Mickey Guyton sets tone for Super Bowl with rousing national anthem, followed by Jhene Aiko, Mary Mary

Los Angeles, Feb 14 Country singer Mickey Guyton performed the Francis Scott Key classic 'The Star Spangled Banner' as a run-up to Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles.

The other two performers R&B singer Jhene Aiko and gospel duo Mary Mary, performed 'America the Beautiful' with Aiko unexpectedly delivering the classic less with the not-so-R&B-leaning spin of a harpist, reports Variety.

As per Variety, Mary Mary performed outside SoFi Stadium for a scenic rendition of the song, 'America the Beautiful', which started in 2009. She was accompanied by the L.A. Phil's Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (aka YOLA), conducted by Thomas Wilkins.

Talking about 'The Star Spangled Banner', last year the song was performed by Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan. Guyton, who performed the anthem this year, has also been nominated for three awards at the upcoming Grammys. She has said that she was known as "the national anthem girl" growing up in Texas, singing it regularly from the time she was 13

"The national anthem is my song," she told the Los Angeles Times, noting that she'd first been prompted to think about tackling music by seeing LeAnn Rimes deliver it before a pro game, and been further inspired to follow her dream as a person of colour by seeing Whitney Houston's now-legendary version.