Kendrick Lamar to Headline 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show
Kendrick Lamar will headline the 2025 Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, set to take place Feb. 9, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The set will be the second time the hip-hop superstar will grace the stage at the NFL’s main event, after he was a special guest alongside Dr. Dre’s West Coast hip-hop showcase in 2022. But this will be the first time he headlines the big show, and just the second time a rapper is the main event. Lamar nodded to that in a statement announcing the news.
“Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date,” he said. “And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.”
Creative direction for Lamar’s performance will be provided by pgLang, the creative imprint co-founded by the rapper.
This has been a big year for Lamar, despite him not having released an album since May 2022’s Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. In the spring, he contributed a guest verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s Hot 100 No. 1 single “Like That,” which served as the springboard for a high-profile rap beef with Drake. That kicked off an extended back and forth, in which the two hip-hop titans traded diss tracks in what was the most engrossing back and forth in the genre in years, and ultimately culminated in Lamar’s anthemic “Not Like Us,” which not only served to end the beef but also became a monster hit, topping the Hot 100 for two nonconsecutive weeks and racking up 765 million on-demand U.S. streams since its May 4 release.
The Super Bowl Halftime Show will be shown live on Fox from the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans that Sunday. It will also be the sixth year that the show will be programmed by Roc Nation, which is executive producing the show alongside Jesse Collins, produced by DPS and directed by Hamish Hamilton. Roc Nation partnered with the NFL in 2019 in a deal that saw the JAY-Z-led company take over entertainment programming and social justice initiatives on behalf of the league. That ultimately included Roc’s oversight of the Halftime Show, one of the highest-profile stages in world entertainment, beginning with the 2020 edition.
“Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer,” JAY-Z said in a statement. “His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.”
This is also the third year that Apple Music has served as the title sponsor for the event, having first taken over in 2023, when Rihanna headlined the show in Phoenix.
“The Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show is a celebration of the music we love and the incredible artists who make it, all on the world’s biggest stage,” said Oliver Schusser, vp of Apple Music, Apple TV+, Sports and Beats, in a statement. “Apple is thrilled to bring this show, starring the absolutely incomparable Kendrick Lamar, to fans worldwide with Apple Music’s industry leading Spatial Audio quality along with tons of exclusive videos, interviews, playlists and so much more across Apple Music.”
Usher was the headliner this past year, in a career-spanning performance that also featured special guests Alicia Keys, H.E.R., will.i.am and Ludacris. His set included performances of megahits “My Boo,” “OMG” and “Yeah,” among many others. Prior to that, headliners included Rihanna (2023), Dr. Dre and friends (2022), The Weeknd (2021), and Shakira and Jennifer Lopez (2020).
“Few artists have impacted music and culture as profoundly as Kendrick Lamar,” said Seth Dudowsky, head of music for the NFL, in a statement. “Time and time again, Kendrick has proven his unique ability to craft moments that resonate, redefine, and ultimately shake the very foundation of hip-hop. We’re excited to collaborate with Kendrick, Roc Nation, and Apple Music to deliver another unforgettable Halftime Show.”
The first full weekend of the new NFL season kicks off today (Sept. 8), with the season running through January.
Dan Rys
Billboard
