Superbowl 53 may have been a boring game and Maroon 5 may have performed a lackluster halftime show, but one singing duo definitely left their mark on the field Sunday night. The first celebrities of the night to take the stage, newcomers Chloe x Halle performed a powerful rendition of “America The Beautiful” at the top of the show, previewing Gladys Knight‘s powerhouse version of the Star Spangled Banner.

Introduced as a “Grammy nominated sister duo and Atlanta natives,” the NFL’s decision to have two relatively unknowns perform at the biggest sporting event of the year might seem strange – but in fact this sister duo was everything the NFL needed in a performer. Along with Knight, Chloe x Halle chose to perform at the Super Bowl despite calls for performers to boycott the game after former player Colin Kaepernick was allegedly blacklisted for taking a knee during the National Anthem. Performers Cardi B and Rihanna had turned down the halftime spot, and Maroon 5 was met with immense criticism for their choice to proceed with the show. Knight openly explained her reasoning, calling Kaepernick out for what she thought to be an inappropriate attack on the anthem.  Chloe x Halle, on the other hand, did not comment, but chose to appear at the game nonetheless.

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Chloe x Halle’s Super Bowl performance comes right in the midst of their growing fame. In December, the 20 and 18-year-old sisters, who are represented by Beyonce‘s label, Parkwood Entertainment, were nominated for two Grammy Awards – Best New Artist and Best Urban Contemporary Album for their debut album, The Kids Are Alright. Their music video for the titular song has over two million views, and they even released a short film to accompany the song in the beginning of 2018.

Putting their R&B talents and incredible vocal ranges to work, Chloe x Halle had the audience roaring after they finished “America The Beautiful” on Sunday. It was a performance to remember. And with the Grammy Awards coming up this Sunday, they likely won’t be forgotten any time soon.

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