When Laurin Talese steps onto the field at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday night, it will be her first time attending an NFL game. Talese is set to perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing” before the Eagles face the Cowboys in their season opener.
Talese, who has lived in Philadelphia for 25 years, is a longtime Eagles fan. She has attended both Super Bowl parades and often participated in tailgates, but this performance marks a new milestone for her as a supporter of the team.
“I’m feeling so excited and honored,” Talese said. “I’m really excited to see what it’s going to feel like. … I love feeling the pulse of the city, but I’ve never been to a game. So, this is my entrance. This is my foray into real-life Eagles fandom, and being able to really be a part of it, like, what better way? It’s kind of crazy, actually.”
Talese began singing at age seven and started her career in Philadelphia as a background singer. Over time she moved into performing jazz, traditional pop, folk, and soul music internationally. Her album “Gorgeous Chaos” reached No. 14 on Billboard Magazine’s Traditional Jazz Album charts.
Despite performing around the world—including places such as Africa and Ukraine—Talese considers Thursday’s event significant because it takes place in Philadelphia.
“It’s pretty up there,” Talese said on where this performance will rank for her. “I’ve been able to perform all around the world … but this is a rare opportunity because it’s in the city where I’ve called home for 25 years. It’s for a team that I love and that I’ve supported and I’ve seen win and seen overcome hurdles and challenges.”
Originally from Cleveland, Talese moved to Philadelphia in 2000 to attend University of the Arts after visiting in 1999. She was drawn by the city’s diversity and strong support for the arts.
“What’s kept me here is the glamour and grit,” Talese said. “I think we have some of the most beautiful, soulful residents in this city with hearts of gold who will tell you about themselves and who are real and blunt. And I love that in a world where you don’t know what’s real and what’s fake.
“But also in that there’s just so much beauty – the architecture and beautiful murals and art all around the city. World-class art in every medium: films and music and fine arts and dance. It’s just overflowing with a lot. I’ve traveled all over the world, but it’s still one of my favorite cities in the world.”
Talese says she admires Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts because she sees similarities between his approach to football and her own approach to music.
“(I) love Hurts,” she said. “I just love his ethos. I love how laser-focused he is. I love that he has so much integrity, and he’s intentional. And I love the standard to which he holds himself. As a musician myself, I’m also really into the process.… I’ve been studying music my entire life, and when I have performances and evaluate how I feel about them, I’m equally as laser-focused on what I can do better and how I can improve and just being my best self and not measuring myself up against anybody else.”
Talese previously performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing” with The Philadelphia Orchestra during the pandemic—a performance that brought her work to attention of Eagles staff members leading up to Thursday’s invitation.
She will be joined by Adam Blackstone—a college friend—who arranged music for her upcoming performance at Lincoln Financial Field.
“I am going to sing my butt off,” she said. “I’m going to have so much passion and pride just about how far this team has come. Just watching it up close and having been a part of all the celebrations, like being out in the middle of the night in Center City, driving down, wearing your gear, having been a part of that for both of the recent Super Bowls, it just adds more to what it will feel like. I’m going to be really emotionally charged and sing it from my heart.”
