Jay Z denies making a political statement at the Super Bowl.
Beyonce and Jay Z
The 50-year-old star has responded after he and Beyonce remained seated during Demi Lovato's performance of the US national anthem at the Super Bowl on Sunday (02.02.20), and he has played down the suggestion there was a big reason for it.
According to Page Six, Jay was asked about the backlash during a lecture series Q&A at Columbia University this week, and said: "It actually wasn't [a political statement] - sorry.
"I'd tell you... I'd say, 'Yes, that's what I've done'. I think people know what about me."
Instead, the 'Empire State of Mind' hitmaker insisted he and his wife - who performed the national anthem at the big game in 2004 before headlining her own halftime show in 2013 and singing 'Foundation' at the event three years later - were in "artist mode" watching Demi take to the stage.
He added: "What happened was, we got there, we were sitting, and now the show's about to start. My wife was with me and so she says to me, 'I know this feeling right here.'
"Like, she's super nervous because she's performed at Super Bowls before. I haven't. So we get there and we immediately jump into artist mode... now I'm really just looking at the show. Did the mic start? Was it too low to start....
"I had to explain to them [that] as an artist, if you don't feel the music, you can't really reach that level."
Jay insisted he didn't even realise the couple hadn't stood until his phone rang after Demi had finished singing.
However, he pointed out if he and Bey had tried to make such a statement, their eight-year-old daughter Blue Ivy would have put a stop to it.
He said: "And if anyone who knows Blue ... If we told her we were going to do something like that, you would have seen her attacking me 100 times.
"She's the kid that gets in the car and closes the door and says, 'Are we there yet, daddy?' So she would say, 'What time? Are we doing it? Are we doing it now? It's 7:05, daddy... It's 7:06.' "
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