February is a busy month for Lady Gaga, but the “Applause” singer still considers her performance of the national anthem at the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 7, to be “a dream come true.”
The 29-year-old singer, who will also perform at the upcoming Grammy Awards and Oscars later this month, sat down with NFL.com to talk about what she considers the highest honor.
“I’ve always wanted to sing the national anthem at a major sporting event since I was a little girl, and for it to be the Super Bowl, it is the ultimate…” Gaga trailed off, adding that she watched and rewatched singers performing the song as a little girl.
"This is one of the highest honors of my career."
– @ladygaga on singing #SB50 National Anthemhttps://t.co/YqilZKeFzm
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 6, 2016
“For me, it was Whitney Houston,” she said when asked if she particularly admired any particularly iconic performance. “When I was little, I used to stand at the top of my staircase and sing along with her version. At home, the more I would sing it, the more my dad would say, ‘You’re getting pretty good, kid.’ So to be here now and to sing it to America, it’s just wonderful.”
Gaga will be joining fellow Grammy-winners Beyoncé, Bruno Mars and Coldplay as performers for the Super Bowl.
And even though she doesn’t have any particular team that she’s rooting for, Gaga still said that she can’t wait to watch the game.
“I think it marks what being an American is all about — working hard and the ultimate payoff for the champion is hard work,” she said, noting that she’s come up with a way to calm her nerves. “I think the best way to do that is to forget about yourself, and just focus on what it means.”