Posted in: Fox, NFL, Sports, Super Bowl, TV | Tagged: kendrick lamar, super bowl lix, sza

Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show: Kendrick Lamar Delivers Epic Performance

Multi-Grammy Award-winning artist Kendrick Lamar delivered and then some during the 2025 Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show.

Roc Nation, Apple Music, and the NFL wanted multi-Grammy Award-winning artist Kendrick Lamar for their 2025 Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show – and Lamar did not disappoint. Joined by SZA and kicking things off with Samuel L. Jackson as an "Uncle Sam" who continually lectured Lamar on confirming and playing the fame, that was the last thing we got from the artist. Over the course of the approximately 13-minute lyrical onslaught, viewers were treated to a storytelling approach to hits like "squabble up," "HUMBLE.," "GNX," and "tv off," and more – and was joined by SZA "luther" and "All the Stars." But the big question of the night was if we would hear "Not Like Us" in light of Drake threatening legal action. "I want to play their favorite song, but you know they love to sue," Lamar says at one point – only to be joined by DJ Mustard for a searing rendition of the diss track that had the stadium intoxicated.

Here's a look at Jackson's "Uncle Sam" introducing Lamar at the start of the halftime show, followed by some highlights (we'll add the full video if/when it goes live):

Yes, that was an appearance by the amazing Serena Williams (IYKYK), followed by a message from Williams:

Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show: Kendrick Lamar, SZA & More

When Was SZA Announced to Be Joining Kendrick Lamar for the "Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show"? In late January, a teaser was released showing Lamar calling in a favor and SZA taking the call. In a clip, we see Lamar on a football field speaking with someone on his cell phone.

"I've been thinking about a guest performer," Lamar shares – before SZA drenches him from behind with a cooler filled with something blue that resembles Gatorade. For the millions upon millions who will be watching from home, the halftime show will be a preview of Lamar and SZA's 2025 Grand National Tour, set to kick off in April. Here's a look at the teaser:

What Did Kendrick Lamar and Timothée Chalamet Have to Talk About? Heading into the weekend, Lamar had a chance to share his thoughts on the halftime show and more during his official media interview. But it was his one-on-one with Timothée Chalamet that proved to be a surprise – and just as enlightening. In case anyone was wondering why Chalamet would be interviewing Lamar, the actor makes it clear during the conversation, taking a moment to share show he's been a fan of Lamar's music "forever" and how excited he is for the halftime show. "Just being a fan of your music forever and knowing, like, look where you're at now, man. It's just crazy, Super Bowl halftime show. And you just keep climbing, bro. It's, like, amazing," Chalamet shared.

Over the course of their mobile conversation, the two shared their respective approaches to their art and how they handle the difficulties along the way. "The thing about acting is, if you don't have an audience, it's just a form of insanity. And you're just, what are you doing? So I definitely try to warm up and then, you know, lose that self-consciousness when you finally get back out there. But that takes time," Chalamet shared. "I always try to embrace failure — you were talking about that the other day — the most important part of a bad day is the way you leave it. If you can leave a bad take or a bad day with a positive attitude, then you've got nothing to fear."

Seeing himself as someone who is "always locked in and always trying new things," Lamar explained that growth and experimentation are essential – even if doesn't always work out. "I have to keep the pen moving. It's my form of sanity. And it also has given me the opportunity to learn myself, you know, find out who I am," Lamar revealed. In terms of writing, Lamar believes that you need "to sit and go through the emotions and be vulnerable about it." He continued, "A lot of these records I write, man, a lot of stuff I probably would have never expressed or even known about myself if it wasn't for an instrumental behind it."

Was Lil Wayne Upset Over Kendrick Lamar/Super Bowl LIX News? When it was announced that Lamar would headline the 2025 Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime show at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, we joked that Drake was the only person we could think of who wouldn't be too thrilled by the news. It turns out we were very, very wrong. Rap pioneer and New Orleans native Lil Wayne took to Instagram to express how "it hurt a lot" to not be named for the show – especially with the big game taking place in New Orleans.

"It broke me, but I'm just trying to put myself back together," he added in the clip. The post came as many questioned why Lamar would be the choice over Wayne, with Wayne addressing his delay in responding to the news and the reaction at the top of the clip. "First of all, I wanna say forgive me for the delay. I had to get strength enough to do this without breaking. I'ma say thank you to every voice, every opinion, all the care, all the love and support out there. Your words turned to arms and held me up when I tried to fall back," he shared. Later in the video, Wayne opens up about how the news hit him, with the "letdown" catching him off guard. "[Not being picked] hurt – it hurt a lot. I blame myself for not being mentally prepared for a letdown. For just automatically mentally putting myself in that position like someone told me that was my position."

Can You Show Us What Kendrick Lamar Had to Share During The Grammys? Sure! Here's a look at Lamar accepting the awards for "Record of the Year" and "Song of the Year" for "Not Like Us":

Who's Producing the "Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show"? DPS is set to produce the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show telecast. Roc Nation and Jesse Collins will serve as executive producers, and Hamish Hamilton will direct. Roc Nation will also serve as the strategic entertainment advisor for the live performance.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!