"THIS IS KENDRICK LAMAR’S YEAR!!!!!!"— Fans react as Kendrick Lamar announces he will be headlining Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show

Kendrick Lamar has been announced as the headliner for the 2025 Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. The NFL, Roc Nation, and Apple Music made the announcement on Sunday, confirming that the hip-hop star will take the stage on February 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

Fans of the rapper are already celebrating the news online, flooding social media with excitement and anticipation for what many are calling Lamar’s most significant performance yet.

After the announcement, fans quickly took to Twitter to express their excitement. One user wrote,

"OMG!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS KENDRICK LAMAR'S YEAR!!!!!!"

Another fan tweeted, "The goat is back."

"It’s going to be a mini earthquake in Nola when Not Like Us comes on," a fan declared.

Some shared hopes for an epic setlist, calling out songs like Alright, HUMBLE., and his latest hit, Not Like Us, which dominated the charts earlier this year.

"I don’t usually watch the Super Bowl, but I’ll absolutely be watching for the Kendrick concert," a fan shared his excitement.

Another fan added, "YESS GOAT OH MY GODDDD."

"the king is back!!! this superbowl lix halftime show boutta enjoy what real rap performance feels like… i’m jealous of those that’s gonna be attending live," one fan shared.

This will be Kendrick Lamar's second time performing at the Super Bowl halftime show after the event in 2022, which was headlined by Dr. Dre alongside Mary J Blige, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and 50 Cent. But it will be the first time he will headline the event, which is a significant achievement.

Apart from the fans’ response, other people within the industry have also commended Lamar’s work on the show. NFL entertainment programming co-creator Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, the founder of Roc Nation, endorsed Lamar's transformative role in the music industry.

"Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer," JAY-Z said 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."

Seth Dudowsky, the NFL’s Head of Music, also acknowledged Lamar’s impact on popular culture, stating,

"Time and time again, Kendrick has proven his unique ability to craft moments that resonate, redefine, and ultimately shake the very foundation of hip-hop. We’re excited to collaborate with Kendrick, Roc Nation, and Apple Music to deliver another unforgettable Halftime Show."

Creative direction for Kendrick Lamar’s performance will come from his own company, pgLang, which was behind his highly praised Big Steppers tour.

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Kendrick Lamar marks 2024 as a monumental year

Although Kendrick Lamar has not dropped a new album since the May 2022 release of Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, 2024 has so far been a big year for the rapper. This year alone, he contributed to the Future and Metro Boomin’s Like That, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the spring and began a heated rap war with Drake, which resulted in the Lamar track Not Like Us.

Since its release in May, Not Like Us has spent two weeks at the top of the charts and accumulated over 765 million streams.

This will be the sixth year that Roc Nation will be involved as the NFL Halftime Show performers. Jesse Collins will be the executive producer, and Hamish Hamilton will be the show’s director. In 2020, Roc Nation was appointed to handle entertainment programming for the NFL to ensure that the halftime show is as significant as it is culturally.

This is the third year of Apple Music’s association with the NFL, which entitles the brand as the official sponsor for the halftime show and supports Lamar’s performance. Apple Music Vice President Oliver Schusser said,

"The Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show is a celebration of the music we love and the incredible artists who make it, all on the world’s biggest stage."

He added:

He further added, "Apple is thrilled to bring this show, starring the absolutely incomparable Kendrick Lamar, to fans worldwide with Apple Music’s industry leading Spatial Audio quality along with tons of exclusive videos, interviews, playlists and so much more across Apple Music."

With the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show shaping up to be one of the year's most anticipated performances, fans are eagerly counting down the days until Kendrick Lamar takes the stage.