Written by: Taylor N. Hall
One of the highly anticipated moments of the calendar year is the Super Bowl halftime show. People buzz with rumors and gossip around who they speculate to headline the performance, knowing they will watch whether they are into professional football or not. In the past, the show has seen major names in music like Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga. This season is no different with the official announcement that the 2025 halftime show will feature Kendrick Lamar. Before we get into the headliner for this season, let’s spend some time looking back at how this spectacle came to be and who has graced the stage since.
The first halftime show ever done at the Super Bowl was on Jan. 15, 1967, featuring bands from the University of Arizona and Grambling State University. The original idea behind the show was to showcase the heart of collegiate football over the fact of commercial viewership. That has certainly changed in the past 57 years! That purpose was evident in the run of college and university bands that were invited to perform. The list includes Florida State, the University of Texas, San Diego State University, Southern University, Florida A&M and others.
As the show gained popularity into the 90s, bigger names were brought in for entertainment. The Rockettes performed at their first Super Bowl in 1988 alongside Chubby Checker at Jack Murphy Stadium. New Kids On The Block headlined the 1991 show for Super Bowl XXV; it was also the first show sponsored by the Coca-Cola Company (and third overall with a sponsor). Pepsi began their sponsorship with the 2007 Super Bowl XLI show featuring Prince. Most of the memorable shows from the Super Bowl were held in partnership with Pepsi. Beyoncé (2013, 2016), Bruno Mars (2014, 2016), Katy Perry (2015) and Coldplay (2016) are part of the legendary run that most people talk about when they mention the Super Bowl halftime show.
The person that is arguably on top of that list is Justin Timberlake, who is the only male artist to appear at the Super Bowl three times. He made showings with *NSYNC in 2001, Janet Jackson and Nelly in 2004 and solo in 2018. Gloria Estefan is the only female (and first) artist to appear three times (1992, 1995, 1999). The Pepsi era of Super Bowl spectacle is one that will be hard to follow with their last sponsored show being the “West Coast Invasion,” featuring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar in Los Angeles, Calif., for Super Bowl LVI. Additionally, the 2022 show is the only show to win an Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Live). The win officially put Lamar halfway to achieving EGOT status.
The most recent sponsorship comes from Apple Music, beginning in 2023. Jay-Z is hailed to be the person over the selections under the Apple Music partnership and, so far, has chosen Rihanna and Usher before Kendrick Lamar for the 2025 show that will be held at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
On Sept. 8, Lamar announced this legendary opportunity on social media with an aesthetically set up video bearing only an enlarged American flag and an automatic football launcher on what appeared to be a football field. The internet erupted with excitement and has been bursting at the seams since. For those who may not be familiar with him, there may be questions about why he was chosen. What is the big deal about him and why was he selected to grace one of the biggest stages in music?
Kendrick Lamar has been part of the rap industry for over 12 years, having several critically acclaimed albums under his belt. He is the only rapper to hold a Pulitzer Prize in music for his 2017 album, DAMN., that also won the Grammy for Best Rap Album. Lamar holds 17 Grammys in total and is expected to rack up more at the 2025 ceremony that will be held one week before the Super Bowl. While he has never won one of the “Big Four” awards, he is at the top of the game.
This year has been a smash year for Lamar on all fronts. This Super Bowl decision comes on the heels of an incredible run of releases, ending with the Billboard-charting single titled “Not Like Us.” At the time of writing, “Not Like Us” has collected over 757 million on-demand streams on Spotify; the official music video has around 131 million views on Youtube.
It is believed that Lamar only secured the gig because of internet hype and the success of “Not Like Us,” but that could not be further from the truth. Others would say that this rise of popularity started with his 2022 album titled “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.” In my opinion, along with others, it could be fair to say that this is a moment that has been brewing for his entire career. Kendrick has a plethora of hits that have ingrained themselves into the culture and stood the test of time. Even if you are not a fan of Lamar, you have heard much more of his work than you realize.
For anyone who wants to get started listening to Kendrick Lamar, whether to get ready for the show or just to discover new things, here is a list of songs that are worth trying out:
“Savior”
“Alright”
“DNA.”
“Sing About Me, I’m Dying Of Thirst”
“Swimming Pools (Drank)”
“Wesley’s Theory”
“i”
“All the Stars (ft SZA)”
“Father Time”
“The Art of Peer Pressure”
Kendrick’s discography is deep and complex; he has lyrics that go beyond the stereotypes of rap and challenge societal norms for African Americans. These words paired with the pageantry of the halftime show will be a sight to see. Be sure to tune in on Feb. 9, 2025, to Super Bowl LIX for the final NFL game of the season and the most highly awaited concert in world history.
Edited by: Breanna Ebisch
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