Mickey Guyton on What It Means to Perform at Super Bowl: 'I Never Thought It Was a Possibility' (Exclusive)

Mickey Guyton is ready to kick off the big game! Ahead of performing the national anthem at Super Bowl LVI on Sunday, the 38-year-old country music superstar told ET's Nischelle Turner how she's feeling about the major milestone. 

"I am freaking out. Oh my God," Guyton told ET. "It’s just so much. Literally two years ago, this wasn’t even a possibility for me and now I'm singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl. It's crazy."

The "Black Like Me" singer added, "I think that everybody would love to perform at the Super Bowl at some point or another. I just never thought it was a possibility for me. I always just enjoyed watching the national anthem. I sang the national anthem at my high school at every basketball game that we had. I know the song so well, but it was never a possibility. But now that we’re here, I am just completely blown away and grateful."

Guyton is in esteemed company. Other notable acts who have performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the big game include Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Hudson, Garth Brooks, Demi Lovato, Cher, and Carrie Underwood. Just last year, another country singer, Eric Church, and Jazmine Sullivan performed the national anthem at the Super Bowl in Tampa, Fla.

For the singer, who has made waves in country music, this opportunity is extra special. "You know, I have been wanting to do music for song long and to be able to stand on this stage on this day," she said. "There's so much division in this country and there’s so much that is happening, it’s hard. This is a moment that I get to be that Black girl from Texas that gets to stand on that stage and sing and hopefully unite the country. I'm going to have a choir behind me and it’s all the faces of America. This is the America that I would be proud to wave my American flag emoji for."

For Guyton, there's no pressure, but she already knows that people are placing bets on her outfit and the length of her performance. "I don’t want to give up the color because there’s bets going on about the color I will wear and how long I'm going to sing the national anthem," she quipped.

"I guess they call me Quicky Mickey because I do sing the national anthem fast," she shared.

But before she steps out onto the field to perform on Sunday, she'll kick off the weekend by opening for Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani during the Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest on Feb. 11. 

"It's so exciting. I'm performing a 30-minute set of some of my favorite songs off of my new album, Remember Her Name," she said. "It's so cool that I get to finally get out and sing in front of people because a lot of times I haven't gotten a chance to do that, so it's gonna be really cool to open up for Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton." 

As for a cameo on stage with the music duo, "I mean, if they ask me, I'll get on stage and sing me a harmony," she said. "Whatever they need." 

Guyton had plenty to celebrate this week leading up to her performance. On Monday, she paid tribute to her son, Grayson, on his first birthday. “It’s like my life began the day I met you. Happy birthday to my sweet Grayson! Thank you for picking me to be your mom. 🥺,” she wrote.  

Grayson's birthday celebrations come after the singer revealed in November that her baby boy was doing well following a brief hospital stay. Guyton's Instagram tribute featured photos of her and her husband, Grant Savoy, in the delivery room holding their son after his birth, as well as pictures of the then-mommy-to-be cradling her bump, selfies of Grayson and snaps from his first birthday celebration. 

"I had my immediate family over on Saturday," she said about the celebration. "We had a little birthday party. I made a little balloon garland. I tried to be all high class and sadity like the Kardashians, but mine didn’t look nearly as beautiful because I DIY’d it. I got him a little birthday cake. He had his cousins over. It was really sweet. He's such a sweet boy."

In addition to Guyton singing the national anthem, Super Bowl LVI will feature performances from Jhené Aiko, who is slated to perform "America the Beautiful." On behalf of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), acclaimed actress Sandra Mae Frank will perform the national anthem and "America the Beautiful" in American Sign Language. Gospel group Mary Mary will be accompanied by the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) to perform "Lift Every Voice and Sing," and Zedd will get the party started as the DJ during the pregame warm-ups.  

One of the biggest moments of the night will come during the Pepsi Halftime Show, when Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar hit the stage.  

The 2022 Super Bowl airs on NBC, and will take place Sunday at 3:30 p.m. PT at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., where the Cincinnati Bengals will take on the Los Angeles Rams. 

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