Rapper Kendrick Lamar stunned many with his astonishing performance of hits during his halftime show at Super Bowl LIX, on Sunday, Feb. 9, but other members of the RHS community said the show left them wanting more.
Everyone agreed, however, that it was a history-making performance, especially with the inclusion of “Not Like Us,” Lamar’s Grammy-winning diss track of hip-hop artist Drake, which was the first time that a diss track had ever been performed at a Super Bowl. Political symbolism also pervaded the 13-minute-long performance, to mixed reviews from some RHS viewers.
For many fans including this reviewer, however, Lamar not only made the most of his time on stage but gave a performance for the ages–and more than just musically–alongside his guest star, SZA. He also showcased his hits “HUMBLE.” and “DNA.” from the album “DAMN.” as well as the fan favorite, “All the Stars.”
“SZA carried the vocals on both songs she was on,” RHS freshman Liam Curley said. “She outdid herself with every part she had.”
Many shared Curley’s opinion, agreeing that SZA’s stunning vocals on “Luther” and “All the Stars” were spectacular. However, some said their collaborative set was too short and wished they had performed together longer.
One of most talked about aspects of Lamar’s show was its political symbolism, including acting great Samuel L. Jackson’s noteworthy guest appearance as America’s Uncle Sam. In another example, Lamar’s background dancers, dressed in red, white and blue, ran off in all different directions, suggesting a state of divisiveness in America.
Some members of the RHS community felt that Lamar may not have been the best choice for the Super Bowl show, as his style of rap appeals only to a certain demographic and is not for everyone.
“[It wasn’t] something you could really dance to or sing along with, which made it less engaging for me,” said Kelly Kays, who teaches English at the high school. While Kays admitted that Lamar is a talented rapper, she felt the performance just wasn’t as “big” as she expected it to be for a Super Bowl halftime show.
Even some die-hard Lamar fans took issue with certain aspects of the performance. “I wish he played some of his older music and not from his newest album, ‘GNX’,” Curley noted, adding that he would have liked to hear tracks from older albums like “good kid, m.A.A.d city” and “To Pimp a Butterfly.”
RHS Sophomore Drew Milberg also found the performance to be lackluster. “Rihanna was in the sky, Usher was on skates, The Weeknd was in the maze, while Kendrick was just [walking] on the ground,” he said. “I don’t think his music fit the Super Bowl, and there was no buzz in the stadium.”
Others thought the performance was “all right” the way it was but said they were just wishing for a “little more.”
RHS sophomore Gabriel McGurk, for one, wanted Lamar to “bring out more people, since it was a little plain. Baby Keem would’ve been really cool to see,” he said, in reference to Lamar’s cousin, with whom the rapper collaborated on the song, “Family Ties.”
Overall, while Lamar brought a little bit of everything to his performance, and there was no absence of passion, some said they were just expecting something a little extra from the legendary artist.
At the same time, many Chiefs fans hoped Lamar’s show would be the boost their team needed to come back at the half with some sort of rebuttal, as it was 24-0 going into the third quarter with the Eagles up. However, the Eagles domination continued through the end of the game, with the Birds winning a blowout lead 40-22 against the former back-to-back Super Bowl winners, the Kansas City Chiefs.
Now, all that’s left for fans to do is wait and see who the headliner will be for the next halftime show at Super Bowl LX, which is being held at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026.
