Charlie Puth, who is slated to perform the national anthem at the pre-game Super Bowl show, recently responded to Link Lauren’s comments questioning whether he was the right person for the performance. According to Variety, Charlie Puth’s remarks came after conservative commentator Link Lauren criticized him on X (formerly Twitter). Lauren argued that Puth was not the right pick for the upcoming Super Bowl pre-game performance, saying, “he is not gonna give us vocals I’m afraid.” He said:"Man we’ve fallen from when Whitney Houston sang at the Super Bowl. Charlie Puth? He’s not gonna give us vocals I’m afraid."Link Lauren @itslinklaurenLINKMan we’ve fallen from when Whitney Houston sang at the Super Bowl. Charlie Puth? He’s not gonna give us vocals I’m afraidAccording to Variety, the latest comments about Charlie Puth being chosen to sing the national anthem come three months after Bad Bunny was announced as the artist set to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Soon after Bad Bunny was announced, several people, including President Donald Trump, criticized the choice, saying he had “never heard of him.”More about Charlie Puth's upcoming pre-game Super Bowl performance, as he responds to criticsCharlie Puth was officially announced on Sunday, November 30, as the artist selected to perform the national anthem at the Super Bowl pre-game show. The Grammy-nominated singer will make his Super Bowl debut with his performance on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. According to The Hollywood Reporter, two other artists were announced for the pre-game lineup. It includes Grammy-winning singer Brandi Carlile, who will perform America the Beautiful, and Coco Jones, who will perform Lift Every Voice and Sing.The national anthem has been performed at the Super Bowl since the very beginning, dating back to 1967. The One Call Away singer is now set to join the long list of well-known performers who have previously performed the national anthem before the Super Bowl. For instance, Whitney Houston performed in 1991, Diana Ross in 1982, Backstreet Boys in 2001, Beyoncé in 2004, and Jon Batiste in 2025, among several others.In his response to the criticism, particularly from Link Lauren, the See You Again singer explained that he never claimed to be as good a singer as Whitney Houston. However, he would be putting together “one of my best vocal performances” for his appearance at the Super Bowl pre-game show while singing the national anthem. He said:"I’ll never claim to be as good of a singer as Whitney Houston ever was. But I assure you we’re putting a really special arrangement together- in D major. It’ll be one of my best vocal performances.”This criticism regarding Charlie Puth being chosen to sing the national anthem comes as he gears up for the release of his fourth studio album, Whatever’s Clever. The album is set to release next year on March 6.