Kendrick Lamar has dropped a new song just days after being confirmed as next year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner.
Kendrick took to Instagram today (September 12th) to unexpectedly drop the new track, accompanied by an image of old black sneakers.
The surprise drop has drawn a positive reaction from fans. “We got a new song! Kendrick season!” wrote one commenter on Instagram. “So fire,” simply wrote someone else.
Listen to Kendrick’s song below.
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Kendrick will headline the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show in February 2025, three years after he was a guest during Dr. Dre’s halftime performance.
Just hours before the first Sunday of the 2024 season kicked off, the NFL, Roc Nation and Apple Music revealed that Kendrick will take to the field at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome on February 9th of next year for the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show.
“Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date. And I’ll be there to remind the world why,” Kendrick said in a statement. “They got the right one.”
Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation co-produces the halftime show, added in a statement, “Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer. 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.”
Kendrick and Dave Free’s pgLang will serve as creative directors on the Super Bowl halftime performance.
Seth Dudowsky, Head of Music at the NFL, added in a statement, “Few artists have impacted music and culture as profoundly as Kendrick Lamar. 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.”
Kendrick’s surprise song follows his long-running feud with Drake this year, which resulted in new cuts like “Meet the Grahams,” “6:16 in LA,” “Euphoria,” and Song of the Summer contender “Not Like Us.”
The battle had largely subsided by summer’s end, with Rolling Stone declaring Kendrick the victor, with his pick as Super Bowl performer only solidifying that decision.
Lamar, whose last album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers arrived in 2022, follows recent Super Bowl halftime performers Usher (at the 2024 game), Rihanna in 2023, Dr. Dre and guests Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Lamar in Los Angeles in 2022, the Weeknd in 2021, and Shakira and Jennifer Lopez in 2020.
