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Apple Music teased Kendrick Lamar’s upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show performance with a trailer revealing a guest performance from singer SZA.
The 30-second teaser, dropped on Thursday, sees Lamar talking on the phone on a football field. A line of men walking in unison can be seen at the top of the screen, alluding to the creative direction for the rapper’s upcoming set.
Halfway through, SZA sneaks up behind Lamar and douses him with a vat of blue sport drink, an homage to the Gatorade shower.
“Hip-Hop’s MVP takes the big stage, with guest performer SZA,” reads the trailer’s description on YouTube. The two are also slated to tour together starting in April.
The teaser is one of Apple Music’s few marketing efforts around the halftime show.
Lamar first announced his headlining gig back in September. The Compton rapper posted a 75-second long video of himself feeding footballs through a passing machine while yelling words of encouragement to someone off-camera.
“Rap music is still the most impactful genre to-date. And I’ll be there to remind the world why,” Lamar said in a statement. “They got the right one.”
“Few artists have impacted music and culture as profoundly as Kendrick Lamar,” added the NFL’s head of music, Seth Dudowsky. “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.”
Apple Music also curated playlists on its app, housed under a landing page called “Kendrick Lamar’s Road to Halftime.”
Lamar has been the center of attention since his beef with Drake began at the beginning of 2024. In November, he surprise-dropped an album called GNX, which got meme treatment because of the way he humorously screams “MUSTARRRDDDDDD!” on the Mustard-produced song “tv off.” Brands like McDonald’s and Heinz were quick to tap into the cultural buzz.