Super Bowl LIX was held in New Orleans, LA last night. The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs faced off in a high-stakes game, with the Philadelphia Eagles winning 40-22.

Kendrick Lamar and SZA took the stage in a performance that told a modern American story. Samuel L. Jackson made a guest appearance playing “Uncle Sam,” and narrated throughout the performance. Kendrick’s halftime performance took on social issues, such as racism and bigotry, and put them on the national stage. Storytelling is an important aspect of who he is as an artist, and it was on full display throughout the performance. He began by singing his biggest hits including; “Humble” and “Not Like Us.” SZA joined him and performed some collaborations they’ve worked on throughout the years, such as “All The Stars,” and “luther.” The full setlist is below.

Setlist

• “GNX”

• “squabble up”

• “HUMBLE.”

• “DNA.”

• “euphoria”

• “man at the garden”

• “peekaboo”

• “luther,” featuring SZA

• “All The Stars,” featuring SZA

• “Not Like Us”

• “tv off,” featuring DJ Mustard

Controversy
Super Bowl Halftime this year came with its fair share of controversy. Lil Wayne is a New Orleans-based rapper who expressed disappointment in not being chosen to headline the show, despite it being held in his hometown. Lil Wayne still congratulated Kendrick on his second Super Bowl performance.

Ads 
Every year the Super Bowl runs adverts throughout the show that gain notoriety. Several commercials this year have not only been satirical but have also sparked conversations about the current social situation in the U.S.  Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady were shown in a campaign for “Stand Up To Hate.” This advertisement touches on current issues and calls on people to come together to fight hate speech. The Super Bowl also has had a fair share of satirical commercials as well, with Charli XCX joining Martha Stewart in a light-hearted commercial for Uber Eats.

Student Opinions

Jade McNeil, a sophomore, enjoyed the halftime show the most. “I loved the performance. Although I don’t know all of Kendrick Lamar’s lyrics, I do know that there is always depth to them and that was conveyed clearly throughout the performance,” she said. “I thought it was funny that he included Samuel L. Jackson and Serena Williams. Overall, it was great.”

Cole Smith, a junior, admired the performance but thought it could be better. “Could have been worse, could have been better! Not a Kendrick Lamar fan but I respect his production of his performance.” 

Kye Reid, a Senior, was expecting an Eagles win, and enjoyed the halftime performance. “I thought the show was creative and I liked how Kendrick Lamar was leaving behind a message in his performance,” he said. “It was fun watching it with my friends.”