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Who is doing the Super Bowl halftime show 2025? Predicting Kendrick Lamar's setlist

Story by Jack McKessy, USA TODAY

• • 3 min read

It's no secret that the big game means big money

He's walking into New Orleans with the etiquette of L.A.

Hip-hop artist/rapper Kendrick Lamar will headline this year's Super Bowl halftime show, and he'll be joined by a special guest: R&B singer/songwriter SZA.

This year's show will be the first time Lamar is its leading act, but it isn't the first time he has appeared on stage during the Super Bowl. He was also a special guest at the Super Bowl 56 halftime show in Los Angeles, performing alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak.

Kendrick Lamar performs during the 60th Annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden in 2018.© Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY

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The tradition of the Super Bowl halftime show dates back to the very first iteration of the Big Game, when the University of Arizona and Grambling State marching bands entertained the crowd in attendance for the Packers' win over the Chiefs in January 1967.

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Recordist artist Rihanna performs during the halftime show of Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 12, 2023.

©For The Win

Usher sings during the halftime show for Super Bowl 58 between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers on Feb. 11, 2024.

The spectacle (read: production value) of the show has grown significantly over the years, and today it is nearly as big of a draw for viewers as the game itself.

Here's everything to know about this year's Super Bowl halftime show:

Lamar and SZA will perform at this year's halftime show, with the "Not Like Us" singer set to headline.

Lamar, 37, just released a new album titled "GNX" and is coming off of a year in which his name was constantly in the headlines for a feud with fellow rapper Drake. Now, the Compton, California native will headline a Super Bowl halftime show for the first time ahead of his next tour.

The NFL and Roc Nation, Jay-Z's entertainment company, announced Lamar would be the performer at this year's Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday, Sept. 8, the same day as most of the Week 1 NFL slate. Lamar posted his own video announcement to his YouTube channel as well.

Last Friday, Apple Music posted a video to all of its social media pages announcing SZA as the show's special guest. The R&B artist has collaborated with Lamar several times, including two songs on his album "GNX" and, more recently, a song on her new album, "Lana."

Kendrick Lamar setlist predictions

Lamar has not (and likely will not) announced a setlist for his Super Bowl halftime show, but there's plenty of room for speculation.

First and foremost, the song he is most likely to play by far is "Not Like Us," his hit single from last summer.

After that, it's a good bet that he'll include the first live performances of some songs from his latest album. Songs like "squabble up" and "tv off" in particular are near-locks to make the setlist as some of the more high-tempo, "hype" songs.

Other than his most recent work, Lamar has frequently leaned on some hits from past albums in other recent live performances. For the Super Bowl, expect songs like "HUMBLE" or "DNA," both of which are from his fourth studio album, "DAMN.," to be featured. "Alright" and "King Kunta" are likely candidates from his third album, "To Pimp a Butterfly," while "Money Trees" and "m.A.A.D city" are other possibilities from his second album, "good kid, m.A.A.d city."

Lamar has tended to stay away from songs from "Section.80," his debut studio album and from "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers," his fifth studio album, in recent live performances.

Given that SZA is the special guest, viewers can expect that she and Lamar will perform at least one of the more recent songs the two have collaborated on: "All the Stars" from the "Black Panther" movie soundtrack, "luther" or "gloria" from Lamar's album "GNX," or "30 for 30," from SZA's "Lana."

In addition, SZA may perform one of her own, solo songs in the show. If that's the case, the most obvious pick would be "Kill Bill," a single from her 2022 album "SOS."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is doing the Super Bowl halftime show 2025? Predicting Kendrick...