Whitney Houston's "Star-Spangled Banner": A Cultural Analysis of an Iconic Super Bowl Performance
By
Grayson Haver Currin
Summary
A review and cultural analysis of Whitney Houston's iconic 1991 Super Bowl XXV performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner," examining its historical context (Operation Desert Storm, only the second Black woman to sing the anthem at the Super Bowl), musical artistry, and lasting impact on American culture. The piece uses Houston's performance as a lens to explore the national anthem's meaning, race, patriotism, and the power of celebrity.
Source
PitchforkWhitney Houston's "Star-Spangled Banner": A Cultural Analysis of an Iconic Super Bowl Performancepitchfork.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledWhen Whitney Houston divebombs into the second syllable of 'gleaming,' pause the tape.
She is only the second Black woman to sing the song at our country's biggest sports spectacle, less than a decade after Diana Ross fully indoctrinated the modern era of celebrity-spangled national anthems in 1982.
10 days earlier, in January 1991, the United States had launched Operation Desert Storm, dropping
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