Superbowl 59 was a stunning game for the Philadelphia Eagles and a somber loss for the Kansas Chiefs with the Eagles winning 40 – 22. During halftime, Kendrick Lamar performed with his guest SZA . The show started with Samuel L. Jackson dressed up in red, white, and blue attire symbolizing the patriotic figure of Uncle Sam. Lamar started with a freestyle rap and then transitioned into “squabble up” with his dancers dressed in red, white, and blue.
Uncle Sam then interrupted the performers saying that even with their patriotic colors on they were “too loud, too reckless, too ghetto”. He reminded Lamar to “play the game” referring to the common phrase of WWI of “Get in the game with Uncle Sam”. The phrase was used to have men enlist in the war and has become a part of American culture as a call to duty to help America.
He then continued with “HUMBLE”, “DNA”, “Euphoria”, and “man at the garden”. Lamar teases playing and stopping the “Not Like Us” instrumentals then saying to his female background dancers “ I want to perform their favorite song, but you know they love to sue’’ referring to the ongoing feud and lawsuit between the Canadian rapper Drake. He goes on to play “peekaboo”. The song “Not Like Us” is a diss track towards the rapper about his alleged activities with younger women.
The set of the performance had 4 different sets that included: an X, circle, square, and triangle. The shapes were in connection to the “game”. SZA then gets introduced and starts singing her part in the song “Luther”. They move to the circle r4 stage with dancers going in circles making the stage look like it’s moving to start singing a song that was featured in the “Black Panther” movie soundtrack called “All the Stars”.
To close off the show Lamar plays “Not Like Us” with a surprise guest appearance of former tennis player Serena Williams. Williams ties into “Not Like Us” because she is one of Drake’s ex-girlfriends, and also a Compton native like Lamar. The final song was “TV Off” with another surprise cameo of producer/ DJ Mustard.