Kendrick Lamar is an artist who famously doesn’t keep his political views a secret, dropping songs that bring awareness to things like the Black Lives Matter movement, police brutality, racial injustice in America, and more. So we knew, when he landed the gig that every artist wants - headlining the Super Bowl Half Time show - that he’d have something to say about the political state of the world rn.
With Trump back in office, making controversial decisions almost every day in the bills he’s passing, the speeches he’s giving, and even the Tweets he’s sending out, the state of the United States is feeling pretty tumultuous at the moment.
There’s a drastic divide between Democrats and Republicans that is driving misinformation and hatred on both sides, and whilst it’s debatably whether it's any music artist’s responsibility to use their platform to educate the public on politics, we suspected Kendrick might do exactly that.
And we were right. Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Half Time show might’ve had all the glitz and glamour of your regular performance, with plenty of backup dancers and SZA and Serena Williams linking with K-Dot on stage, but it also shared some deeper messages. You might not have noticed them the first time - some of these were subtle af - so here’s our breakdown of the symbolism behind Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance.
The “WARNING WRONG WAY” sign
At one point, for a brief moment during Kendrick’s performance, parts of the crowd was illuminated up with lights that formed a sentence, reading: “WARNING WRONG WAY.” Referencing the idea of society moving backwards - and also the fact that voting Trump back into Presidency was a step in the wrong direction - the message here is clear.
Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam
Legendary actor Samuel L. Jackson appeared in Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Half Time show dressed as the famous American icon, Uncle Sam. Since the early 19th Century, Uncle Sam has represented the personification of the United States, used as a symbol of the government in American culture. That’s why it’s so poignant when Sam Jackson called Kendrick Lamar’s music “too g*tto,” - its’ clear he’s representing the United States government’s view of rap music, because it's an outlet for political dissatisfaction and discussion.
Backup dancers forming a divided American flag
During Kendrick Lamar’s performance his backup dancers, all dressed in either red, white, or blue jumpsuits, formed the shape of an American flag, with Kendrick performing in the middle. However, something stood out: the fact that the dancers didn’t meet in the middle of their formation. Instead they left a gap. Online, people have been guessing that this is a reference to the political divide in the states.
Featured image via Getty©
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