Kendrick Lamar's beef with Canadian rapper Drake. Just one week after sweeping the Grammy Awards with 5 victories for "Not Like Us" – the most decorated song in Grammy's history – Kendrick doubled down on speculation that he would perform 2024's Song of the Year at the Super Bowl in the face of various impending lawsuits.

Kendrick's Halftime Show performance is a 13-minute exhibition combining core messages in his music – rebellion against control systems, individualistic expression, racial hypocrisies of the American Dream – into a cultural statement of the highest relevance. songs did not appear during Kendrick's Super Bowl setlist, his performance capitalized on and punctuated an all-time great era of hip-hop.

Every Special Guest In Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl Half-Time Show Explained

Samuel L. Jackson: Samuel J. Jackson appeared throughout Kendrick's Super Bowl Halftime Show dressed as Uncle Sam, the patriotic mascot of the federal government of the United States. Jackson appeared as Uncle Sam to challenge Kendrick's stance as the Super Bowl headliner, interjecting with criticisms of how Kendrick ought to entertain and setting up Kendrick to remain firm in his roots and his creative vision, unswayed and relentless.

Serena Williams: Serena Williams appeared briefly during Kendrick's Super Bowl Halftime Show doing a crip walk dance, a similar dance to what she was criticized for after defeating Maria Sharapova at the London Olympics in 2012 at Wimbledon. Williams performed the Super Bowl crip walk as a fellow Compton native and, not ironically, an ex-girlfriend of Drake.

SZA: The only special guest and musical collaborator that appeared during Kendrick's Super Bowl Halftime Show was R&B/pop singer SZA. Kendrick and SZA performed two songs together, "Luther" and "All the Stars." Projected surprise guests such as Future, Baby Keem, Lil Wayne, and Metro Boomin did not appear.

Mustard: Formerly known as DJ Mustard, the LA-based hip-hop producer took the stage with Kendrick during his performance of "TV Off". Mustard, who took the stage with Lamar at the 2025 Grammys, produced several tracks on Kendrick's GNX album, including "TV Off" and "Hey Now". He also produced the monolithic "Not Like Us."

11 "Man at the Garden"

Played 6th at 5:25

In pregame interviews ahead of Super Bowl LIX, Kendrick noted "Man at the Garden" as one of his most personal new tracks, bar for bar. While certainly not a party anthem built for the Super Bowl stage, "Man at the Garden" has some of the hardest-hitting lyrical content on GNX and is one of the most real tracks on his Super Bowl setlist.

He professes "I deserve it all" several times before turning the mic on his audience, asking "Tell me why you think you deserve the greatest of all time." Kendrick fans are familiar with the songwriting force behind "Man at the Garden", which may not have been felt by Super Bowl viewers who are out of the loop.

10 "DNA"

Played 4th at 4:14

It was a near guarantee that Kendrick would play at least a handful of his hit singles off of 2017's Pulitzer Prize-winning album DAMN. At only 30 seconds, "DNA" was one of the shortest tracks in Kendrick's Super Bowl Halftime Show and was mainly used as a bridge to get him to the other side of the 60-yard stage.

The timing of "DNA" was perfect immediately after "Humble", Kendrick's first-ever number-one single. Kendrick raps the opening verse of "DNA" but doesn't get to the best part of the song – the head-spinning beat breakdown in the last minute – which felt like a missed opportunity on such a big stage.

9 "Bodies* (GNX Teaser)"

Played 1st at 0:32

"Bodies*" is an unreleased Kendrick Lamar track that is expected to be released as a GNX bonus track at some point in the near future. An unexpected opening song for Kendrick's Super Bowl Halftime Show, "Bodies*" acts as the introduction to the whole performance, setting the tone early that it would feature mostly GNX-era songs. "Bodies*" first appeared in the GNX announcement video that dropped alongside the album in late November 2024. The extended snippet Kendrick performed during the Super Bowl should prompt a formal streaming release and a potential GNX deluxe version soon.

8 "Humble."

Played 3rd at 3:05

"'Humble." was a standout performance during the Super Bowl Halftime Show, as it reinforced the overarching narrative and social commentary on the state of the United States.

"Humble." is one of Kendrick's biggest songs ever and was a lock to take the stage at the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. The "Humble." performance was relatively short at about one minute but left one of the most visually impactful images of a divided American flag made by dozens of background dancers wearing red, white, and blue. Kendrick elevates his hit single with visual elements, making it one of the key performances during the Super Bowl Halftime Show that speaks to the overarching narrative and social commentary on the United States.

7 "Squabble Up"

Played 2nd at 1:34

"Squabble Up" kicks things off after a circus of background dancers emerge from the black Grand National parked on stage. One of the most popular tracks off GNX, "Squabble Up" sets the tone on both GNX and at the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, instructing listeners to prepare for a dance, a fight, or both. It's one of the few songs Kendrick performs in front of the Grand National, which was featured on the cover of his GNX album, and also one of the few live performances that separate the red and white (and male and female) background dancers.

6 "Luther"

Played 8th at 7:25

"Luther" was only one of two tracks that featured Kendrick's special guest SZA. Arriving after Uncle Sam's protests complaining that the track was too slow for the Super Bowl, Kendrick scales the length of the 20-yard-line to 20-yard-line stage to SZA on the Triangle platform (which is speculated to represent a PlayStation controller button). Kendrick and SZA briefly perform together after SZA gets a proper spotlighted introduction. Surprisingly, SZA did not perform any of her solo projects, but her collabs with Kendrick offered a serene change of pace at the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show.

5 "Euphoria"

Played 5th at 4:44

"Euphoria" was the first Drake diss song that Kendrick played during his Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. At 45 seconds, "Euphoria" was one of the most explosive performances of the night, allowing Kendrick to relish his Drake beef victory on the world's biggest stage. Everything from the flashing strobe lights to the ferocious movements of the background dancers matched the in-your-face energy of "Euphoria". The Super Bowl marked just the second time Kendrick had ever performed "Euphoria" following its debut at his "Pop Out: Ken & Friends" concert in June 2024.

4 "All the Stars"

Played 9th at 8:30

Kendrick and SZA's best collaborative track, the Grammy and Oscar-nominated "All the Stars" is off Kendrick's Black Panther compilation album attached to the celebrated Marvel movie. Another surefire guarantee to be performed at Super Bowl LIX, "All the Stars" inspired some of the most dynamic and impressive background dancing of the night, utilizing marching and other authoritative movements that leave a powerful impression.

SZA's vocals are incredible as she takes the O stage following Kendrick's verse. At 1 minute and 20 seconds, "All the Stars" is one of the longest songs of the performance as was made to be played in an arena, offering a sneak peek and Kendrick's world tour with SZA.

3 "TV Off"

Played 11th at 11:45

"TV Off" closed out Kendrick's Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show performance, featuring a not-so-surprising guest appearance from the track's acclaimed producer, Mustard. The song takes on multiple meanings, some even new on the Super Bowl stage. Initially, Kendrick sends a message to the youth, telling parents to turn the TV off to encourage children to interact with the world and the community.

In the context of Kendrick's opening statement, in which he references "The revolution will not be televised" by Gil Scott-Heron, turning the TV off is also a call to arms to pay attention to the cultural movement going on outside the corporation-fueled and government-censored lens of broadcast television. Lastly, and quite metaphysically, it feels like Kendrick is telling someone in Drake's camp to "turn his TV off" after the eviscerating performance of "Not Like Us" and the dark Superdome illuminated only by the words "Game Over".

2 "Peekaboo"

Played 7th at 6:10

"Peekaboo" offered one of the most memorable performances of the night, employing some of the best background dancer choreography inside an X enclosure. The combination of the trapped setting, the fiery kinesthetics, and the smooth rotational camerawork make it one of the best-executed and visually stimulating displays during Kendrick's Halftime Show. Lasting about 50 seconds, "Peekaboo" also teased the "Not Like Us" at its end, adding a layer of tension and suspense to the story beneath the performance. Kendrick popping into the frame at the start of "Peekaboo" added a creative and satisfying element as well.