Super Bowl Halftime Show Review
Kendrick Lamar, The DAMN. Tour. July 22, 2017 (Photo Attribution: Wikimedia Commons) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Every year, when the Super Bowl comes around, millions of people tune in for football, but millions also watch for the iconic halftime show. Famous performances such as Coldplay (2016), Michael Jackson (1993), and Dr. Dre with Friends (2022) have captured audiences across the globe during the extended thirty-minute halftime break. In September 2024, it was announced that Kendrick Lamar would lead the halftime show for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Louisiana. After a year in which he dropped a surprise album GNX, beefed with Drake, and won five Grammys, the whole country heavily anticipated Lamar’s performance. So when the lights dimmed at the Caesars Superdome, everyone held a collective breath as the beat dropped and the spotlight shone down on Kendrick Lamar.
Beginning with a GNX freestyle, the short act was a good introduction to the show, as dancers moved out of the car Kendrick Lamar was standing on top of, setting up for the second act of the show. A smooth transition into his recent hit song, “squabble up,” was supported by incredible flashing light effects before Samuel L. Jackson interrupted, calling it “too reckless.” He then transitioned it to Kendrick Lamar’s renowned song from his 2017 album Damn, titled “Humble,” accompanied by a terrific dance number in which the American flag (made by the dancers dressed in red, white, and blue) was taken apart and then put back together by the dancers. It was followed quickly by his other hit from Damn, “DNA,” and then his first Drake diss track, “Euphoria,” which both combined phenomenally. This was followed by another Samuel L. Jackson interruption before Lamar appeared in the middle of an X diagram for the second half of the performance.
The second half of the performance started with a song from his new album GNX, which has gone viral on social media due to its catchy beat, known as “peekaboo.” While other tracks in the performance had lackluster choreography, this act timed it to perfection, colliding with the track incredibly well. Lamar then began teasing, “Not Like Us,” named record of the year at the Grammys this year, during a quick interval, gearing the audience up for the song’s inevitable performance. However, the next song was instead “Luther,” followed by “All The Stars,” both of which he performed alongside the wonderfully talented SZA. The crowd then erupted as the beat to “Not Like Us” began, launching a performance in which Serena Williams appeared dancing, Kendrick Lamar gave a viral smile at the camera when talking about Drake, and the crowd yelled, “A Minor!” when Lamar sang the iconic line. He was then joined by producer Mustard for the final song of the show, “TV Off,” capping the show off by walking off into the darkness.
Overall, I have conflicting thoughts about the performance, but it was one of the better Super Bowl halftime performances in recent years. Highlights for me were the appearances of SZA, the performance of “Not Like Us,” and the interruptions from Samuel L. Jackson that provided a storyline of sorts for the performance. However, I did feel that the performance was too centered around the anticipation for “Not Like Us.” The anticipation, along with Lamar’s teasing of the song, took away from the other songs performed. Additionally, the choreography became repetitive at some points, as it seemed for the last few tracks they were merely running up and down the stage. I would say that Kendrick Lamar’s performance was a solid 7.5/10. In terms of Super Bowl halftimes, I’d rank it between Dr. Dre and Friends (2022) and Coldplay (2016).