It's not that Sunday's national anthem critics wanted less of Sullivan; they were clamoring for a whole lot more. Not without reason. Consider the solo screen-time that Eric Church got opening the anthem: roughly 16 seconds (via YouTube). When it was Sullivan's turn for a solo shot, a full 35 seconds into the performance, she garnered roughly ten. And yet, her voice dominated. As HuffPost editor Philip Lewis was quick to point out, "Jazmine Sullivan should have done this by herself." Or, as another upset fan virtually screamed: "I don't like that Jazmine Sullivan has to share her moment."
Jazmine Sullivan herself may have a different take on the Super Bowl performance, however. "We come from two very different backgrounds, (but) I find beauty in blending different lifestyles and different music (and) different art and making something special," she recently told The Associated Press of her collaboration with Church. "I definitely think that's what we accomplished and I think it'll be really good," she added.
Eric Church wanted similar things out of his duet with Sullivan. "Basically, if I can stay out of her way, we're golden," he joked to Today. Church agreed to perform at the Super Bowl in the wake of the U.S. Capitol riot, in order to send a message of togetherness. "We're unifying," Church reflected. "And it's a time in our country when we have to do that."
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