All eyes are on the Super Bowl LIX, not just for the game, but for the Halftime Show as well, which might most likely cement Kendrick Lamar’s status as an exceptional artist after his record-breaking year of 2024. Following in the footsteps of icons like Prince, Beyoncé, and his own cameo at Dr. Dre’s spectacle in 2022, it’s not really a question of whether he’ll deliver, but just how historic this moment could become.
Some of the framework is pretty clear: the show will be 15 minutes long max, high power performance can be expected, and the stage design better be bombastic to look good in the stadium as well as on TV screens. But which tracks will be make the setlist? Which surprise guests will K. Dot pull out of his (L.A. Dodgers) hat? And at which point will he play THAT song? Let’s – with this rather being a wishlist than actual predictions – take a look into the metaphorical crystal ball:
Mustaaaaard!
That’s an easy one: “TV Off” is basically guaranteed to be performed – even if just for the (DJ) ‘Mustaaaaard’ shoutout-turned-meme to the eponymous producer of the track. The only question is: how will it be played?
Given the football game scenario, the instrumental is perfect for being interpolated by a marching band – most likely an HBCU marching band álà Beyoncé at Coachella, and/ or from New Orleans vs. Kendrick’s hometown of L.A. Kendrick’s tightrope act of paying tribute to the host city of New Orleans while never not representing Cali will be interesting to watch either way.
Cameos
Is the Halftime Show even a Halftime Show without guest appearances? Some are practically set: SZA was basically announced as a musical guest in the NFL’s latest teaser, pouring a bucket of Gatorade over Kendrick. His “Like That” collaborators Future and Metro Boomin are pretty likely too, and so are his cousin Baby Keem and either former Top Dawg label mates as Jay Rock or Doechii – even if just with one adlib.
There’s a (pun intended) lil’ problem though: Virtual comment sections and hip hop podcasts have been bursting over with “Why isn’t Weezy headlining a New Orleans Super Bowl?” since Kendrick was announced as doing so. So either an actual guest or an homage to NOLA’s rich hip hop history is very likely. Will it be the aforementioned Lil’ Wayne? Juvenile and Mannie Fresh, as well as Master P, would also be perfectly iconic for the city. And since New Orleans is a jazz stronghold: what about hometown hero Jon Batiste, as a guest for a track of Kendrick’s jazz-infused “To Pimp a Butterfly” album?
Here’s our guess for the NOLA discussion: Kendrick sprinkles in the “Back That Azz Thang Up” instrumental by Juvenile/ Mannie Fresh/ Lil’ Wayne – arguably one of the most iconic New Orleans songs ever – done with the help of Jon Batiste, who has already done this prominently in the past. Because if there’s one thing Kendrick has always managed to do in the past, it’s creating pop culture moments while not forgetting the culture.
Poetic Justice
Lamar was never one to shy away from addressing societal issues in his work, so it’s plausible he will weave themes of (social) justice or cultural reflection into his performance. Entering the chat: Janet Jackson – one of the higher ranking (literal) bets for guest appearances. By bringing her out, could Kendrick be making a statement against her unequal treatment (in stark contrast to Justin Timberlake) after Super Bowl XXXVIII’s N*pplegate in 2004? Literally “Poetic Justice”, so to say?
If so, the song of choice is clear: His 2012 track ‘Poetic Justice’ samples the legendary singer’s “Any Time, Any Place”, while his song’s title is a nod to Janet’s 1993 movie Poetic Justice as the single’s cover depicts her and co-star 2Pac in a scene from the movie. Side note: The track also features Drake, who most likely will be left out because duh.
Spoilt for Choice
It’s a simple fact that Kendrick’s performance can’t exceed the maximum of 15 minutes – so he will have to leave out essential songs from his career of over 20 years. But which ones? The thing is: a Halftime Show always serves as a promotional tool – it’s not as if the performers and their record labels wouldn’t have to dig deep into their own pockets for it. Given last year’s hype, theoretically everyone knows the rapper’s current works. So he could introduce ‘them’ to deeper into his earlier catalogue. We’re talking about “Section.80” and top Dawg posse tracks.
The emphasis is on ‘theoretically everyone knows Kendrick’ though: In the USA and to everyone slightly into hip hop, Kendrick is a megastar. But not necessarily outside of it. Last year’s Super Bowl was watched by a combined 62.5 million people in more than 100 countries outside of the USA, according to the NFL.
Kendrick probably wouldn’t want to pass up the chance of catching those people’s ears too – and the numbers say his biggest mainstream appeal was during his “Damn” and “GNX” album eras. Will there still be a career-spanning retrospective too though? We definitely hope for it, even if just sprinkled in via a couple of bars from older tracks.
Grand Opening/ Grand Closing?
Here comes the big one: Where in the set will “Not Like Us” be put, arguably the most talked-about hip hop track of the past year? It’s crystal clear that it will be performed, given its popularity and the track being a perennial favorite at sports events. Besides, the track was already prominently featured in promotional materials for the event, so even Drake’s defamation lawsuit didn’t help.
Of course, the track will have to be ‘defused’ – see above – not only due to recently issued guidelines from the State of Louisiana. It has to be altered to as-family-friendly-as-possible. So the only question remains, when he will play it. Using it as the intro is highly unlikely, because everyone is waiting for it. One doesn’t let a momentum like this burst right away. If it drops as the finale though, it’s risky too:
There’s a chance that anyone who didn’t known K. Dot before (see “Spoilt for Choice”) could remember him as “the guy who apparently didn’t like Drake” after his performance. That’s why we’re betting on a placement in the last quarter of the Halftime Show, but not as the last song: something more positive is needed. It remains exciting.
