Superbowl Halftime Shows, something most people look forward to. Halftime shows are either good or bad, depending on several different factors. Some of these factors being age, generation, music taste, and if you even have interest or knowledge of the artist or artists performing.
The 2020 Halftime Show was performed by Kendrick Lamar, which also featured SZA. There are definitely some mixed emotions about the performance, some people enjoyed it, whereas others thought it really was not good at all.
However, not everyone realizes that there was a much deeper meaning to certain parts of the show he put on.
Lamar’s performance started with the stage that was lit up with O’s, X’s, triangles, and squares; this representing a PlayStation remote in hopes of being relatable to the audience. The stage later lit up with the words “Start Here” and the camera focused on Samuel L. Jackson, who was dressed as Uncle Sam. After Kendrick Lamar’s first portion of his song, Samuel L. Jackson chimed in by saying, “Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto,” symbolizing unnecessary comments that the rapper and other African American artists have heard before.
A few moments later, black men and women came on stage wearing red, white, and blue, then proceeded to line up in the shape of the American flag, thus showing the prominent divide in America. Lamar referenced several different things included racism, judgement, and division, hopefully leaving an impact on all who have seen his performance.
Not only did Kendrick Lamar attempt to conquer the political and social division within his thirteen-minute production, but he also attempted to put an end to his feud with Drake. The rapper poked fun at his “Not Like Us” diss track a few times before he finally sang the song everyone was waiting for.
He teased the track in several ways like saying, “I want to perform their favorite song, but you know they love to sue” touching on Drake’s lawsuit he claims to put into action if Kendrick Lamar sang the song. The rapper also brought two of Drake’s former girlfriends, one being SZA who performed with him, and the other being Serena Williams who crip-walked during a verse of “Not Like Us.”
Kendrick Lamar definitely went out with a bang once the words “Game Over” hit the stage at the end of the production, which could have ended the Kendrick and Drake feud for good or could have just made matters worse; only time will tell.
Article that was used for research: https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/kendrick-lamar-halftime-show-meaning-explained/4ca67b1927fde803cd6e8e44
