Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl Show Setlist: Predicting The Songs He MUST Play
Kendrick Lamar's upcoming headlining performance at the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show is one of the most anticipated mid-game NFL performances in years. He recently appeared as a guest performer for Dr. Dre's 2022 Super Bowl Halftime set, playing two of his many classic hits, "M.A.A.D. City" and "Alright" on the big stage. Following his monolithic 2024, highlighted by a historic beef with Canadian rapper Drake and the surprise release of his chart-topping album GNX, Lamar's halftime show is bound to be an all-time great.
Lamar has already announced his new tour partner SZA as his official special guest but more surprise appearances are expected on Super Bowl Sunday. Some of the most likely surprise guests include his Black Hippy supergroup counterparts Ab-soul, ScHoolboy Q, and Jay Rock, who all recently appeared for Lamar's one-off Pop Out: Ken & Friends concert held at the Kia Forum on June 19, 2024. Lamar could return the favor and include Dr. Dre during his Super Bowl LIX Halftime performances.
Other rumored guests include Lil Wayne, who expressed disappointment at not getting selected as the headliner for his hometown Super Bowl held at the Superdome in New Orleans. Considering the recent devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires, Lamar's halftime show could pay tribute to the city by only featuring LA musical artists. This would eliminate all chances of a surprise guest feature from the Toronto-born Drake, whose surprise appearance at Super Bowl LIX would become one of the biggest moments in Super Bowl history.
12 Poetic Justice
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012)
A Drake and Kendrick Lamar reunion would collectively break the Super Bowl and the internet. While the chances of it actually happening are slim to none, Kendrick could choose to be "humble" and bring out Drake for their 2012 classic hit "Poetic Justice", paying tribute to their legendary beef that helped propel Kendrick to an unthinkable level of hip-hop greatness. The Weeknd performing at the Grammys last week is proof to never say never.
Alternatively, Kendrick dropping his "Poetic Justice" verse during the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show could offer an unprecedented way for the Compton-based rapper to figuratively tap dance on Drake's grave. The fact that Kendrick got the Super Bowl headlining spot is sort of poetic justice in and of itself, which would add an extra metaphysical layer to the 13-year-old classic on Super Bowl Sunday.
11 All The Stars
Black Panther: The Album (2018)
With SZA's guest appearance already locked in, the shared song that they have to play is "All the Stars" off of the 2018 Black Panther album. The song was nominated for Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the 2019 Grammy Awards and Best Original Song at the 2019 Oscars. It's easy to envision how "All the Stars" is made to be played in front of a packed stadium and incorporate a live ensemble dance performance to go along with it. SZA may also get to play a few of her famous individual tracks, such as "Kill Bill", "Snooze", and "Saturn".
10 DNA.
DAMN. (2017)
As one of Kendrick's hardest-hitting singles from the Pulitzer Prize-winning DAMN., "DNA." is an absolute must-have on his Super Bowl LIX playlist. Another song that was built for a stadium tour, "DNA." is a sort of Kendrick Lamar theme song and one of his biggest career hits. Delivering a motivational flow on a massive scale, "DNA." is absolutely explosive and delivers an unmatched energy that thrives when played before large crowds. It would make for one of the most standout moments during Kendrick's halftime show, especially if he makes it to the iconic and head-spinning beat switch that makes up the song's final minute.
9 30 For 30
SOS Deluxe: LANA
The latest collaboration between SZA and Kendrick arrived on SZA's deluxe reissued version of her celebrated 2022 album LANA. "30 For 30" samples the 1979 song "I Call Your Name" by Switch, which some listeners may also recognize from the 2007 hip-hop hit "Throw Some D's" by Rich Boy. One of the most popular tracks on streaming services by both Kendrick and SZA at the time of writing, there's a near-zero chance that "30 For 30" won't be played during the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. It could very well be the song that introduces SZA to the stage during the performance.
8 Family Ties
The Melodic Blue (2021)
There's a high probability that Baby Keem will be one of Kendrick's surprise guests at Super Bowl LIX. Considering that Keem and Kendrick are biological cousins, it would be on brand for Kendrick to put his own flesh and blood on the world's biggest stage. They have a handful of collabs including 2023's "The Hillbillies", which ironically samples an interpolation of Drake's 2022 track "Sticky", and "Range Brothers", a single off of Keem's 2021 albumThe Melodic Blue. If Keem does make a surprise guest appearance on Super Bowl Sunday, "Family Ties" would be the best way to make his introduction.
7 Backseat Freestyle
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012)
One of the timeless tracks of Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, "Backstreet Freestyle" wasn't featured during Kendrick's previous Super Bowl appearance or during The Pop Out: Ken & Friends, making it a sleeper prediction for the Super Bowl LIX setlist. Kendrick has to play at least one song off of Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City and "Backstreet Freestyle" would be electric in front of a Super Bowl crowd, matching the same big-stage energy of "DNA." and "Family Ties." Since Kendrick already played his LA anthem "M.A.A.D. City" during the 2022 Super Bowl, "Backstreet Freestyle" could make for a solid replacement to avoid a repeat.
6 Luther
GNX (2024)
"Luther" is another SZA and Kendrick collab that has a great chance of playing during the Super Bowl. It would offer a break from some of Kendrick's aforementioned stadium anthems and would also shine the spotlight on SZA in one of her best songs with Kendrick. Since it's one of the most popular songs on GNX, it would be surprising if SZA and Kendrick didn't include "Luther" during their Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. It would also make a great advert for their upcoming world tour, which kicks off on April 19, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
5 Squabble Up
GNX (2024)
Kendrick could play any one of his handful of GNX hype songs at the 2025 Super Bowl since there are so many on the album. "TV Off", "Hey Now", and "Peekaboo" are all in contention and would not be surprising setlist picks. Even the massively underrated "Reincarnated" could take the international stage, which samples the 2Pac deep cut "Made N****z". "Dodger Blue" could also be included as a sentiment to Los Angeles, while "Gloria" also features SZA's second appearance on the album. All that being said, GNX's lead single "Squabble Up" matches the energy and moment of the Super Bowl and could even be Kendrick's first performed song.
4 HUMBLE.
DAMN. (2017)
In the same vein as "DNA.", it would not be a true Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl Halftime Show if "HUMBLE." did not make an appearance. "HUMBLE." was Kendrick's first number-one single as a lead artist, going 7-time Platinum and grossing more than 1 billion streams on YouTube alone. "HUMBLE." dominated the radio in 2017 and was one of the biggest songs at that year's Grammys, winning Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video. The song was featured during the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show trailer but was not performed during Kendrick's guest appearance, which sets it up perfectly for Super Bowl LIX.
3 Like That
WE DON'T TRUST YOU (2024)
Another solid candidate for a surprise guest appearance at the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show is the Atlanta-based rapper Future. He appears on a handful of Kendrick's biggest career collaborations, including the song that kicked off the Drake and Kendrick feud, "Like That." With its stunning and unexpected "Control"-like diss feature by Kendrick, "Like That" not only drew a line but crossed it with ferocity. It's a guarantee that Kendrick will play the song that ended the beef, "Not Like Us", so he could create a perfect full-circle moment by dropping his "Like That" verse, which he first performed live at The Pop Out.
