Kendrick Lamar played a diverse and sweeping set for his Super Bowl halftime show performance, with digs at Drake interspersed with duets with SZA.
The Compton rapper (his hometown getting a shoutout and potential further nod with his outfit) showed off his slick lyrical flow in the opening part of the 13-minute set, with deeper cuts and songs from his 2024 album GNX.
But around ad-libs from Samuel L Jackson, with the actor dressed up as Uncle Sam, Lamar began to weave in some of his hits and did not shy away from his spat with Drake.
On Not Like Us, Lamar called him a “paedophile” at the height of their feud last summer.
And while the offending word was not called out at the Super Bowl (though fans in the audience sang it), the song’s performance amid a legal battle was another blow to his Canadian rival, who is already suing Lamar for defamation.
On the field, the Philadelphia Eagles took a resounding 40-22 win to stop the Kansas City Chiefs winning their third Super Bowl on the bounce.
Headlines were also taken with Donald Trump becoming the first US president to attend the climax of the NFL season. The Eagles-heavy crowd inside New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome also booed the watching Taylor Swift, girlfriend of Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce.
But it was perhaps Drake who had a worse night than anyone, especially with his ex-girlfriend Serena Williams crip walking alongside dancers in support of Lamar.
Here is how the performance took shape.
Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show setlist
All of the tracks were shortened to allow Lamar to squeeze them into his 13-minute set.
Bodies
Up first, Lamar rapped an unreleased and unknown song acapella. The track has been heard in forms before and has been called Bodies on Lamar fan forums.
Squabble Up
A hit from GNX, Lamar delivered this bop after climbing down from the roof of the rare car which gave the album its name.
Humble
A big hit from his album Damn, Lamar hit his stride with Humble – performed alongside dancers who formed the American flag in his wake.
DNA
The full expanse of Lamar’s set design was shown off as he quickly rapped through this fan favourite.
Euphoria
One of the Drake diss tracks released last summer was preparation for what was to come.
Man at the Garden
A newer track that was given its live debut at the Super Bowl and performed in favour of Lamar classics such as King Kunta and Bitch, Don’t Kill Me Vibe.
Peekaboo
Another cut from GNX getting its live debut, Lamar teased a few chords from Not Like Us before launching into this one.
Luther (with SZA)
SZA entered the arena to join the rapper for Luther, which was another GNX track and a recent single.
All the Stars
Another SZA feature, this one from the Black Panther soundtrack, was the first performance since 2019.
Not Like Us
And finally, after some speculation and rumoured legal implications, Lamar delivered his knockout blow to Drake.
TV Off
Joined by his producer, Mustard, Lamar brought the curtain down with a radio friendly anthem to please his followers.
