Kendrick Lamar, the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper, will headline the halftime show at Super Bowl LIX, it was announced on Sunday. Both Lamar and the NFL shared the exciting news via social media.
In a statement, Lamar expressed his enthusiasm: “Rap music remains the most influential genre today, and I’m here to show why. They picked the right artist.”
The Super Bowl LIX event is scheduled for February 9, 2025, in New Orleans and will air on FOX. The announcement was made by the NFL, Roc Nation, and Apple Music on the opening Sunday of the 2024-2025 NFL season.
Lamar, who made a notable appearance at the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show performing alongside Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, and 50 Cent, will now take the spotlight as the headline performer. This will be his first time leading the halftime show, a high-profile slot watched by millions each year.
Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation will oversee Lamar’s performance as the strategic entertainment advisor, lauded the rapper as a “once-in-a-generation artist and performer.” He further remarked, “Kendrick’s profound love for hip-hop and culture shapes his artistic vision. His influence on global culture is unmatched, and his impact will endure for years.”
Lamar is celebrated as one of hip-hop’s most prestigious artists, with 17 Grammy Awards and a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album “DAMN.,” marking him as the first non-classical, non-jazz artist to win the prestigious award. His 2022 album “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers” features the hit single “Like That,” a collaboration with Future and Metro Boomin, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks. His track “Not Like Us,” released in April amid a publicized feud with rapper Drake, also reached No. 1 for two weeks.
Last year’s Super Bowl halftime show was headlined by Usher, whose 13-minute performance became the most-watched halftime show of all time, drawing an average of 123.4 million viewers, according to Billboard. Rihanna’s 2023 performance ranks as the second-most watched, with 121 million viewers.
Super Bowl LVIII, featuring a dramatic game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, was reported by CBS as the most-watched American television broadcast in a generation.