The Super Bowl halftime show is one of the most watched events of the year. According to Stasista, the most viewed Super Bowl halftime shows can get as many as 118 million viewers. With so many eyes on the stage, it’s important to make sure that the performer is the best choice possible. Is Kendrick Lamar going to live up to the hype? Or should someone else have gotten the honor of performing?
Ryan: Last spring, Kendrick Lamar reignited his career by starting a beef with the famous Canadian rapper, Drake. The two of them exchanged multiple diss tracks over the course of the spring and summer, with the resounding public opinion on the side of Kendrick. When it comes to the Super Bowl, any artist must have the perfect mix of hit songs, current music, and popularity. Kendrick has all of these and more. He released his first mixtage in 2003, and has been dropping hit albums and singles ever since. His illustrious career has culminated in 5 Grammy wins, as well as a Pulitzer Prize which he won in 2018.
Kendrick deserves to perform on the big stage at Super Bowl LIX, and his recent boost in popularity only supports that. He has a variety of songs to perform, all of which are ready to be heard. Even people who wouldn’t call themselves fans of rap music know about the beef between Kendrick and Drake, which only brings more potential viewership for Kendrick’s performance. In addition, his music style is loud, catchy, and supports the hype of the biggest football game of the year.
Ben: How can recency bias overshadow years of history and culture? That is the question I am forced to ask as I consider the choice to have Kendrick Lamar perform at the New Orleans halftime show. Kendrick Lamar has performed previously at the Super Bowl, joining Dr. Dre for his 2022 halftime show performance, so why repeat the past? The only logical reason is because of Lamar’s recent controversy with Drake, meaning the Super Bowl would rather give fans something they have seen before, just to take advantage of recent popularity.
While capitalizing on Kendrick’s recent spike in popularity has the potential to rake in significantly more viewership for the Super Bowl, it also glosses over all the musicians New Orleans has to offer. New Orleans has one of the richest musical histories in the entire world, while also containing some of the biggest and best artists today. With names like “Lil Wayne” and “John Batiste,” it’s almost baffling that Kendrick Lamar would be chosen for the performance.
Lil Wayne especially has been overlooked for this performance. He is just as electric of a rapper as Lamar himself and although he has strayed from the limelight, he remains one of the biggest artists of all time. In short, the choice to have Kendrick Lamar perform over Lil Wayne has no real basis besides the recent conflict with Drake. In fact, it alienates New Orleans artists and overlooks all the musical history that comes with them.
