Her first public appearance since the tragic murders last fall

it was excellent

you go J Hud!!

now that is a performance!!!! I'm so glad that she was able to perform tonight with such excellence despite all that she has been through. Looks like she has lost a few pounds as well - to be expected if your whole family has been murdered...such a tragedy ....but she appears to be doing well with moving past it.

Randy: "You did your thing, dawg!"
Paula: "It was... I'm just... touchdown!"
Simon: "That is exactly what we're looking for. You are a star!"

I wish she would have felt up to singing to the first couple at the inaugeration ball instead of Beyonce.

Simply beautiful... Totally love Jennifer's voice and performance.

amazing, so stunning, excellent powerful performance

Peace and Love JH....

She looked great and sound even better. But was she singing live?

SCNDLS said:

No, she wasn't. She pre-recorded the performance so they could be sure it'd go off without a hitch - and so they could have an exact time for the flyover.

She did an amazing job...just wish it was live. Seems like none of them are anymore.

Seems they got the halftime artist mixed up the the start spangled banner?
She should have done the halftime show.

Where is it stated that she mimed? She sang live. There's even a note towards the end that's sharp.

That's the best I've ever heard her sing. I always felt her to be slightly lacking in vocal control and being prone to screeching; but I can't fault that at all. Incredible.

Mong said:

That was a lip sync.....no doubt about it.
[Edited 2/2/09 8:23am]

Mong said:

Okay, first of all, she wouldn't "mime" it. (Marcel Marceau, anyone? ) Can you say "lip sync"?



http://www.huffingtonpost...62973.html

Graycap23 said:

Yeah, toward the end I clearly saw that she lip synched it. Oh well. Still was a great performance.
[Edited 2/2/09 8:21am]

missfee said:

AMEN TO THAT!!!!

I thought it was live up until the last minute, then you could really tell in the end. But that is her singing on the track, & the track sounded great

Graycap23 said:

but that would leave bruce to sing the National Anthem a capella. I much prefer her singing alone, and him with fireworks

here's a tidbit from the producer of the show



Although entertainers can perform live, Minor [the pre-game show producer] insisted that Hudson and Faith Hill, who sang “America the Beautiful” before the national anthem, use the tracks the NFL requires them to submit a week before the game.
“That’s the right way to do it,” Minor said. “There’s too many variables to go live. I would never recommend any artist go live because the slightest glitch would devastate the performance.”

banks said:

They also mentioned timing the flyover exactly, b/c it's just not the same w/o the flyover



I'd rather hear her sing it live, fuck the planes

Jennifer Hudson's Super Return

Posted Sun Feb 1, 2009 3:47pm PST by Lyndsey Parker in Reality Rocks
I have a confession: I really don't care about the Super Bowl. In fact, until this morning, I didn't even know what teams were playing in the big game. My interest in televised competitions has always been limited to fodder like Dancing With the Stars and, of course, American Idol. But this year I knew I'd actually tune in for Super Bowl XLIII, once I found out that one of my favorite Idols, Jennifer Hudson, would be singing the national anthem. This was a performance not to be missed.

As I'm sure most of you reading this know by now, in October 2008 Jen's seemingly perfect life--hot new debut album just out in stores, new all-star movie in theaters, new engagement to I Love New York TV bachelor Davis "Punk" Otunga--was shattered when her mother, brother, and nephew were tragically murdered in Chicago. (Her estranged brother-in-law has been arrested in the case.) Since then, the "Spotlight" singer has remained completely out of the spotlight, understandably canceling all photo and video shoots, interviews, and public performances. Until now.

Today in Tampa, Jennifer finally emerged from seclusion to sing the national anthem. After all, what better showcase could there be for her much-awaited, rising-from-ashes return than Super Bowl XLIII, where she'd sing one of the most triumphant songs in history, for more TV viewers than any other broadcast on earth, in front of a stadium filled with fans all rooting for her just as heartily as they'd root for the Cardinals or Steelers?

And it was a super return indeed. First of all, she looked stunning--a sophisticated vision in black cigarette pants, button-studded military jacket, funky doorknocker earrings, glamorous updo, and a pair of stilettos so razor-sharp it's a wonder they didn't sink into the grass during her walk to the center of the football field. And the crowd roar she received when she appeared was an ovation worthy of a true superstar.

However, it wasn't a perfect comeback. Jennifer was visibly nervous--heaving a giant sigh before she picked up the mic, and an even heavier one (presumably of relief) when it was all over--and she never smiled once. I imagine that if the song hadn't been pretaped (a common practice at the Super Bowl, since the acoustics at such a massive venue aren't conducive to live singing), her wavering voice might have cracked before the song was done, making it impossible for her to confidently hit the big payoff note at the end.

Yes, it was obvious that she was having a tough time of it, and that this was a very bittersweet moment here. Here she was, singing for the biggest international audience in the world, a huge career milestone for her...and sadly, her closest family members weren't there to witness it. But the resilience she displayed during her emotional run on American Idol and as Effie in Dreamgirls was still evident, and she made it through with her characteristic class and strength.

And I have a feeling her mother, brother, and nephew were there to witness her performance, in spirit, and she made them (and the gazillions of others watching, including myself) very proud.

Game on, Jennifer. It's nice to have you back.

SCNDLS said:

First thing I noticed was how nervous she was. It was a big moment for her.

I told my Dad last night (after she sang) that her rendition was equal to Whitney singing at the Bowl in 91. Very moving.

Jennifer did a great job. I have not heard it sung any better since Whitney's version in 91.

missfee said:

Was she asked instead of Beyonce?

CalhounSq said:

But you get a better performance I think with the artist recording in advance.
They don't have to worry about messing it up, (because they can do another take.)
So I think you get a better performance, even if the live presentation is lip-synched.
Also being lip-synched, she wouldn't be too nervous or worry about her voice cracking, or, as the producer said, the thousand things that could go wrong and mar the performance.
It is still her singing, and I need an audio file of that performance . . . ,

I'd rather hear her sing it live, fuck the planes [/quote]
[Edited 2/2/09 16:44pm]

SPYZFAN1 said:

I thought she easily bested Whitney.
Jennifer's is now my third favorite rendition of the National Anthem, behind Marvin Gaye and Jimi Hendrix.

SUPRMAN said:

Whitney's is still my favorite version. J.Hud was amazing though, and I love her vocals as always.

My ranking overall (regarding the Super Bowl anthems):

1) Whitney
2) Jennifer Hudson
3) Faith Hill
4) Vanessa Williams
5) Beyonce
6) Jordin Sparks