Kendrick Lamar has officially been announced as the headliner for the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show. Super Bowl LIX is set to take place on February 9th, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
This performance will actually mark his second appearance at halftime of the biggest championship game in sports today. Lamar participated in the 2022 show alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and 50 Cent.
The announcement was made by the NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation, with Lamar himself confirming the news through a video on social media.
“My name’s Kendrick Lamar and I’ll be performing at Super Bowl LIX,” he said in the promotional video. “Will you be pulling up? I hope so. You know, there’s only one opportunity to win a championship. No round 2’s.”
It’s good he introduced himself, as we’re certain a number of NFL fans of a slightly older generation have no clue who he is.
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Who Is This Season’s Super Bowl Halftime Performer, Kendrick Lamar?
Kendrick Lamar might have been a bit of a surprise selection for the Super Bowl halftime performance. He has not released a new album since 2022’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.
He has, however, had a significant year with his track “Not Like Us” gaining traction, partly due to a high-profile musical feud with rapper Drake. The song is a diss track for the perpetually sports-cursed Drake.
His selection for the Super Bowl performance showcases Lamar’s continued influence in hip-hop. Further, it continues the trend of culturally significant artists headlining the event, an effort by the NFL to draw in viewers who have little to no interest in the actual game, thereby making it more of a societal happening than something strictly for sports fans.
Kendrick Lamar emerged as one of the most influential figures in hip-hop during the 2010s. His lyrics and intricate storytelling ability have often been compared to legendary hip-hop figures like Tupac Shakur and Nas.
His career took a significant leap with the release of his major label debut album Good Kid, M.A.A.d City in 2012, which was both a critical and commercial success.
Super Bowl LIX. New Orleans.https://t.co/RwqVLDGdgf
— Kendrick Lamar (@kendricklamar) September 8, 2024
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Is Everybody On Board?
Still, Kendrick Lamar has his detractors in the world of sports commentary. Sports analyst Jason Whitlock previously denounced Lamar’s appearance at the Super Bowl in 2022.
“(G)angsta rappers are not appropriate for Super Bowl halftime,” Whitlock said.
His music, Whitlock suggested, is more appropriate to “be ingested in the privacy of your headphones.” Hopefully, the rap artist will clean up his act, as most musicians do, for the halftime show.
Lamar’s music frequently delves into themes of social issues, personal growth, and the complexities of African American life in the United States. Albums like “To Pimp a Butterfly” (2015) and “DAMN.” (2017) further solidified his reputation in the music business, with the latter winning the Pulitzer Prize for Music.
Aside from winning the Pulitzer – the first musician outside of the classical and jazz genres to be honored in such a manner – Lamar has taken home 17 Grammy Awards.
Still, missing yet another opportunity to bring in Metallica or AC/DC for the Super Bowl halftime show is practically a sin that the NFL just keeps committing.
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