Kendrick Lamar brought Compton, California to the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. The rapper’s performance at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome was filled with songs from his recent album GNX as well as tracks from DAMN. Of course, he also played his smash single “Not Like Us.” Once again, Apple Music served as the halftime show sponsor.
Lamar’s performance began with an introduction from the actor Samuel L. Jackson, who was dressed as Uncle Sam. After Jackson introduced the set as “the great American game,” Lamar began his set with a performance of “Bodies” and “Squabble Up” off GNX. He was joined by a series of backup dancers who emerged from the titular Buick Grand National GNX as if it were a clown car.
Throughout the performance, Lamar and his dancers moved between four stages. From above, the stages resembled a Playstation controller. According to reporting in Wired, the intended effect was to convey a cohesive vehicle for storytelling. “Dave Free and Kendrick are really into keeping things clean and minimal,” creative director Mike Carson told Wired. “So we went with a monochromatic concrete look and allowed the video game motif to come alive through dialogue, lighting, choreography, and music.”
The performance’s choreography echoed these straightforward designs. During a snippet of “Humble” off DAMN., a crew of backup dancers clad in red, white, and blue outfits formed the shape of the American flag. Lamar was joined by his longtime collaborator SZA for renditions of GNX’s “Luther” and their Black Panther soundtrack collaboration, “All the Stars.”
After teasing “Not Like Us” midway through the set, Lamar finally unleashed the legendary diss-track. Tennis superstar Serena Williams made a cameo appearance, dancing to the massive hit as the audience sang along to the chorus. DJ Mustard, the producer of “Not Like Us,” ran onto the field as Lamar launched into GNX favorite “TV Off.” In a perfectly synchronized moment, the rapper repeated the line “Turn his TV off” as the stadium and viewer’s screens went black. The camera then zoomed out to show the words “Game over” written with lights in the crowd.
Lamar is the first rapper to ever headline the Super Bowl halftime show by himself. In 2022, he appeared at the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Mary J. Blige.
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