The Super Bowl halftime show has long been one of the year’s most anticipated musical performances, and this year’s edition did not disappoint. Headlined by Kendrick Lamar, it was a daring and dazzling performance. In the short 13 minutes that he had, Kendrick Lamar utilized his artistic skills to tell a story to everyone watching.
Fresh off a successful Grammy campaign, winning five awards out of his seven nominations, Kendrick started the show off with a bang. Emerging from a sleek black GNX, he wore bootcut jeans and a custom varsity jacket as he launched into his latest album “GNX”’s “squabble up” While, in my opinion, the performance of “Squabble Up” was not that good, partially because his vocals were muffled by the background music, the performance got better as SZA was introduced on stage in the latter half. The show’s highlight came with Kendrick’s performance of “Not Like Us,”as Serena Wiliams crip walked on stage and got the entire stadium to sing along to the lyrics. Another interesting detail of the show is that Kendrick did not introduce a hype man until the very last song. DJ Mustard’s performance was the hypest moment of the show as he flexed in front of the camera.
To me, the most intriguing part of the performance was the political symbols in the show. Over 80 dancers, dressed in red, blue, and white, choreographed abstract formations that eventually morphed into a distinct American flag. At one point, Lamar split the flag in half to symbolize the deep-rooted divide within American society. At another point, the dancers all bent forward to lift their backs into the air. Many have theorized that this is a symbol that modern America is built on the backs of African Americans.
Another memorable moment is Samuel Jackson’s portrayal of Uncle Sam. The show itself actually started with a close-up of Samuel L Jackson as Uncle Sam. His character appeared multiple times throughout the show, constantly challenging Kendrick’s stylistic choices. To me, his performance mirrored his character in “Django Unchained” in which he played a black man who goes against his own race and embraces his role of serving the “white master.” I believe the Uncle Sam character is placed in the performance to show the audience the difference between Kendrick’s performance and the usual half-time performances. Instead of blind patriotism, his show’s patriotic themes were more subtle. In response to Kendrick’s performance of “squabble up,” Jackson exclaimed, “Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto!” and, “Mr. Lamar, do you really know how to play the game?” His character is intended to challenge Kendrick Lamar’s performance, suggesting that the songs aren’t proper for a show like the Super Bowl halftime show. However, Kendrick carried on, sending the message that he would not do whatever Uncle Sam’s America wanted. Perhaps this stylistic choice had something to do with the presence of newly elected president Donald Trump in the audience.
Talking to many of my friends, they all enjoyed the halftime show, but something sophomore Eric Du said stood out to me. “I hope there will be an Asian presence in the future, perhaps even an Asian performer,” he told me. I totally agree with him. Kendrick Lamar’s show was revolutionary, portraying the half-time show in a totally different light than before. I hope this opens the door to even more diverse representation.
