Country music singer Carrie Underwood performed the "Star Spangled Banner" prior to Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010. The game, which featured the Indianapolis Colts versus New Orleans Saints, was played at Dolphin Stadium, renamed Sun Life Stadium for the game, in Miami, Florida. The Super Bowl, along with pregame festivities and the commercials, aired on CBS.

In addition to Underwood, Queen Latifah performed prior to the game, singing "America The Beautiful". The NFL Playoffs featured other former American Idol contestants in 2010 as well with Kris Allen performing at the NFC Championship Game and Jordin Sparks singing at the AFC Championship Game, both played on January 24, 2010.

In preparation for the performance, Underwood told the press at Super Bowl media day that she watched previous Super Bowl national anthem singers to see what they did, including fellow American Idol star Jennifer Hudson, who sang at Super Bowl XLIII. She alo consulted singer Harry Connick Jr., who urged her to "just go out there and do it."http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OR4A3nJXN4&feature=youtube_gdata

Carrie Underwood rose to fame in 2005 when she won season four of the wildly popular reality show American Idol. Underwood went on to sweep the American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards and Grammy Awards, the first Idol winner to do so. Additionally, Underwood surpassed season one Idol winner Kelly Clarkson to become the best-selling American Idol alumni of all time, releasing three albums through November 2009.

Off the stage, Underwood was romantically linked to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo in 2007, then actor Chase Crawford later in the same year. After just over a year of dating, Underwood became engaged to Ottawa Senators hockey player Mike Fisher in December 2009.