Before the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts kicked off, Carrie Underwood and Queen Latifah opened Super Bowl XLIV by bringing down the stadium in Miami. Latifah sang “America The Beautiful” with a group of children backing her up.

Then, a white-jumpsuited Carrie Underwood stepped out to belt out the National Anthem and once again proved she’s more than worthy of her American Idol win and countless awards earned thereafter. Underwood’s rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” was accented by fireworks and most notably, moving images of American soldiers in Kabul, Afghanistan.