Luke Bryan Sang The National Anthem Perfectly

Nothing goes together quite as well as country music and the National Anthem, right? And who better to ring in the 51st Super Bowl than country music treasure Luke Bryan? Bryan sang the Super Bowl LI national anthem at Sunday's game and boy oh boy, did he do an amazing job.

Bryan announced he would be singing the national anthem just two weeks before the Super Bowl, making his announcement something of a last minute surprise. A welcome surprise, however. I mean, who doesn't like a little Bryan with their football? It may not have been Bryan's first time singing the national anthem, but I'd argue this is the one performance of the song that he'll remember the most. It was a super patriotic rendition that will surely go down as a memorable Super Bowl performance.

Bryan looked calm, cool, and collected as he took the stage to sing the National Anthem. He was incredibly stoic in his rendition, eschewing theatrics in favor of singing it straight. But it worked to a T, especially because Bryan was surrounded by patriotic imagery. At one point, an American flag was created out of red, white, and blue banners right in front of the stage Bryan was singing on, eliciting cheers from the crowds in the stadium.

Bryan's performance followed an excellent performance of America The Beautiful by Hamilton's The Schuyler Sisters — Renée Elise Goldsberry, Phillipa Soo, and Jasmine Cephas — which knocked everyone's socks off. You've got to admit: the Super Bowl may be all about football, but the musical performances, especially for this year's game, are really stealing the spotlight.

With The Schuyler Sisters and Bryan setting the patriotic pace, the only thing missing is Lady Gaga. The fun has only just begun for Super Bowl LI.