NFL Denies Beyoncé’s Request to Sing the “Black National Anthem” at Super Bowl: “It’s Too Divisive”
April 5, 2025 | New York, NY — In a shocking yet somehow predictable move, the NFL has reportedly denied Beyoncé’s request to perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” widely known as the Black National Anthem, at the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show, citing concerns that the song is “too divisive” for the 15-minute spectacle sandwiched between nachos and CTE.
“We love Beyoncé. She’s a queen. A legend. She’s… Sasha Fierce,” said Roger Goodell while nervously rearranging a stack of American flags. “But the Super Bowl is about unity. And beer. And trucks. And halftime ads where a puppy reunites with a horse. Not… complicated conversations.”
Beyoncé, who once angered exactly 3.5 million Facebook uncles with her 2016 Super Bowl performance featuring Black Panther-inspired outfits, had planned to open with the historic hymn in a powerful statement of inclusion and Black cultural pride. The NFL, however, saw it differently.
“We already gave you Rihanna last year,” an anonymous NFL executive allegedly said while sipping from a “Football Is My Politics” mug. “Let’s not push it.”
The decision sparked outrage online, with many fans pointing out the league’s long and occasionally awkward relationship with racial issues. “So five trucks can do donuts on the field while Toby Keith launches fireworks out of a hot dog cannon, but Beyoncé singing a century-old hymn is too much?” tweeted one fan. “Make it make sense.”
Sources say the NFL has instead suggested a compromise: Beyoncé can sing one verse of the song, but only if she’s simultaneously holding a bald eagle and wearing a foam finger that says “#1 Unity.”
In response, Beyoncé is now reportedly considering an alternative show that includes subtle references to the anthem through interpretive dance, smoke signals, and coded eyebrow movements that only true fans will understand.
Meanwhile, Kid Rock has volunteered to perform the halftime show “free of charge,” promising “no anthems, just explosions, freedom, and a little bit of hip-hop for diversity.”
The NFL has not responded to that offer.
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