Feb 06 6:26p by Ryan Hudson
More: Super Bowl 2012 coverage.
The National Anthem for Super Bowl XLV was belted out by Christina Aguilera, a native of Rochester, Pennsylvania, a town about forty minutes outside of Pittsburgh.
The unofficial length of Aguilera's version was 1:54, according to SB Nation's stopwatch, which means it's a PUSH in Vegas. Bodog had the Over/Under set at 1 minute and 54 seconds exactly (the favorite was the Over, at -200).
She followed Keith Urban and Maroon 5, who performed during the pregame concert as part of the seemingly never-ending festivities leading up to Super Bowl XLV. Aguilera, a five-time Grammy award winner, was making her second Super Bowl appearances: she was part of the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXIV.
Twenty two-year old Candice Villesca of Lewisville, Texas, performed the National Anthem and America the Beautiful in American Sign Language.
Aguilera, who is 30 years old, originally appeared on national television in 1990, as a contestant on Star Search, before going on to star on The Mickey Mouse Club. She has released six studio albums, two of which went No. 1 in the United States, and has sold over 46 million albums worldwide.
Follow @sbnation on Twitter, and Like SBNation.com on Facebook.
And if the commercials are more to your liking, be sure to visit our 2011 Super Bowl Commercials StoryStream, with analysis, commentary and video.
14 comments
Super Bowl XLV: Christina Aguilera Sings 2011 National Anthem In 1:54
The 5 biggest sports stories, hand-picked for your inbox. Show more info?
We’ve developed a unique newsletter that delivers the five most interesting sports stories fans are talking about, direct to your email three times a week. Each email is curated by an SB Nation editor who follows sports the way you do: as a fan. One email three times a week, with stories worth your time.
You can unsubscribe at anytime, and we'll never use your address for evil. Not interested? Make this bar go away forever. You can always sign up later.






Comments
SHE MADE A MISTAKE
WOW I cannot believe they could’ve hired someone who messed up on the NATIONAL ANTHEM!!!
Don’t get someone incompetent next time
by Mark Metler Jr on Feb 6, 2011 6:39 PM EST reply actions
she messed it up
She sang it so fast because she entirely omitted part of it. Boo to you Christina Aguilera!
by Katiejo04 on Feb 6, 2011 6:45 PM EST reply actions
Learn the lyrics, Christina!!!
It was HORRIFYING! Surely she could have practiced and memorized the correct lyrics to our NATIONAL ANTHEM. What a disgrace.
by victory22delaware on Feb 6, 2011 6:46 PM EST reply actions
HORRID!
Please do not let Christina Aguilera ever, ever, ever sing the National Anthem anywhere ever again! Did I say EVER?
The National Anthem is meant for simplicity, not for auditioning for American Idol! It was a terrible rendition.
by MaggieToo on Feb 6, 2011 6:50 PM EST reply actions
Aguilera is a National Embarrassment
That was HORRENDOUS! It might be nice to know the words to your country’s National Anthem. What a loser. She thinks she’s WAY better than she is. Time to come down to earth, you SUCK Christina Aguilera!!!
by unbelievable1 on Feb 6, 2011 6:52 PM EST reply actions
Agree!
by Jana Lowe Shelton on Feb 6, 2011 6:54 PM EST up reply actions
Disrespectful!
How much more disrespectful can someone be! She should NEVER be asked again!
I get that it was a mistake but if she put an ounce of energy into it like she did as to how her performance was… she may have remembered the words! I agree, this is NOT American Idol!
by Jana Lowe Shelton on Feb 6, 2011 6:53 PM EST reply actions
National Anthem & America Horrible vocals!!
Aguilera screamed, yodeled, growled and masacred a beautiful song. She looked like she was in pain, and ‘America’ was worse. These stylized renditions do nothing except to call attention to the singer at a terrible cost to the song. My apologies to the authors. Josh Groban knows how to sing the National Anthem. Come to think of it, my cat could sing it better than it was sung today. What a blot on the Superbowl production.
by Elizabeth Garris on Feb 6, 2011 6:56 PM EST reply actions
CHRISTINA AGUILERA
Oh say can you see what a mistake it was to hire CHRISTINA AGUILERA to sing the national Anthem??? Has been.
by Kathy James on Feb 6, 2011 7:01 PM EST reply actions
Did My Ears Deceive Me
I thought I heard her repeat a verse then mumble some words I didn’t understand. How embarassing. She should have studied the lyrics if she didn’t know them. We learned the anthem in like 1st & 2nd grade.
by LSL on Feb 6, 2011 7:04 PM EST reply actions
good day for Candice Villesca
by 91bigten on Feb 6, 2011 7:14 PM EST reply actions
1:53.16 on analysis...
Check your stopwatch again. The end of braaaaaaaaaave" is at 1:53.16 after 1:53.16 she says woooo and thank you.
by Reef Wiz on Feb 6, 2011 7:34 PM EST reply actions
Christina you are WORTHLESS
Not only do you destroy our beautiful National Anthem by not knowing the words, but you can’t sing it the way it was wrote. Why can’t all of these singers just sing the song? It makes me sick listening to all the extra crap and trying to get some sort of extra glory for adding all the extra notes when you sing a song that’s not all about you and not for your glory. LEARN THE WORDS and SING THE SONG FOR THE GLORY OF OUR COUNTRY not your reputation. It’s purely disrespectful and the song means a lot to many of us and anyone who tries to sing it differently than it was written is like saying it’s not good enough and you can make it better. Thanks for murdering the national anthem on one of the biggest stages you’ve been in and showing the country how terrible and ignorant you are.
by cr0wnn7 on Feb 6, 2011 7:35 PM EST reply actions
Congrats Ryan
Ryan, congratulations, this article was so bad that I was compelled to create an acount just to tell you so, even though you’ll probably never see this. Maybe that’s your tactic, sort of like Stern. Maybe I’m giving Hamlet too much credit. Ryan, I know it’s a puff piece, but come on, who are you working for? The AP? I got more information out of the user comments and it shouldn’t be that way. Just try is all. Please.
by Alex Wowk on Feb 7, 2011 4:46 AM EST reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed