What was Queen Latifah doing attempting America the Beautiful? Since when did she become a singer? Perhaps I'm just out of the loop and she's (successfully) reinvented herself as one- I do vaguely remember her releasing an album of cover songs.
Even still, why would they choose her to sing at as big an event as Super Bowl XLVIII. I get the impression everyone picked for this year's line-up was done so with the express intention of not courting any controversy- especially in light of it being ten years since the country nearly imploded at the sight of Janet Jackson's bejeweled boob.
The performance itself wasn't anything amazing, vocally. The Diva has a nice, soulful tone to her voice, but this rendition gives the impression she has a limited range- which isn't something you want when singing the patriotic anthem. The choir did their best to support her, often overshadowing her, but that still didn't disguise the fact that royal rapper isn't a vocalist.
Still, more power to Queen Latifah: She's sung at the Super Bowl. That's a gig most would give an octave of their range for. Perhaps that's just what she did....
Thoughts?
