For the non-Eagles fan, this past Super Bowl was underwhelming in many ways. The game was a blowout from start to finish, the commercials were disappointing, the commentating was dull and the only universally positive statement the average fan could walk away with was: “At least the Chiefs didn’t win again.” However, in this sea of mediocrity, one thing caught the eye of most viewers: Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance. In fact, the show became the most viewed Super Bowl halftime performance in history with 133.5 million concurrent viewers (a three percent increase from Usher’s record halftime show last year).
Aesthetically, the performance met all the marks. From the song choices, SZA’s guest feature,
the choreography and even Mustard’s random appearance, creativity was evident throughout — even to nonfans of rap. The show was well thought out, and its game plan was clearly executed (something Kansas City could learn from).
Lamar — unlike the game’s commentators and commercials — had something meaningful to say. Underneath the visual and auditory expressiveness of the performance was a crafted message to the global audience: We’re still here, don’t neglect us. The performance was widely viewed as a musical narration depicting the regulation of Black voices in America.
Playing the part of Uncle Sam, actor Samuel L. Jackson was the regulator during the performance, at one point mockingly criticizing Lamar by saying: “Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto … Mr. Lamar, do you really know how to play the game?”
While “Uncle Sam’s” rebukes were delivered satirically, the rest of the performance demonstrated to the audience that the words carried quite a bit of truth. Dancers forming a broken American flag with Lamar in the center was one of many images that added to the social commentary of his performance as a whole: This music, these voices, are being dismissed as “too ghetto,” and Lamar is trying to show why that must change.
Not everything was subtle. At one point, Lamar told us exactly what was occurring: “It’s a cultural divide … this is bigger than the music.” He made sure that his performance backed up these words, continuing to tell the story of oppressed Americans through song and dance while dissing Drake in the process. Even though he opted out of singing some of his more famous songs from earlier years, Lamar chose to have the performance culminate with “Not Like Us,” the song that won five Grammy awards this past season.
This stylistic choice showcased the often quieted voices in America, implicitly revealing to the audience once again: We have a voice, don’t forget that.
In a sporting event that is bigger than the sport itself, Lamar’s musical performance was also bigger than the music itself. At a performance where President Donald Trump was present, there were lines within Lamar’s show that teased at America’s current political atmosphere and extended past the purely musical criticisms of the performance.
It’s hard to gauge whether or not Lamar covets being the social messenger of the show’s subject matter, given he started off by saying “You picked the right time but the wrong guy.” This line is preceded by the words “the revolution is about to be televised,” a reference to the song “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” by Gil Scott-Heron and the album “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back” by Public Enemy. Both works are critical of the role of media in creating imaginary worlds that are unconducive to meaningful political and social change.
The flipping of the saying “the revolution will not be televised” to “the revolution is about to be televised” is an open acknowledgment of the fact that Lamar is engaging with the mainstream media by playing at the Super Bowl, as well as a deviation from the path of his predecessors. Doing so is an attempt to potentially spark or create an environment for significant social and political change. This could explain why he ended the performance with the line “TV off” — he is urging the audience to realize that the themes of his performance are what people should focus on, not the Super Bowl and the imaginary worlds created by the media.
This year’s halftime show is just another example of Lamar’s status as a renowned artist. Maybe he wants to inspire significant political and social change. Maybe his performance was meant merely as more trash talk directed towards Drake. Either way, one can be almost certain that his music will continue to inspire conversation after delivering such a sophisticated performance.
Sebastian Groom PO ’26 is a Broncos fan, meaning he was relieved but not ecstatic to see the Eagles win the Super Bowl. While he isn’t in Kendrick Lamar’s top 1% of listeners on Spotify, he likes to think of himself as an admirer of Lamar’s work. He also has an uncle named Sam!
Freddie Ambrose PO ’27 is a Lions fan, recovering from the end of the greatest season he has ever been alive for and the ultimate disappointment of that season’s ending. He is also an avid Kendrick Lamar fan, consistently listening to him more than any other artist.
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