First things first: Alicia Keys didn’t appear to be lip-syncing.
As opposed to Beyonce’s flawless (and, she now admits, pre-recorded) performance of the national anthem at Obama’s inauguration last month, Keys’ piano-accompanied rendition felt real and raw at the big game this afternoon, with a crack in her voice here or there to assure us she wasn’t singing along to a track.
Of course, whether Keys had planned to sing live before the Bey-Bey controversy erupted is a fair question; after all, even Whitney “The Voice” Houston went with a pre-recorded version when she sang the Star-Spangled Banner at the 1991 game.
Watch the full performance below and let us know what you think in the comments.