Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance on February 9 was far more than a musical production––with each gesture and visual element, Lamar carefully crafted a political statement. At an event emblematic of mainstream American culture, he challenged the status quo and urged viewers to reconsider the narratives of race and power in contemporary America.
The show began with a striking image of Samuel L. Jackson, dressed as Uncle Sam, introducing "the great American game.” The stage design–featuring platforms shaped like PlayStation controller buttons–implied that surviving in America is similar to playing a game. This metaphor was reinforced by Jackson's interjections throughout the performance, asking if Lamar knew how to "play the game" and praising him for more "nice" and "calm" songs. These interruptions symbolized the policing of Black voices in mainstream media and the pressure to conform to societal expectations.
In the initial stages of his performance, Lamar teased the audience with snippets of his controversial diss track aimed at fellow musician Drake, titled “Not Like Us.” By including this song, Lamar brought his personal feuds and critiques of the music industry onto America's biggest stage. The line "I play their song but know they want to sue" was an allusion to the ongoing legal battle between Drake and Universal Music Group. In doing so, he highlights the complexities of artistic expression and corporate interests.
When he sang his hit song “HUMBLE.,” the choreography featured an all-Black group of dancers in red, white, and blue jumpsuits arranging themselves into an American flag split down the center with Lamar positioned at the dividing line. The flag’s segmentation was a direct commentary on America’s fractured identity. This presentation highlighted how national unity often masks persistent racial and socioeconomic discrimination and disparities. This stark image set the tone for the show, urging viewers to question the completeness of the American promise.
During a snippet of an unreleased song, Lamar perched on a 1987 Buick GNX, paying homage to his West Coast hip-hop roots. Additionally, the majority of the choreography was movements inspired by Compton's street dance styles, including a special cameo of Serena Williams performing the Crip Walk–a dance rooted in Compton's history. These choices celebrated the rich cultural contributions of the Black community while also challenging mainstream perceptions of urban art forms.
Lamar's performance also included a reference to "40 acres and a mule," a broken promise made to freed slaves after the Civil War. By incorporating this historical allusion and declaring "this is bigger than the music," Lamar connected his art to the ongoing struggle for racial justice and equality in America.
Lamar's choice to end the show with "tv off" from his new album GNX, followed by a "GAME OVER" sign illuminating the stadium, was a powerful final statement. This conclusion urged viewers to disengage from the corporate media machine and unite against oppressive power structures, which was a bold message delivered considering the presence of the current President and millions of viewers.
By weaving together historical references, personal feuds, and critiques of American society, Lamar created a performance that was both artistically compelling and politically charged, and challenged viewers to confront the complexities of race, power, and identity in contemporary America.