Super Bowl halftime show 2025 live updates, reviews on Kendrick Lamar and other performances

By | February 9, 2025
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There are banner years. And then there’s what Kendrick Lamar did in 2024, culminating Sunday with the Super Bowl 59 halftime show.

The Compton, Calif., native has made a career out of penning thoughtful lines about his life, his upbringing and musings on the world around him. Those hymns returned to the fore in 2024. But they were accompanied by something far more sinister — a rap feud that few will forget about any time soon.

Lamar and fellow rap supernova Drake locked horns in one of music’s grandest jousts. And, despite the Canadian artist’s best efforts, he couldn’t compete with the quick-witted Californian, who tore his adversary to shreds with a barrage of rhymes.

Lamar was widely praised for his dismantling of the Toronto-based MC. He kept the pressure up with a surprise album drop, garnering a sea of praise for his ear for California sounds — from the rolling hills of Oakland and San Francisco to the beaches of Los Angeles, it felt all of the Golden State was accounted for in “GNX.”

The accolades rolled in, each one bringing louder applause than the last. Last weekend, Lamar secured five Grammys, including a Record of the Year nod for the most-popular of his numerous Drake-centered polemics, “Not Like Us.”

Now, he’ll ready for the ultimate victory lap — a live performance at the Super Bowl 59 halftime show.

STREAM: Watch Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show live with Fubo (free trial)

Lamar is plenty used to performing on the Super Bowl stage. He’s just three years removed from making a cameo during Dr. Dre’s star-studded 2022 halftime show. Still, headlining the Super Bowl is a sizable task. The world’s biggest artists have lended their services to the spectacle. Not all have succeeded.

Lamar will hope to make his mark beneath the gleaming SuperDome lights. Those who pack into the concourses in New Orleans’ famous coliseum — and the more than 100 million people watching along at home — will be hoping for a similar result. Well, unless they’re Drake fans, that is.

The Sporting News is tracking live updates of Lamar’s performance during the Super Bowl 59 halftime show. Follow below for highlights, reviews and more from Lamar’s high-profile showcase in the Big Easy.

Super Bowl 2025 halftime show reviews

This section will be updated.

Super Bowl 2025 halftime show live updates 

8:37 p.m.: SZA takes the stage. She lends her service for “luther” and “All the Stars”, as expected.

8:35 p.m.: Lamar teased performing “Not Like Us.” It seems that will have to wait for now, however. A shadowy figure — who quite possibly hails from Canada — could sue.

8:34 p.m.: Here comes “man in the garden”, arguably LeBron James’ favorite track off “GNX.”

8:32 p.m.: Lamar’s next feat? Reinterpreting “DNA” and “euphoria”, the first of his three tracks dedicated to Drake — and all of his alleged foibles.

8:31 p.m.: Now, Lamar shifts to “HUMBLE.” No surprises there. Jackson returned to the stage while the dancers behind Lamar mimicked the American flag.

8:30 p.m.: Here comes “squabble up!” Lamar’s let’s loose on one of his most popular offerings from his latest release, “GNX”.

8:29 p.m.: Lamar takes the stage with a sapphire Florida varsity jacket. Controversial look given he’s in SEC country.

8:27 p.m.: Lamar has taken the stage. And he’s joined by Samuel L. Jackson, who is portraying Uncle Sam of all figures. Meh.

8:20 p.m.: And away we go! With the first half coming to a close (the Eagles lead 24-0), we’re mere moments away from Lamar taking center stage.

8:10 p.m.: With the two-minute warning only recently taking place and the Eagles authoring up a slew of stoppages — some from touchdowns, others from forced turnovers — expect Lamar’s halftime show to take place between 8:15-8:20 p.m. ET.

8:00 p.m.: Robert Griffin III has a prediction for tonight’s halftime showing. You’d be hard pressed to find many people who will disagree.

7:00 p.m.: Another high-profile artists has touched down on the Big Easy: none other then the newly-minted Grammy winner, Doechii.

6:30 p.m.: Anita Baker is hoping Lamar and SZA perform “All the Stars”, their most popular collaboration. I figure that track could play a sizable role in tonight’s offerings.

6:15 p.m.: Lamar might be the centerpiece of tonight’s halftime antics. But he’s not the only supernova slated to take the stage during halftime. So too is SZA, a Grammy winner and platinum-selling artist in her own right. SZA shared her sentiments about joining her longtime collaborator on stage ahead of tonight’s game.

5:40 p.m.: One of Lamar’s most vociferous advocates over the years is Taylor Swift, who lended her vocal chops while Lamar’s “Not Like Us” spilled from the speakers during the Grammy’s. Expect a similar reception when the Pulitzer Prize winner performs tonight.

5:25 p.m.: Josh Johnson, one of The Daily Show’s lead correspondents, offered his hopes for Lamar’s performance during a recent concert set. His assessment? There never can be too much “Not Like Us.”

5:15 p.m.: Another noted Lamar admirer is rumored to be in the building: Dr. Dre. The famed producer has served as a mentor of sorts for Lamar over the course of his career. Super Bowl Sunday is no exception.

5:05 p.m.: Plenty of luminaries have flocked to the SuperDome over the past few hours to witness Lamar’s talent firsthand. Chief among them is Megan Thee Stallion, who had nothing but kind words to say about her rap counterpart’s gifts.

5:00 p.m.: Lamar’s upcoming display is expected to have the SuperDome concourses in raptures. He has a reputation producing such reactions throughout his career, including at the Super Bowl 56 halftime show. Here’s a look at his cameo appearance during Dr. Dre’s performance.

MORE SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW NEWS:

What songs will Kendrick Lamar perform at Super Bowl 59 halftime show?

Lamar has dozens of songs at his discretion. With only about 13 minutes to operate, Lamar will have to get his cut on. But it’s safe to assume “All the Stars” and “luther” will be featured in the proceedings. “HUMBLE”, “Alright” and “squabble up” also seem promising candidates, not to mention “Like That”, although that might require a timely feature from one of Future or Metro Boomin.

Oh, and we can’t forget about “Not Like Us.” It might spark an international incident. But Lamar seems hell-bent on making Lamar feel his wrath. What better time to do so than the Super Bowl.

How to watch Kendrick Lamar in the Super Bowl 59 halftime show

The Super Bowl 59 halftime show will be broadcast on Fox following the end of the second quarter of the Chiefs vs. Eagles’ clash. Cord-cutters can find the action on fubo.

Super Bowl halftime show start time

  • 8 p.m. ET (approximate time)

With Super Bowl 59 kicking off at 6:30 p.m. ET, halftime should start at approximately 8 p.m. ET.

It’s an inexact science, admittedly. NFL games are fairly unpredictable, with various stoppages scuppering the flow of the game.

Still, if you’re wanting to view Lamar’s showcase in its entirety, you’re better off flocking to the television around 8 o’clock ET. That’s around when the football should cease, if only for a fleeting moment.

How long is the Super Bowl halftime show?

The halftime is usually about 15-20 minutes long, so the performance should be roughly 10 songs, some truncated and remixed.

Rihanna’s halftime show at Super Bowl 57 lasted 13 minutes, for comparison. Usher’s lasted about 15 minutes in 2024.

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