This year’s Super Bowl came at a tumultuous time for America. What usually unites the 127 million people watching, despite having fierce loyalties to their teams, was a bit more divisive. Going in we knew it would be a frostier atmosphere, considering America’s indignation over the Chiefs being at yet another Super Bowl, fragile men’s fears of seeing Taylor Swift on their screens for a total of 54 seconds, and the attendance of our newly inaugurated President. When President Trump announced he would be at the game, many had questions for Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
In case you haven’t been alive for the past two years, Travis Kelce is dating pop star Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift, who Trump posted about on his social media platform Truth Social screaming, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT.” When reporters asked Kelce how he felt about the President attending the game, he answered in, I think, the most neutral way possible, taking no sides except the side of America, which is usually what the majority of the population wants. Ironically, despite Trump’s apparent disdain for T Swift, they were both met with the same reaction when shown on the big screen…raucous rounds of booing.
This year’s Super Bowl pairing felt a little bit like a metaphor for the political climate of the United States as well. The Kansas City Chiefs, owned by a conservative-leaning family versus the Philadelphia Eagles, who were disinvited from the typical post-Super Bowl win white house visit the last time Trump was in office due to a majority of the players boycotting after Trump expressed contempt for the players that knelt during the national anthem at games. Not to mention, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker gained staunch Republican approval after he gave a commencement speech last year telling young women their purpose in life is to become a wife and bear children.
The Eagles stand in direct opposition, owned by a family who has historically donated money to democratic candidates for office and is led by a quarterback with a diverse, all-female management team. This is particularly poignant as we see the president attempt to dismantle every single initiative and program in support of DEI. When asked why he’s managed by an all woman team Jalen Hurts simply said we looked for the best, and that’s who was the best. His agent, Nicole Lynn, is actually the first woman to ever represent a starting quarterback in two Super Bowls.
Against this backdrop, Kendrick Lamar performed a poetic, message-ridden show during half-time. Where the NFL typically likes to avoid statements that are divisive and/or political, Lamar did not hold back…whether you understood it or not.
Right off the bat, Samuel L. Jackson emerges dressed as Uncle Sam to basically tell Lamar not to be too controversial during the show. Oh, how empty those words were. The crew of all Black dancers begin the performance, Lamar beginning with a line referencing a revolution, saying, “the revolution is about to be televised; you picked the right time but the wrong guy.” Some speculate this was a direct dig at Trump, who Lamar has been vocally against since his last time in office.
As the show continued, Lamar and the dancers ended up in a set designed like a prison yard, commenting on the mass incarceration of Black Americans. Later, dancers dressed in red, white, and blue came together to form the American flag while Lamar stood in the middle, singing about cultural division and creating a split down the center.
Lamar’s performance comes just a week after his diss track “Not Like Us” won all five Grammys it was nominated for. The song has been controversial since its release, calling out rapper Drake for having inappropriate relationships with minors, and is now the star of a lawsuit Drake has filed. However, this did not stop Lamar from giving the crowd what they wanted: a live performance of the hit and the chance to come together and loudly sing the infamous line “a minorrrrr” with zero qualms.
With all the fun surprises, (hello Serena Williams appearance), and stellar showmanship, Lamar’s performance was a masterpiece. But that of course cannot stop a controversy, and as to be expected many Americans watching did not understand the important messages behind the grandeur. But that doesn’t take away from the cultural significance of Lamar putting on an extremely pointed show on the most watched televised event in America.
This game will be talked about for generations, and not just because the Chiefs took their near undefeated season to the Super Bowl and couldn’t score a point until the third quarter.
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