Orleans proper. There are a lot of commonalities in the music between zydeco in Lafayette and jazz and brass in New Orleans and sometimes the rhythm sections can overlap. I take my hat off to Troy and our music director because they came up with an arrangement that showcases the music culture of both places. It’s a very rhythmic version. It will make you want to dance.

This isn’t your first Superdome performance, but might it be your most nerve-wracking?

With that many people in the room you just get overtaken by the unity and joy. My nerves usually fall by the wayside because the moment becomes bigger than you. I’m excited to get to be part of energy.

Did you see Carrie Underwood’s performance of “America the Beautiful” at the presidential inauguration?

Oh my gosh, it was so stunning. I was so proud of her. She showed the prowess of working at your craft for a long time. Honoring our nation in the way she did, regardless of political party, everyone could agree it was a standout moment for her. You could tell there was a technical difficulty and instead of letting the nerves take over, she took it on and she sang beautifully … It shows the younger generation who looks up to her that these moments happen to all of us and it’s what you make of them that matters.

Do you have any favorite Super Bowl performances, whether the anthem or halftime or “America the Beautiful”?

Obviously the queen, Whitney Houston (singing the national anthem in 1991). It’s undeniable. It’s untouchable. It’s so obvious all the hard work she put in for years. I love that performance so much. And Chris Stapleton, his version (of the national anthem in 2023) I loved. I loved that he used his guitar and brought a true grassroots feel and added that little run in the middle.

You and Jon Batiste have a longtime friendship. What have you learned from him?

I cannot tell you how much I love him. Every time I’m around him is a breath of fresh air and his wife (Suleika Jaouad) is so lovely and she’s also here and I’m so overjoyed. Jon is a wellspring of life, a talent like no other, an incredible savant of our generation … I love that he brings so many types of different people together from all walks of life.

I know you’re a college football fan, but what about the NFL?

I am a hardcore LSU fan for sure, but the NFL I do watch and appreciate. I love the (New Orleans) Saints obviously, but I love the (Cincinnati) Bengals because of (former LSU quarterback) Joe Burrow. I was asked a year prior to sing the anthem for that LSU championship in 2020 and no one knew who would be playing in it then. When it turned out (to be LSU), I was like God, you love me so much. To be able to sing the anthem in my hometown was an honor, but to sing it for my team takes it out of this world.

Which team you would like to win the Super Bowl?

I would like the Chiefs because a lot of shade gets thrown when people are at the top of their game. But these guys have worked hard and a three-peat would be an incredible accomplishment for the NFL as a whole and incentivizes a new goal. My grandmother is from Lawrence, Kansas, and she’s 91 and she sent all of us a text with “Chiefs!” and smiley faces after they won the last game, so I want them to win for her.

Once the Super Bowl craziness subsides, what are your plans this year?

I’ve had some moments this year already to sit at a piano and work on new music, but also I want to go to flight school and get my pilot’s license. I was talking to (fellow musician) Drew Holcomb and he has his license, and his wife, Ellie, was saying how much more family time he has because he can fly himself back home. I’d like to have that opportunity to see more family and friends.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lauren Daigle on Super Bowl performance, which team she wants to win