You’ll never want to hear someone else sing the national anthem after Star Swain blesses you with her vocal chords. The high school assistant principal and Tallahassee, Florida resident brought nothing but life to Washington, D.C. (and the Internet) when she sung the Star Spangled Banner at the Lincoln Memorial.

In the beginning of the video she covers her face and screams, “Nooooooo!” as her brother, Marcus Henderson, puts her on the spot. Little did she know, her voice would stop everybody at the Lincoln Memorial in their tracks. The song even drove some of the people who were listening to tears.

Watch the full video:

When the vocalist spoke to WC-TV about the viral video, which has been viewed more than 12 million times, Swain said that music is “all (she’s) ever known.”

Swain’s brother says he was shocked that so many people stopped to listen to his sister. “Honestly, I don’t know what I was thinking, it was a moment that just happened.” In the same interview, Swain spoke about her motivation to sing the national anthem in particular.

“Just that overwhelming feeling of patriotism and love for my country, love for the people who represent my country and you know hoping we can come one and united,” she said.

Afterwards, she told Tallahassee Democrat she was humbled by the reaction. “I’m in complete shock right now. We pray that great opportunities touch more lives in this way through music. I’m hoping that it will open up floodgates so we can do great things, for myself and others.”

She also posted a message on Facebook thanking everyone:

If you didn’t get enough from Swain, this thank you video is EVERYTHING!

Loving Blavity’s content? Sign up for our daily newsletter and never miss a headline.

national monument

Get relevant content delivered to you once a week