All bets, and hopes as well, were placed on Taylor Swift being announced as the headlining artist for the Halftime Show of the upcoming Super Bowl. However, the NFL, which organizes this event in partnership with the production company Roc Nation and Apple Music, announced this Sunday that Kendrick Lamar has been chosen instead.
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The event, which will determine the champion of the 2024 NFL season, will take place next Sunday, February 9th at the Superdome in New Orleans.
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Why Kendrick Lamar at the Halftime Show?
Taylor Swift is currently the most popular singer in the world, and she has been in a relationship with Travis Kelce, a player for the Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs, for a year. It seemed logical to see her in the Halftime Show, but the NFL has other plans.
In reality, the major weight of the decision by the artists lies with Roc Nation, the production company founded by Jay-Z and which in 2019 was hired by the NFL to revamp the show and reach out to minorities, especially after the performance of Maroon 5 in Super Bowl LIII.
Since then, on the world's biggest stage appeared Shakira and Jennifer Lopez; The Weeknd; Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and other urban artists; Rihanna, and Usher. In that group of urban artists who performed in Los Angeles in 2022, Kendrick Lamar also sang a couple of songs.
Now the 37-year-old singer from the Los Angeles neighborhood of Compton, a breeding ground for hip-hop groups and artists, will have the responsibility of leading the show on his own, which raises some doubts due to the explicit content of his lyrics. His latest big hit is "Not Like Us".
"Rap music continues to be the genre with the greatest impact to date. And I will be there to remind the world why," said Kendrick Lamar in a statement.
Jay-Z also said, “Kendrick Lamar is truly a unique artist and performer of his generation. His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence global culture. Kendrick’s work transcends music and his impact will be felt in the years to come.”.