Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance is now the most-watched Halftime Show ever

12 February, 2025

Just a few days after Kendrick Lamar headlined the 2025 Halftime Show, his showcase has been named the most-watched Super Bowl performance in history.

On Monday (February 10), the Compton rapper made history by becoming the first solo rapper to headline the coveted Halftime Show.

Following the head-turning performance – which NME has ranked the third best in Super Bowl history – it has now been revealed that Kendrick Lamar’s showcase is now the most-watched Halftime Show ever, per Apple Music and Roc Nation.

Lamar’s Halftime Show clocked in a whopping 133.5million viewers live during the event, and has since amassed over 38million views on YouTube and countless other views across social media since the performance wrapped.

The title of most-watched Halftime Show was previously held by Usher, who raked in 129.3million viewers, beating out previous title-holder Rihanna for 121million viewers.

However, despite the record-breaking viewership, Lamar’s performance hasn’t been unanimously acclaimed. Fans are split down the middle, with some calling it “a masterpiece”, while others are hailing it as the “worst Super Bowl performance in the last decade”.

Oasis‘ Noel Gallagher has slammed Lamar’s performance, saying he “had to switch it off. It was absolute nonsense”. Kendrick Lamar – who has in the past showcased his love for the band, donning Oasis shirts onstage and in the studio several times – has yet to respond to Gallagher’s criticism.

For his performance, Kendrick Lamar was joined by SZA and featured cameos from Samuel L. Jackson and Serena Williams.

Both Kendrick Lamar and SZA are due to hit the road for a joint tour this year, performing across North America between April and June. Shortly after their Super Bowl Halftime Show performance, the pair announced UK and European stadium tour dates. You can get tickets to the US dates here and tickets to the UK/European dates here.

Lamar’s Halftime Show performance came a week after he swept the 2025 Grammys, winning five awards – all for ‘Not Like Us’ – including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

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