Los Angeles rap superstar Kendrick Lamar once again took center stage at this year's Super Bowl halftime show, marking his second appearance on this stage in four years. Unlike 2022, this time he commanded the spotlight solo.
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02-11, 2025Unlike many Super Bowl halftime shows, this performance didn't rely on elaborate production, but rather on Kendrick's compelling wordplay and mic skills, as well as incredible choreography to make an impact. In addition, the inclusion of a few stars also added to the brilliance of the performance.
Iconic actor Samuel L. Jackson, dressed as Uncle Sam, introduced the performance and served as a recurring character throughout the show. Following Jackson's introduction, Lamar performed what he does best: spitting out a series of lyrics from his recent album, "Bodies," quickly and skillfully. He stood in front of a Buick Grand National GNX car, the same vehicle he rode in when he left the hospital as a child, which is also the name of his latest album, hinting at the upcoming setlist.
Before the show, speculation was rife about Lamar's setlist: Lamar has a wealth of material to choose from his six albums, but comments he made last week suggested he would focus more on his latest work. As he said, the performance included five songs from the album "GNX," which was suddenly released at the end of last year and did not include songs released before 2017. Considering the depth of his work, this was a bold decision, but given that he performed two of his most popular early hits in his 2022 performance, one can't blame him for wanting to showcase where he is now.
After the introduction, he brought out "Squabble Up," a relatively upbeat single from "GNX," which he performed with a group of dancers who at one point formed the shape of the American flag. This was followed by two songs from the critically acclaimed 2017 album "DAMN." – the Hottest 100 chart-topper "HUMBLE." and the compelling "DNA.". Immediately afterward, the feud between Kendrick and Drake inevitably surfaced due to a melody from the song "Euphoria" released last year, which Kendrick released early in that infamous battle. Considering that "GNX" was only released a few months ago, the Super Bowl ultimately became the stage for the public debut of songs such as "Man At The Garden" and "Peekaboo." While they aren't classics yet, they didn't seem out of place on such a grand stage.
Next, Kendrick teased the audience with his hit songs and the Drake diss track "Not Like Us," eliciting huge cheers from the crowd, but he quickly shied away from it, cryptically saying, "I wanted to play their favorite song, but you know they like to sue." Instead, he began a performance of "Luther" and "All The Lights," both featuring SZA, who delivered a typically dazzling performance. The audience finally got what they wanted when the vibrant beat of "Not Like Us" returned. This time, Kendrick didn't shorten it. He skipped the word "paedophile" but not the lyric "Tryna strike a chord and it's probably A-Minor," which the crowd gleefully shouted in unison.
The show ended with another highlight from the new album. Kendrick's collaborator Mustard held a football as Kendrick performed "TV Off" as his grand farewell. After the show, the stadium went dark, and glowing wristbands in the crowd spelled out "GAME OVER." Whether this means Kendrick will completely end his feud with Drake, or just made a cute football joke for no reason, we'll have to wait and see.
Samuel L. Jackson was undoubtedly the biggest surprise, his appearance cleverly woven into the performance, providing a through-line throughout. We already knew that SZA, a global superstar in her own right, would join Kendrick, and her vocals injected a grand style into the performance, as she sang the powerful chorus.
Mustard has been a well-known producer for years and is now in a truly glorious moment. Kendrick shouting his name in "TV Off" went viral quickly after its release at the end of last year, and just in the past week, he was standing center stage at the Grammy Awards accepting an award and holding a football on the Super Bowl field. Mustard produced three songs on "GNX," but you may have also heard his collaborations with Rihanna, Roddy Ricch, Ty Dollar Sign, and others over the years.
Eagle-eyed viewers would have spotted another superstar dancing on stage. Tennis superstar Serena Williams, also from Compton, California, the same hometown as Kendrick, and rumored to have had a relationship with Drake in the early 2010s. Having your enemy's ex-girlfriend dance on stage in front of an estimated 120 million viewers while you're rapping about him being a sex offender is another brutal blow in what has become an increasingly one-sided battle between the two rappers.
