On Sunday, Jon Batiste’s Super Bowl performance was a hit for all the right reasons: he debuted new music and delivered a creative rendition “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Batiste also honored his wife by putting a spotlight on her unique talent.
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As he performed the national anthem, the Root 100 honoree played a piano that featured a massive butterfly painting by his wife, Suleika Jaouad. The idea was initially formulated while the pair made their documentary “American Symphony.”
According to Associated Press, Batiste was motivated by a myriad of things including Jaouad’s art and the memory of his late grandfather.
“This was powerful. The spirit came over me,” Batiste told the outlet after his performance at the Caesars Superdome.
On Monday, the star released “My United State,” a two two-track project that features “Star-Spangled Blues” and “Notes from My Future Self.”
“It’s the first time in the history of the anthem that had samples included in it,” the musician stated. “We almost couldn’t clear the main sample that I wanted until the night before [the performance].”
Batiste married Jaouad, an Emmy Award-winning journalist and author, in 2022. She was diagnosed with a rare form of acute myeloid leukemia in 2011. They were filming “American Symphony” when his Jaouad was diagnosed with cancer again.
In December 2024, Jaouad shared that she was diagnosed with cancer for a third time through an Instagram post. Because of this revelation, the couple had to skip the 2025 Grammy Awards that took place in Los Angeles earlier this month.
However, the pair went on the social media to celebrate winning Best Music Film and Best Song Written for Visual Media for “American Symphony.”
“We couldn’t make it to the ceremony but we’re beaming love from our couch to yours, and sending gratitude to all who made this film possible,” Batiste and Jaouad exclaimed in a joint post.
On the heels of singing at the Super Bowl, Batiste plans on creating visuals for “Notes from My Future Self” and eventually going on tour.
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