Chris Stapleton is retiring from singing the national anthem.

The country music singer, who performed the song during the 2023 Super Bowl, shared the news in an appearance on Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s “Dirty Mo Media” podcast .

“I would have people ask me to sing the national anthem for various things. I jokingly always said, ‘No, I’ll just do it when it’s time to do it at the Super Bowl,’” Stapleton said.

“I’d just turn it down a lot. And I do say now that I have officially retired from it as well.”

Stapleton said singing the national anthem brings more pressure.

“I don’t get nervous to play, necessarily,” he said. “That one, I was like, ‘I was gonna make sure I’m as prepared as I can be.”

When performing the national anthem in the Super Bowl, Stapleton said the goal is not to blow it.

“Did I realize that I was doing something good in the moment? I don’t know. I realized I was not messing up,” the singer said. “That was my goal, was to not mess up. Like, not mess up the words, not flub a guitar lick. That was my goal, was to get through it to a degree that (I could say), ‘Alright, I executed the national anthem without insulting the national anthem.’”

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.