Written by Edith Manfred. Photo courtesy of Creative Commons Free Malaysia Today.
Last weekend, on Feb. 9, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles faced off in the 59th Super Bowl in New Orleans. While of course there was the usual mix of running, hitting and throwing the football, I personally was invested in the halftime show. This year’s headliners were Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA — two of the biggest names in music and pop culture this year. Let’s give a before and after take on this year’s show and how Lamar will undeniably make history.
Before: Predictions
Kendrick Lamar is not known for subtle performances, especially coming off of his recent Grammy wins this past weekend, where he added four trophies to his already historic twenty-two Grammy wins. I watched the Drake vs. Kendrick rap battle of this past May with as much shock and enthusiasm as the next person and when I heard Lamar was headlining Super Bowl LIX, I was thrilled. The long term hype and recent Grammy win for Lamar’s single “Not Like Us” makes it highly likely that that song will be one of the biggest hits of the performance. My personal prediction is that Lamar will hold off on performing “Not Like Us” until the very end of the show when the hype is the greatest, and then pull it out to much excitement.
In the same vein, Kendrick Lamar is known for poignantly symbolic details in everything he does. His Grammys outfit of a “Canadian tuxedo” specifically poked fun at Drake’s Canadian background, and I predict that his halftime show outfit will be littered with disses, symbols and messaging. Not much is known about who he and SZA will wear but I’m confident that their wardrobes will make some noise.
Given that the Chiefs’ #1 fan Taylor Swift is predicted to be there as a spectator for her boyfriend and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, fans have predicted that she could make a guest appearance at the halftime show as a part of the performance. Swift was a main character in last year’s 2024 Super Bowl as it was her first year in connection with Kelce publicly and while the sparkle of the new couple may have worn off, I have no doubt that we’ll get more camera shots of Swift in her VIP box that I can count on one hand.
For the first time in Super Bowl history, the sitting US president will be in attendance – news that shocked the world when the White House announced it on Tuesday. This creates both excitement and hesitation for fans of differing political ideologies. As a viewer, I’m curious how much attention will be brought to President Trump’s attendance and if it will influence the broadcast’s messaging. One thing’s for sure: Taylor Swift fans are not pleased.
After: Reactions
Well, that surely did not disappoint. From the killer track list to the “game over” message in lights, the show was chock- full of detailed messaging and energy. The show was opened along the premise of “The Great American Game” with host extraordinaire Samuel L. Jackson playing Uncle Sam. His quips throughout the show reprimand Lamar for being “too loud” and “too ghetto,” highlighting the controversies and rich history of both the rap genre and Black History Month. Jackson was not the only guest performer, as SZA, Serena Williams and Mustard all made appearances.
From the surface level viewer’s perspective, the production design was on point. The exclusively red, white and blue outfits helped to build the “American Game” narrative as the dancers formed into an American flag, which then divided. The set was not as flashy as previous halftime show sets have been (note: Katy Perry’s sharks), but it told the story Lamar was narrating. I expected the GNX car that Lamar opened the show standing on to come back, but alas we didn’t get another sighting of the 1987 Buick GNX. The track list met my expectations, giving fans the hits they expected but also adding some lesser known tracks. “Not Like Us” was pulled out to much applause as fans yelled the lyrics that the clean version couldn’t include.
Lamar is not known for political subtlety and this show was no exception. The “American Game” premise had direct references to our current national political divide, which the show exemplified with the American flag of dancers who then split down the middle. Lamar indirectly called out President Trump, who was in attendance, and made no secret of how he thought the November 2024 election should have gone. TV viewers did not get as many Trump cameos as I personally had expected, but that was made up for in references and digs from Lamar.
Perhaps even more pointed than his political messaging was Lamar’s jabs aimed directly at Drake. If the May 2024 rap battle hadn’t given us enough hate between the two rappers, this show put the final nail in the coffin of their relationship. Elements of Drake’s past were rampant. Fans saw everything from Serena Williams, an alleged ex-girlfriend, dancing the Crip Walk to Lamar calling out Drake’s lawsuit against him in regards to performing “Not Like Us.” While I respect a good rap battle and enjoy seeing fans united over a cultural moment, I was not thrilled about the promotion of negativity and villainizing a fellow musician. Though Drake entirely may deserve it, I believe there’s fewer and fewer cultural moments that we as a whole society get to share. It might be considered a far too idyllic idea, but I wish that events like the Super Bowl halftime show could be a moment for us to all unify over music and not be divided further, even if that division is not politically charged. However, I know that this may be too bucolic an ideal because like everyone else watching, I thought the show was thrilling.
When Lamar asks, “Are we locked in?” my answer is most definitely “yes.”
Edith is a Documentary Photography major with a minor in Art History, as well as a part of Cross Country and Track & Field teams. Outside of writing and taking photos for District, you’ll probably find her running long distances on the streets of Savannah, updating her blog, or talking about that new podcast she just listened to… again.
