For those in the Philadelphia area, there is a good chance the Super Bowl 59 halftime show meant absolutely nothing. There are also probably a lot of passionate, and most likely intoxicated, Eagles fans who have no idea who even performed. However, the 138 million people that tuned in around the globe (the most ever for a halftime show broadcast) were able to witness what was undoubtedly a one-of-a-kind performance from Compton, California rapper Kendrick Lamar.
Depending on who is talking, this could mean two entirely different things. If it is anyone 55 or above who doesn’t happen to be a big fan of west coast hip-hop, this was most likely their least favorite halftime show (their favorite being Bruce Springsteen, of course). For anyone who is a fan of Lamar and the kind of work he puts out, this was different than any halftime show before it and in the best way possible.
As easy as it is to say that the Super Bowl halftime show is not the time nor place to be making political statements, that just would notbe fair. To describe the 13-minute performance as nothing other than politics would also be an incredible disservice. Still, here is a clear message here from Lamar, and there is no doubt he made the most out of what is probably the biggest platform of his career. The performance began with Samuel L. Jackson, dressed in patriotic garb, introducing himself as “Uncle Sam” and welcoming everyone to “the great American game.” This was followed by the reveal of Lamar performing on a stage lit up like a tic-tac-toe box. He began with an unreleased verse that was used for promotion of his last record, “GNX.” As he performed, a sea of dancers dressed in red, white, and blue emerged from the clown car below him.
From this point on, it was clear that Kendrick had something to say. Everything from the clothing to the stage design was purposeful, something Kendrick has made a point of since he first started. What does it all mean exactly? That is something that probably only Kendrick could say for sure, but between the American iconography and the repeated references to “the game,” there is a lot out there for fans to look into and consider. As for the actual musical performance itself, Kendrick, to no one’s surprise, far from succumbs to the moment.
He continued with a rendition of “Squabble Up,” one of the hits off of his new album. Following this were the Kendrick standards “HUMBLE” and “DNA,” with these tracks definitely receiving some of the loudest reception out of the entire setlist. Kendrick then went back to his new stuff, performing “Euphoria,” a song that originated from the beef with Drake, and then two cuts off the new record. He then teases the crowd with a snippet of “Not Like Us,” another track from the beef that went on to win Record and Song of the Year at the 2025 Grammy Awards. At that point, Kendrick said to the crowd that he wants to perform the track, but that he knows “they love to sue,” a reference to Drake’s litigation towards Lamar. With this line, it was clear that the topic still weighs heavy on Lamar’s mind. However, he abandoned the idea, and the song altogether, diving into performances of “Luther” and “All the Stars” with frequent collaborator and former labelmate SZA. Finally, Kendrick gave the people what they wanted and performed “Not Like Us” with Serena Williams crip-walking on stage with him. Whether this had anything to do with Drake (who used to date Williams) is irrelevant, but it was a cool moment for the two Compton natives to be out there together on the world’s biggest stage. Kendrick concluded with another recent hit, “TV Off,” and brought out the producer whose name became the track’s chorus, DJ Mustard, to dance with him as the set came to a close.
Once again, for those who are not a fan of Lamar and his style of music and performance, there honestly is not much here for them. Although there is no doubt that Lamar has his fair share of radio hits and top-charting songs, for one reason or another he chose to forgo those during the show and stick to the more recent releases. For the diehard Kendrick fans, this was yet another impeccable job by the artist. However, for the hundreds of millions of people watching that probably do not fit in that category, this was most likely not what they expected. Maybe there were a few converts who were impressed by his remarkable lyricism and moved by his message, but for some reason, it’s hard to imagine that too many people were in the state of mind to dissect political symbolism on Super Bowl Sunday. Go Birds!