Pink, with the flu, powers through pre-Super Bowl concert

MINNEAPOLIS -- Pop star Pink, battling the flu, powered through a pre-Super Bowl concert, still hitting high notes, flying in the air and dancing onstage days before she will sing the national anthem at the big game. Pink skipped some of the words during the songs, relying on her backup singers Friday at Nomadic Live at the Armory in Minneapolis. 

But she was still energetic and spirited, ending the set with her signature high-flying athleticism while singing the pounding hit, "So What." 

• CBSSports.com: Pink to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner"
  

The mother of two told the audience she had the flu and that her children "cough into my mouth and I can't stop them 'cause they're so cute." 

"I'm not going to sound like (crap) all night because you guys are going to help me," she said. "We're going to rock the (expletive) out and have a good time."

As she began to sing "Beautiful Trauma" -- from her recent album of the same name -- she quickly stopped her band and told the crowd, "I can't do it."

"I hate this," she said. "I can't do that song. I'm sorry." 

She later thanked fans on Twitter for applauding her performance. 

Pink will sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" on Sunday at the U.S. Bank Stadium before the New England Patriots take on the Philadelphia Eagles. The 38-year-old singer grew up about 30 miles from Philadelphia and gave a shout-out to the City of Brotherly Love during the show.

She wore a loose white top, loose white pants and red heels as she ran up and down the stage, kicking off the show with the jam "Get the Party Started." She later sang well-known hits like "U + Ur Hand," ''Who Knew," ''What About Us" and "Raise Your Glass."

Despite feeling under the weather, she was exceptional when she covered 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up," a crowd favorite.

"We're gonna wake up the entire neighborhood," she said before singing the song.

The flu has hit the U.S. hard this year. Federal health officials said Friday at least 16 more children died of the flu over the past week and more states are reporting high levels of illness. In a briefing Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the flu outbreak is responsible for at least 53 child deaths so far this season.

"Hospitalizations are now the highest we've seen," said CDC Acting Director Dr. Anne Schuchat, who called the flu one of the biggest health threats currently facing the U.S. She said the cumulative rate of hospitalizations for serious cases of flu is now even greater than in the previous high season of 2014-15. People age 65 and over have the highest rate of hospitalization for the flu.

One of every 14 visits to doctors and clinics were for symptoms of the flu. That's the highest level since the swine flu pandemic in 2009, the Associated Press noted.

High levels of flu-like illness were reported in 42 states, up from 39 states the previous week, and cases were geographically widespread across every state but Oregon and Hawaii.