Ledisi, ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ Singer for Super Bowl 2025: What to Know

Ledisi is next up to tackle one of the biggest musical challenges a singer can do: perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing” at the 2025 Super Bowl. The biggest night in sports will be held this year at The Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ledisi is a New Orleans native. The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs will face off for the coveted trophy on Sunday. The game will air on FOX and stream on Tubi. Ledisi expressed her excitement in an Instagram post, simply captioning the post: “Honored.” 

Ledisi was initially part of a band before branching out into a solo career. Her voice is described as one of the most pristine of its time, spanning four octaves with elements of R&B, gospel, blues, and jazz. She earned a Grammy award for her 2020 single, “Anything For You,”  for Best Traditional R&B Performance, making it her first Grammy.

Outside of music, she has several acting credits, including starring as gospel icon Mahalia Jackson in the films Selma and Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story.

“We’re honored to work with this year’s pregame lineup to celebrate the rich musical legacy of New Orleans and the entire state,” Seth Dudowsky, head of music at the NFL, said in a statement, as noted by The Hollywood Reporter. “The Super Bowl is a rare moment to unite fans around the world, and this year’s performers will bring the energy, soul and vibrant sounds of the region to a global stage, as we kick off Super Bowl LIX with a celebration to remember.”

Known as the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was a hymn originally written as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson in 1900. His brother, John Rosamond Johnson (1873-1954), was the first to compose the music for the lyrics, per the NAACP. The song captured the spirit, struggle, and hope of liberty of Black Americans. It was often used as the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.