Grammy Award-winning recording artist Tasha Cobbs Leonard was chosen to sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night before the Kansas City Chiefs play the Baltimore Ravens.
Cobbs Leonard won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian/Gospel Performance in 2014 and has received three Billboard Music Awards throughout his career.
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Tasha Cobbs Leonard performs on the Vibes Stage on day four of CMA Fest in Nashville, Tennessee on Sunday, June 11, 2023. (Denny Simmons/The Tennessean/USA TODAY NETWORK)
The announcement that the song would be played before kickoff drew the same kind of scrutiny as in the past. NFL teams began having the song, also known as the Black national anthem, in 2020 after a summer of racial unrest in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.
Since then, the song has been performed before the Super Bowl every year. The online response has been fierce in both directions. Fans have routinely spoken out about the song's performance, while some have criticized fans for not standing during the moment.
Thursday was more of the same.
(Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports)
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Cobbs Leonard implored his fans to tune in as he performed “as we celebrate unity, culture and the excitement of the game.”
“I'm so excited to kick off the NFL season with a powerful live performance of 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' at the Chiefs vs. Ravens game in Kansas City. This will be a night to remember – football, music and an electric atmosphere,” she wrote on Instagram.
Coco Jones will sing the national anthem during the game. The R&B singer won a Grammy this year for best R&B performance.
(Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports)
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The Chiefs and Ravens tip off the NFL season at 8:20 p.m. ET.
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