In an Eagles-dominated Super Bowl, I was excited about what the halftime show had to offer. Kendrick Lamar, who is a huge star and musical genius, headlining, paired with rumors that SZA was going to make an appearance, gave me the idea that it would be a great show. I was intrigued, especially after some very good performances in the last few Super Bowls. This wasn’t his first rodeo either, as he also made an appearance in 2022 for Super Bowl 56. After all the anticipation of a great show passed, I was left with mixed feelings about the performance.
Kendrick is an amazing talent, but he doesn’t fit the Super Bowl halftime show. I don’t think Lamar was the right guy. Everyone I know either loves him or doesn’t listen to him at all. So, his performance wasn’t like past shows where pop artists like Shakira played huge songs that everyone knew. Don’t get me wrong, Lamar has massive hits, but it’s not the same though. Most of the audience can’t sing and dance along to his music. I think Kendrick and the producers combated this by making the show more of an experience for viewers on television. Every year the halftime show seems to become less about the fans in the stadium and more about the viewing experience from home. This year was no exception with no fans on the field. It didn’t have a fun concert appeal and turned out to be more like a production — maybe that is due to who Lamar is, but, in my opinion, that doesn’t fit my ideal halftime show.
The biggest highlights from the show were Samuel L. Jackson, who opened the show and was a symbol for Kendrick’s social statements included in the show. SZA making an appearance was a huge plus and SZA brought a new, energetic style to a somewhat low-energy concert. Together, Lamar and SZA sang “All the Stars,” which is an amazing song and was a highlight for me. Kendrick threw a diss at Drake including his ex, Serena Williams, as a dancer. Along with other diss’s, like when he played “Not Like Us.”
The show felt almost like a music video. The dancing and choreography were both amazing and powerful. Also during the performance, he took stances on social problems and included hidden meanings reflecting them. While it was impactful, I mostly watched the show because I wanted to hear good music and sing along. That was hard to do because of how it was produced. It seems that Lamar did this show more as a statement and to symbolize something than for the entertainment of a halftime show. I agree that making a statement is important, but when I’m relaxing watching the Super Bowl I just want to be entertained. I’m also guessing that most of the hundred million-plus watchers feel the same.
I’ve seen videos of people in the stadium sitting down on their phones while the performance was going on because it wasn’t interactive for fans, and that translated to the screen too. I don’t remember hearing the fans except for when Lamar sang the line “A minor.” While the show was produced well, and it was cool that Lamar included a lot of thought into background messages and symbols, it is not what I’m looking for in a Super Bowl halftime show.
“Super Bowl 59 halftime show:” ★★☆☆☆
