By: Hayden Hendricks 

     On February 9, Super Bowl LIX was played by the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Eagles were up twenty-four to nothing by halftime, when popular musical artist, Kendrick Lamar, came out on stage and showcased his half time performance.  

     The Super Bowl halftime show is one of the most anticipated events in the world of entertainment, drawing millions of viewers each year. The event has evolved from marching bands to world famous musicians and performers. The show can serve as a platform for artists to make bold statements and address issues. Kendrick did something of that sort this year, with his performance referencing ideas of racism, unity, identity, and social justice in the United States. 

     Lots of fans were excited to see the show, but there were some critics who felt it was targeted at one group of music listeners, although it was intended to be more of a message than anything else. According to usatoday.com, “Kendrick Lamar spells out ‘WARNING WRONG WAY,’” which shows the message he is trying to send to viewers. Additionally, crimson.fit.edu describes the show, stating, “It was a cultural moment highlighting important political messages regarding the unfair treatment of Black people in the United States.” Lamar had an intended message in his creation of the show.  

     The Squire asked freshman Conner Briggs some questions about the halftime show. Conner shared in regard to the artist choice, “He’s alright. I’m not a big fan, but I don’t dislike him. He has some solid songs.” 

     Another artist that performed at the Super Bowl was SZA, who performed with Lamar. Conner says that he liked SZA’s performance way more than Lamar’s, stating “Kendrick didn’t do very good, but SZA brought back the entertainment.”  

     SZA performed a duet with Kendrick called “All the Stars”, and Conner explained that he really liked that song and that was when he got interested in watching the show. The Squire asked some questions to our Instagram followers, where they rated the show on a scale of one to four, with one being low and four being high. Overall, a majority of the followers who participated seemed to be fans of the performance. The most popular rating was a three with 41% of students selecting it out of four. The second highest choice was chosen by 22% of student voters, giving the show either a one or a two rating, and 16% giving the show a four out of four. 

    With the 2025 Super Bowl over, athletes, musicians, and fans are looking forward to the next halftime show. The Squire also asked some of the Journalism staff who they would like to see perform at the next Super Bowl. Gavin Reynolds voted for Drake, Xander Russell and Austin Hanson voted for G3GELO, and Easton Fitzgerald, Joe Gigliotti, and Westyn Gage voted for Slipknot.  

     According to amp.foxsports.com, the next Super Bowl will be at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, home of the San Francisco 49ers, on Sunday, February 8. However, the artist performing has not been announced yet. Make sure to stay updated when the 2026 Super Bowl comes around next year!