By Jayme Kline

The Super Bowl is the most-watched sporting event in America. People from all over the country get ready to watch the big game. Whether at the stadium, with family, or with friends at a sports restaurant, everyone is ready to watch. Arguably, the Super Bowl Halftime show is one of the best parts of the Super Bowl. Whether your team is winning or losing, everyone comes together to listen to the music. 

 

This year, Kendrick Lamar performed at the halftime show. Kendrick is a different kind of artist. He puts everything into his music. He began the show with one of his most popular songs: HUMBLE. This song helped fuel the audience by beginning on an energetic note. His recent feud with Drake led many people to believe that he would allude to one of his “diss tracks”, such as Not Like Us. This feud led many viewers to tune into the Superbowl, wanting to stay updated on the current drama. Kendrick did not disappoint. He ended up singing Not Like Us and even had Serena Williams, Drake’s ex-girlfriend, perform on stage with him. This was an iconic move, allowing Kendrick to make the show a bigger punch at Drake. 

 

While this show was mainly for entertainment, Kendrick is well known for his activism which he pursues through his music.  His dancers were dressed in red, white, and blue, and set up in an American flag formation. He added songs such as DNA and Alright, to signify his experience in america as a black man. To add to this, Kendrick had Samuel L Jackson on stage with him, making comments about how he was being “too loud”. While many artists would have shied away from making a political statement, Kendrick made sure to be himself, and not be apologetic. Looking back a few months later, it is very interesting to see that this halftime show is now the most-watched in history.  

 

By blending modern music with political activism, Kendrick was able to create a halftime show that was deeper than all of the previous ones. Through his music, Kendrick was able to perform and entertain the audience while simultaneously reminding us that standing up for what you believe in and being authentic is just as powerful as music itself. This show emphasized how Kendrick is truly one of the most influential artists of our time.