"The revolution will be televised, you picked the right time, but the wrong guy" might just sum up Kendrick Lamar and SZA's Super Bowl halftime show in a nutshell, whether in a positive or negative light. By now, you've probably seen all the glamorous praise and scathing critique thrown in the face of Sunday's (February 9) spectacle. Stans and cooler heads alike have a lot to say about K.Dot's messaging, stage setup, performance, and decisions, and while it definitely could've been better in our view, you can't say that it wasn't consistent with what the Compton lyricist previewed in both preceding press and throughout his killer catalog.
In fact, there are even amazing moments tied to this Super Bowl halftime show that go beyond Kendrick Lamar and SZA. Philly rapper and producer Ghais Guevara's "The Old Guard Is Dead" preluded and finalized the performance, and hearing the Goyard Ibn Said highlight was the most welcome surprise of the night. The heavy context of the world also shrouded the Caesars Superdome, whether it was the United States' newly elected and convicted president watching it all go down or the plight of the people of Palestine and Sudan. However, throughout the pgLang creative's slot, there were plenty of moments that seemed to engage with this contrast, bring hip-hop to a grand stage in the purest form possible, and have a whole lot of fun in the process.
Samuel L. Jackson As Uncle Sam & "The Great American Game"
Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show began with Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam, who introduced the crowd to "The Great American Game." Moreover, that idea came through in the stage design emulating the buttons on a PlayStation controller, which many interpreted as a symbol for the rap game or for life as a Black person in the United States. A row of street lamps adorned the space in between each of the four shapes, and dancers dressed in red, white, and blue to form the United States flag. They united, turned away from each other, dispersed, and came back together again, and many have debated just how intentional and pointed this choreography is. Nevertheless, it all works together to paint Kendrick's picture of the limitations that a system can place on his community, identity, and expression.
Seeing Uncle Sam in particular was an amazing moment for Kendrick Lamar fans, as it evoked the similar messaging on To Pimp A Butterfly that comments on the former TDE rapper's place as a Black man in the public eye. But now more than ever, Kendrick is in control. He makes sure to not just emulate his environment in the stage setup, but also show how he can shift from "too reckless" to "nice and calm." Maybe that's part of the problem that critics have with the performance, but one of the strengths behind it is a simple allegory that mostly seeks authenticity in hip-hop's presentation to the world. After all, this is the man who wants to watch the party die. As such, this nod to Mr. Morale's earlier catalog and its straightforward presentation is the kind of blunt force that we expected from this show.
GNX Live
Ahead of Kendrick Lamar and SZA's "Grand National" stadium tour later this year, it was great to hear some GNX favorites come to life, even if others understandably wanted more classic picks for the setlist. Nevertheless, their duet on "luther" was gorgeous to witness, and Kendrick's previous emphasis on the current moment and on trying new things comes through very clearly in his selection. "squabble up" formally gives viewers their first hit in boisterous fashion, "euphoria" shocked us all as the first Drake shot, the doo-wop rendition of "man at the garden" with the "homeboys" on a street corner was probably the best musical moment of the show, "peekaboo" was charismatic, and "tv off" was beautifully confident.
Still, Kendrick Lamar should've shouted the "Mustard" line along with all of us, so there are some elements about these new cuts that could've used a rethink. But for the most part, this was a very different Super Bowl halftime show than what people expect, which opened up a debate around this setlist's recency bias in particular. Nostalgia often carries in situations like these, but with more tickets to sell for the "Grand National" tour, this was also a moment to show the hit potential behind these cuts in a live setting. A lot of this felt pointed towards the future rather than the past, at least when talking about pure song choice. That's exciting in its own way, and an underrated aspect of this performance.
"Not Like Us" Meta Moment
On the other hand, there are the Drake allusions during this Super Bowl halftime show that, for better or worse, are too spicy to ignore. Is Kendrick Lamar's "a" chain really about Drizzy or is it just emulating the pgLang logo? You'd be surprised at how many people swear by the former. Serena Williams' cameo alongside SZA to represent The Boy's exes was another hot online narrative (and also much more than that), and the TPAB-allusive skit with female dancers teasing "Not Like Us" – which didn't stop Kendrick from fully diving in minutes later – was a creatively petty inclusion. It feels odd to see someone double down so hard and for so many people to witness and cheer for it, but that's part of what he wanted to bring to the world's biggest stage: A return to the competitive spirit of rap.
When you hear Kendrick Lamar talk about this whole moment in his Apple Music interview before the Super Bowl, that idea resonates much more clearly than any Drake issue. Add the UMG lawsuit on top of that and you have too perfect of an opportunity to pass up on, especially if you want to represent the most raw and pure form of hip-hop possible within the constraints of a machine like the NFL. Some may see this as corny or obsessed, and others will likely point to Drake's continued future success as a rebuttal to the "Game Over" proclamation. But that victory rings true in the rap space, and Dot cares about little else. His biggest record in years isn't just catchy or accessible. It's as grimy as a hit diss track could be, and a feat to spotlight.
Kendrick Lamar's New Music
With all that said, though, by far the best part of this Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl halftime show was hearing all the new music and renditions that we've never heard before. Or at least, not to the same extent. We heard an extended version of the "Bodies" snippet from the GNX trailer, plus some vibrant interludes, extended outros, and different renditions of most of the songs in the setlist. That "Bodies" tease in particular carries a similarly combative and royal energy when stacked up with the rest of his new album, and it fuels existing fan theories that we will get a new album relatively soon. Regardless of whether or not that pans out, it's still very compelling to see all the pieces come together.
On the topic of new music, right before "Not Like Us," Kendrick Lamar spits some extra bars that almost serve as an addendum to the Drake battle and his run over the past year or so. This is after already teasing him for the lawsuit and framing this as a rebellious move, however sanitary, sanctioned, or sucked-up. "It's a cultural divide, I'ma get it on the flow / 40 acres and a mule, this is bigger than the music / They tried to rig the game, but you can't fake influence." As simple as it may be, hearing unique elements to this musical odyssey etches it as a moment in time, and it made the atmosphere around this historic moment much more lively, spontaneous, and above all, celebratory of hip-hop culture.
