15 Feb Super Bowl LIX Halftime: Kendrick Lamar’s Spectacle

On 9 February 2025, Kendrick Lamar took the stage at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans – delivering a halftime show instantly ranked among the top five Super Bowl performances of all time. Twenty minutes. Eight songs. Three surprise guests. And one moment that brought the internet to a standstill.

Key Highlights

• Kendrick Lamar headlined the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans
• The setlist spanned tracks from DAMN. (2017) to GNX (2024) – including the viral diss track “Not Like Us”
• SZA, Mustard, and Serena Williams made surprise appearances
• Social media hailed the performance as one of the greatest halftime shows in history

The Caesars Superdome: New Orleans as the Perfect Backdrop

New Orleans and the Super Bowl – a love story that began in 1970. For the 11th time, the city hosted the world’s largest single-sport event. The Caesars Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints, seats 73,000 spectators and gave Kendrick Lamar the stage he needed: massive, thunderous, and acoustically immersive – every beat physically palpable.

The Setlist: From GNX to DAMN. and Back

Kendrick opened with the title track from his latest album, GNX – a bold statement that made one thing clear: This was no nostalgia act. Right after came squabble up, also from GNX, driven by an aggressive beat that shook the Superdome to its foundations.

Then came the pivot to classics: HUMBLE. and DNA. from the 2017 album DAMN. – the two songs that had catapulted Kendrick into a different artistic stratosphere. The crowd knew every bar. Camera cuts revealed what was happening even in the VIP boxes: Everyone was on their feet, moving in unison.

Interspersed throughout were euphoria and peekaboo – two deeper album cuts underscoring his stylistic range. The halftime show wasn’t a greatest-hits jukebox; it was a carefully curated arc tracing Kendrick’s artistic evolution.

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By Lena Schmidt
Read more: How Kendrick’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Redefined Hip-Hop Spectacle

SZA: The Musical Highlight

When SZA took the stage, the Superdome erupted. She performed luther (from Kendrick Lamar’s GNX album) alongside All the Stars – the track recorded for the 2018 Black Panther soundtrack. “All the Stars” was the emotional peak of the show: SZA’s voice, Kendrick’s energy, 73,000 spectators, and a light choreography that transformed the Superdome into a starfield.

Not Like Us: The Moment Everyone’s Talking About

Then it arrived – the song everyone had been waiting for, yet no one was sure he’d actually perform. Not Like Us, the track that ignited hip-hop’s biggest feud of 2024 with Drake. Kendrick performed it – and did so with a grin straight into the camera.

What followed became the evening’s viral highlight: Serena Williams, tennis legend and fellow Compton native, appeared onstage as a dancer and executed a Crip Walk during the song. That single, electrifying fusion of sport, music, and Compton culture was pure television gold.

Mustard and the Finale: Game Over

Producer Mustard took the stage for TV Off to close the show. Known for West Coast hits from YG to Roddy Ricch, Mustard delivered the final burst of energy. The track ended with Kendrick symbolically switching off the TV – prompting the words “Game Over” to light up across the LED wristbands worn by fans throughout the stadium.

The Tradition: Where Kendrick Stands in Halftime History

The Super Bowl Halftime Show has its own mythology. Michael Jackson (1993) invented the format. Prince (2007) delivered the greatest rain-soaked performance. Shakira and Jennifer Lopez (2020) generated the most YouTube views. And now Kendrick Lamar (2025) – who treated the show not as a chart-topping revue, but as an artistic statement.

What sets Kendrick’s performance apart from many predecessors: He didn’t play safe fan favorites. He played art. An album cut like “euphoria” would have derailed momentum for most other artists. For Kendrick, it amplified it.

The Auto Ads: 30 Seconds for $8 Million

No Super Bowl is complete without legendary commercials – and the automotive industry was again a top sponsor in 2025. A 30-second spot cost an estimated $8 million. Among the most striking auto ads were those from RAM (a cinematic desert film), Kia (an emotional family story), and Volkswagen (a nostalgia-driven ID.Buzz spot).

This year’s priciest ads came from EV makers – a sign that the electric vehicle revolution has fully arrived in Super Bowl marketing. BMW featured its new iX with a Hollywood cast, while Hyundai enlisted an A-list actor.

Conclusion: More Than a Halftime Show

Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime show was more than entertainment – it was a cultural moment. From the GNX opener and SZA duets to the “Not Like Us” finale featuring Serena Williams, hip-hop culture met the world’s biggest stage – and both emerged larger for it.