Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday is an instant contender for one of the most iconic performances in recent memory, providing thrilling and thought-provoking music with interesting commentary.
Lamar’s show comes at the end of a defining year for the rapper, with the popular opinion that he defeated Drake in a heated war of diss tracks and releasing the surprise album “GNX.” Just the week before this show, he won five Grammys for his chart-topping hit to end the beef, “Not Like Us.”
On a stage designed to resemble a PlayStation controller’s buttons, the show began with a surprise appearance from actor Samuel L. Jackson portraying Uncle Sam. He welcomed viewers to “the great American game,” firmly establishing the show’s motif of playing through the struggle of being a black artist in America, and Lamar’s performance began strongly with a currently unreleased song, which fans have been calling “Bodies.”
The rapper then transitioned into “squabble up,” one of the bounciest and funnest songs from his last album. The design of the performance was impeccable, as Lamar was surrounded by dancers dressed in red, white and blue with his black GNX car in the background. It was visually distinct, calling back to other projects, and was choreographed with a focus on high energy and movement.
Jackson returned after this song, chastising Lamar for being “too loud, too reckless, too ghetto” and asking him to “tighten up.” Played almost like an act of defiance, Lamar instead moved into more aggressive and loud songs with “Humble” and “DNA” as dancers gathered around him to create the colors of the American flag.
A quick rendition of Lamar’s first Drake diss track, “Euphoria,” wrapped up this first part of the show, before it moved into a slightly lower-energy track with “man at the garden.” Notably, Lamar surrounded himself with people dressed to look like friends from his hometown of Compton, a gesture that Jackson’s Uncle Sam then called a “culture cheat code.”
Lamar performed the low-key but infectious “peekaboo,” before teasing the audience with the opening bars of “Not Like Us.” However, he then declared he would “think about it.” Many had been nervous beforehand that this song would not be played in the midst of Drake’s lawsuit with the label that distributed the single, UMG, and Lamar played with those tensions brilliantly here.
From there, he slowed the performance down to include a few R&B-tinged songs with guest singer SZA. The duo performed “luther” and “All the Stars,” showing amazing chemistry ahead of their upcoming world tour together. Jackson made his final appearance after this duet, praising Lamar for giving “what America wants” with “nice, calm” songs.
Jackson then warned that Lamar was “almost there,” and not to mess it up, before being interrupted by the return of the beat for “Not Like Us.” Bringing the house down for the finale, Lamar not only played this song, but flashed a wonderfully devilish smile as he directly called out Drake on the biggest stage imaginable. Tennis legend Serena Williams even made an appearance, performing the crip walk dance move in reference to past incidents where she gained controversy for doing so in tennis matches.
Lamar ended the show with a performance of “tv off,” bringing out producer Mustard for the infectious chorus that quite literally shouts him out. The crowd erupted by the end, showing great appreciation for the undeniable masterclass Lamar had put together.
This was a halftime show for the ages, showcasing Lamar’s incredible catalogue alongside pointed commentary on America as a game to win. The interweaving of Jackson, the design of the stage and the performers, and the sheer quality of the songs combined to deliver an unforgettable experience and another feather in the cap of one of hip-hop’s most legendary figures.
