When given the chance, make a statement

Staff Ed

 The infamous Super Bowl halftime show gathers around 65,000 people on average every year, whereas the average concert attendance is 6,000 to 20,000. It is no secret that artists who perform there gain massive publicity and are widely watched, not only by the thousands of people in the stadium, but the millions watching from their couches as well. Knowing that this many people are tuned in, these artists have two options: put on the best show of their lives or use the stage to make a statement.

Super Bowl Sunday, 2025, Kendrick Lamar chose to use his platform, figuratively and literally, to send a clear message to millions of worldwide viewers.

From the color scheme of red, white and blue, to the songs Kendrick chose to perform, to someone as renowned as Samuel L. Jackson portraying Uncle Sam – a historical personification of the United States government – this performance had symbolism written all over it, and we were not the only ones who noticed it. 

Throughout the entire show, Jackson continued to make remarks to Lamar: “no no no, too loud, too reckless, too ghetto,” challenging every aspect of his performance, even making comments such as “that’s what the American people want, nice and calm” when Lamar’s tone changed to a softer song portraying less political values. This commentary almost felt like a direct mockery of the politicians and policies circling in light of the new president, and the popular idea that they aim to “tone down” American opinions.

“The revolution’s about to be televised, you picked the right time, but the wrong guy.” 

One sentence, fifteen words and a blatant political declaration – especially with President Trump in attendance that night, someone in power who Lamar has not been shy about publicly detesting in the past. 

A more covert, clever communication from Lamar to those who could catch on was his use of the phrase “40 acres and a mule,” which he said before stating “This is bigger than the music.” This line stood out to us, and so many other people who were able to catch on and appreciate his incorporation of black history – 40 acres and a mule refers to the promises made to black Americans during slavery that were never kept. 

Much of the choreography, combined with the outfits and the lyrics made for a production intended to showcase how Lamar and so many others are dissatisfied with the state of our country. Several times throughout the performance, the dancers use their colored outfits to create an American flag, and then slowly dance in such a way it appears broken and ripped as he gets more political in his lyrics. 

One of Lamar’s more inconspicuous comments was “they tried to rig the game, but you can’t fake influence,” to which us and many others established his reference to “The Great American Game” being about politics. 

The phrasing “you can’t fake influence” has such a profound meaning when taken in a certain political context. It is almost as if Lamar was suggesting that despite efforts from those “rigging the game,” genuine advocacy and grassroots movements cannot be suppressed. 

At one point, during Lamar’s show, for a mere half of a second, parts of the crowd were illuminated by lights that read the message “WARNING WRONG WAY.” This seemed to be directly referencing the idea of our society traveling back in time, not to mention the more concealed implication of how the current president being voted back into office may have aided in this backwards motion.

In a nutshell, every single move Lamar made, every breath he took, every lyric he spit was completely intentional, done in an explicit manner made so that if you knew what to look for, you would see it loud and clear.