Kendrick Lamar vs. USA

As soon as Super Bowl LIX’s halftime show started and Kendrick Lamar walked out on stage, it became clear that this wasn’t going to be a normal halftime show. The show started out with the silhouette of Samuel L. Jackson, clad in an Uncle Sam caricature. He boomed out the famous American slogan, “I want YOU,” except, somehow, it sounded much more menacing than it does in history classes.

“It seemed really intentional to me, having a black man represent one of the most famous symbols of America on the largest stage in the world,” said senior Kaamil Scego.

Soon after, Lamar himself emerged, flanked by dancers who began dancing like toy soldiers. The stage was instead a Playstation controller, a clear nod to how power is manipulated like a game in America. Then came the opening lines of “Alright”. The crowd got hyped, but the symbolism cut a lot deeper: “Alright” is famous for its lyrics surrounding systemic oppression and black resilience.

Midway through, he pivoted to his fan-favorite song “Not Like Us”.“I think people were most hyped to hear this song, it’s pretty hot right now,” said senior Jasper Davidson.

Then, Serena Williams popped out of nowhere and started crip walking; a nod to her roots in Compton and likely Lamar dissing Drake again by bringing his ex to the Super Bowl halftime show.

Right after, Lamar turned to the camera, and delivered the line, “40 acres and a mule,” an invocation of the broken promises made to freed slaves after emancipation, symbolizing how the ongoing American disconnect is due to broken governmental commitments.

Finally, the lights began to dim, revealing a deformed American flag formed by the dancers, and Kendrick walked straight off the stage. In just minutes, Lamar wove a web of a critique of all of America’s contradictions – its broken promises, its obsession with control, its illusions of unity. His performance clearly was not just a performance. It was a reckoning.