Football season may have just begun, but the next Super Bowl halftime act is already set: Kendrick Lamar will headline the 2025 show, according to the announcement Sunday morning from Roc Nation, Apple Music and the NFL.
Super Bowl LIX will take place Feb. 9 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans and will air on Fox.
This will be the Grammy-winning rapper’s second time performing at the Super Bowl. He last took the field in 2022 with Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent and Anderson Park. The performance won three Emmy Awards, — a first in Super Bowl halftime history.
“Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date,” said Lamar in a statement. “And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.”
“Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer,” said Roc Nation founder Jay-Z in a statement. “His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.”
Lamar’s Super Bowl headlining gig follows that of Usher, which became the most-watched halftime performance of all time and earned three Emmy nominations this year. Rihanna’s 2023 performance scored five Emmy nominations and won two, including directing for a variety special, a first for the show.
Since Lamar debuted with his 2012 album “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” the Los Angeles native has won 17 Grammy Awards and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album “DAMN.” His latest album, “Mr. Morale &the Big Steppers,” was released in May 2022; earlier this year, he released “Like That” with Future and Metro Boomin, as well as “Euphoria,” “6:16 in LA,” “Meet the Grahams” and the record-breaking “Not Like Us.”