There it was—Beyoncé singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" live this afternoon on ESPN to kick off the preview of her halftime performance for the this Sunday's Super Bowl game.
During the Q&A session with journalists at the press conference, Beyoncé addressed rumors of her lip-synching at President Obama's inauguration saying, "I always sing live. The inauguration was, unfortunately, a time where I could not rehearse with the orchestra. I was rehearsing for the Super Bowl." She then admitted to singing over a pre-recorded track at the ceremonies.
"I will absolutely be singing live [at the Super Bowl], this is what I was born for," she says. "I feel like this weekend, I'm performing at the halftime show. Before, the event was not about me. I'm excited to have done both but now I'm on to the halftime show."
She addressed the huge opportunity of performing at the halftime show—admitting to running into the Super Dome and planting her feet right on the turf. "This has been an aspiration for me, I thank God I was given this opportunity," she said. "You work very hard for these moments and I'm just hoping that all of my life lessons and my experience—all I can feel and use during this performance.
She would not say what songs she'll be performing at the event but added: "Trying to condense a career into 12 minutes wasn't easy, all of my songs are like my children."
When asked about her Sunday football routines with Jay-Z, Bey had little to say but voiced her respect for NFL players: "I can't take you through what Jay-Z does, he has to tell you himself. I'm on the computer, pulling references, looking at my rehearsals, I've been so focused on this show. I fall asleep and wake up with a lot of football. I know every little detail because of fantasy football. I have the utmost respect for the players."
Reporters also asked if she'll be performing at the upcoming Grammy Awards. "Who said I was performing at the Grammys?," Beyonce laughed. "I don't know if I'm performing at the Grammys."
"Got 99 problems but Beyoncé ain't one," one reporter joked. Bey mentioned that she's going to relax and spend time with her daughter, Blue Ivy, after the halftime show. When asked if she plans to tour anytime soon, she added that fans should stay tuned for a special announcement.
[via NFL.com]
