Seven-Year-Old Anthem Singer Malea Emma: 'My Biggest Dream is to Sing at the Super Bowl'
Seven-year-old Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja's career is on the rise, singing the national anthem at professional sporting events and even showcasing her talent on Good Morning America this fall. But she's setting her sights on the biggest stage in sports.
The pint-sized singer (3'9") has quickly gone from singing at minor league soccer games six months ago to getting calls from the Clippers and Lakers, according to USA Today. In September, Malea sang before a Galaxy game after winning a competition online. The performance went viral and her calendar filled up. But she's still hoping for one call in particular.
"My biggest dream is to sing at the Super Bowl," she told USA Today. "I’m always nervous though. If I get something wrong it’s going to be bad because it’s a special song for America."
She hasn't seemed to get it wrong yet.
On Nov. 25, Malea sang the anthem at a Lakers game, drawing cheers and applause from the crowd at Staples Center. But she also caught the attention of the most famous person in the arena—LeBron James. The superstar turned around to watch Malea and applaud her, calling her performance "amazing," per USA Today.
Malea will sing in front of her biggest crowd yet at Saturday's MLS Cup Final between Atlanta United and the Portland Timbers. 73,000 fans will fill Mercedes-Benz Stadium to take in the match.
She already has the pipes of a seasoned professional but keeps her goals realistic for now.
"Of course I want to be a singer one day," Malea said. "But I love singing the anthem at sports events. I like staying to watch the game, too. But only if it finishes before my bed time."
We have a feeling she'll get permission to stay up a little later if she sings at the Super Bowl.
