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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Bryan Kalbrosky

Super Bowl halftime show review: Kendrick Lamar televised the revolution, and it was utterly brilliant

Kendrick Lamar was one of the most anticipated Super Bowl halftime show performers in recent memory and he lived up to the hype and then some.

After winning multiple awards at the Grammys for his hit Drake diss track “Not Like Us” last week, the rapper took the stage for one of the biggest performances in the world at the Superdome in New Orleans.

Following his beef with Drake, we had several predictions for what his set list and guest performers could potentially look like.

SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW SET LIST: What songs did Kendrick Lamar perform?

Starting with an introduction from Samuel L. Jackson, the rapper performed from atop a GNX vehicle on the stage. The intensity built as his first backup dancers hopped out from the car.

With a song from his latest album, Lamar got the crowd feeling alive with “Squabble Up” as the beat rocked through the Superdome. Jackson, in a recurring appearance, continued to play host in an traditional Americana outfit dressed like Uncle Sam.

Fans saw fists in the air from some of the dancers as they formed their own version of the American flag. They also got to see a dancing Serena Williams.

K-Dot then went into a rendition of “Loyalty” as he continued bringing all of his intensity in his facial expressions and dance moves. He also performed a few of his newer songs like “Peekaboo” from the new record before teasing a rendition of “Not Like Us” (but not actually going for it quite yet).

Kendrick instead played “Luther” as his special guest, SZA, first took the stage. She had a beautiful performance as she sang her part of the song and danced alongside the rapper.

He then performed from a rotating stage that resembled a record table as SZA continued to stun as well. Jackson joked that it was “nice and calm” for all of the American fans as the beat of “Not Like Us” was teased yet again.

Once he finally went for it and played the hit diss track, it was fully brilliant and worth the wait.

While he didn’t say the word that he typically says after “certified” on TV, he got the entire crowd to chant “a minor” in unison. There is no way that Drake was not in shambles by this point.

KENDRICK LAMAR: Why he screams MUSTARD! and it became a meme, explained

He then transitioned into “TV Off” as Mustard, his iconic producer, joined him on the stage.

Kendrick did such a great job of performing for the television audience at home without doing too much fanfare or anything too over-the-top. It was well within his means, it was simple, and it successfully accomplished quite exactly what it set out to do.

This is one that football fans and music fans will both remember for a long time.

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