Kendrick Lamar performed the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show tonight at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome. After a special introduction by actor Samuel L. Jackson dressed as Uncle Sam, the Compton rapper opened with “Bodies”—which first appeared in the teaser for GNX—while standing atop the album cover’s car and segued into “Squabble Up,” among a number of other hits in medley form. Watch a replay of the halftime show below.
Jackson returned to the field to criticize Lamar for being “too ghetto” and told him to “tighten up,” causing Lamar to launch into “Humble” while backup dancers dressed in red, white, and blue outfits danced around him in a formation resembling the American flag. He also broke out “DNA” and “Euphoria” while walking all over a mock field and past an enormous light post. Jackson took shots at Lamar once again, calling his crew a “culture cheat code.”
Red lights lit up a box as Lamar performed “Man at the Garden,” dancers continuing to circle around, and he strut about the relatively plain stage design. As he started to launch into “Peekaboo,” Lamar took the opportunity to briefly tease “Not Like Us” before stopping it short.
As revealed in advance, his longtime collaborator SZA joined him on the field to perform together, singing “Luther” and “All the Stars.” Patriotic apparel sparkling, Jackson hopped back in front of the camera to finally praise Lamar, yelling, “That’s what America wants! Nice and calm!”
The hook from “Not Like Us” started to play over the speakers again, and backup dancers in black-and-red bobs asked the rapper if he really was about to do this. “This is bigger than the music,” said Lamar. “They tried to fight it, but you can’t fake influence.” Backup dancers moved around him in rotating circles while tennis legend Serena Williams danced side-stage to the massive hit – including while Lamar and the crowd sang the diss track’s infamous, lawsuit-prompting line.
To close out the rapid-fire set, DJ Mustard ran onstage and threw his arm around Lamar as GNX’s breakout song “TV Off”—and its immediately memed moment of Lamar screaming his name—blasted over the speakers. In perfect sync, the Compton rapper repeated the line “Turn his TV off” right as the stadium, and consequently viewers’ TV screens, went black.
Lamar’s company with Dave Free, pgLang, handled the creative direction for the halftime show performance. Diversified Production Services served as producers for the halftime show telecast with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and Jesse Collins as executive producers, Hamish Hamilton as director, and Roc Nation acting “as the strategic entertainment advisor of the live performance.”
