Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show stuns with powerful commentary and raw vocals

For most Super Bowl halftime show performers, the objective is to showcase their abilities, promote new albums or crowd-please with their greatest hits. For Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar, the halftime show was much more. In his own words, “This is bigger than the music.”

Breaking up a stunning Super Bowl victory by the Philadelphia Eagles, Lamar brought a mix of new and old hits together to create an inspiring, politically-charged performance. Surrounded by dancers choreographed to resemble the American flag, Lamar delivered a coordinated, clear message against anti-Black hate and violence. Actor Samuel L. Jackson featured in the show as a rendition of Uncle Sam, foregrounding the songs with declarations that America wants “nice and calm” while calling Lamar’s coordinated, raw performance of “Squabble Up” “too loud, too reckless, too ghetto.”

Lamar is no stranger to this level of storytelling, but it was refreshing to see his talent brought to full force during such an uncertain and tumultuous political time. The stereotype of African Americans being loud and violent has persisted for decades, bleeding into the personal and professional lives of Black people nationwide. Despite this, it’s rare to see commentary on these issues allowed to be broadcast to millions of viewers worldwide. 

Politics aside, Lamar’s live performance skills rank among the best of modern-day rappers. Even with the fast pace and heightened energy of the Super Bowl, every word — and the accompanying message — was clear. A medley of cleverly-arranged, newer songs, combined with fan favorites like “HUMBLE.” and “DNA.,” made for an engaging, memorable performance, especially given the limited theatrics and special effects.

Apart from Jackson’s performance, the show was admittedly lacking in the star power audiences tend to expect out of a Super Bowl. The last few years have seen a number of featured performers, but most artists have opted for more extravagant, whirlwind performances. Lamar took the opposite approach, focusing on strong vocals and visually striking choreography with only one musical feature: Frequent collaborator SZA made a brief appearance for two songs, “All the Stars” and “luther,” ultimately giving an unremarkable performance in comparison to Lamar. 

Of course, though, Lamar did give the people what they wanted. After teasing “Not Like Us” throughout — even remarking “I wanna play their favorite song” — Lamar finally performed the Grammy-winning hit, bringing out all-star tennis player and Drake’s former girlfriend Serena Williams to dance along to the diss track.

Lamar stuck to his roots, delivering a bold performance on the biggest stage. In spite of challenging political circumstances, Lamar reinforced the ideas and beliefs of his music through a riveting and flawless vocal performance. Even the strongest performers have fumbled at the Super Bowl, and watching Kendrick Lamar succeed would delight any fan, new or old.