Tell-tale signs you missed in Kendrick Lamar's 'worst ever' Super Bowl performance

Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl 2025 halftime show on Sunday night was dripping with secret messages. The rapper, 37, took to the stage at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, during the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles showdown, bringing out a slew of special guests out with him, including SZA and Serena Williams. While many have branded Kendrick's performance the 'worst ever' halftime show, those who had been paying close attention would have seen that it was packed full with symbolic messages.

At the top of his set, Kendrick, 37, appeared to make a dig at President Donald Trump, who was among the high-profile attendees in the crowd. Addressing the audience, Kendrick said: 'The revolution is about to be televised; You picked the right time but the wrong guy.'. The multi-Grammy award-winner was of course referring to Gil Scott-Heron's acclaimed 1971 poem, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, which speaks to the Black power movement of the 1960s.

However, Kendrick's mention of the 'wrong guy' sent the internet into a frenzy, immediately leading them to believe he was referencing January's US Election. 'Kendrick literally protested, and taunted America in front of the president during America's biggest sports event. Chefs kiss,' one viewer wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl 2025 halftime show was dripping with messages. The rapper's back-up dancers were dressed in the colors of the American flag.

'Still thinking about Kendrick opening with the line "the revolution will be televised and you chose the wrong guy" while Trump was sitting right there,' another said. 'Incredible move.'. Elsewhere, Kendrick's back-up dancers were dressed in red, white and blue, in reference to the American flag. During the rapper's track Humble, they stood in formation on the stage making the flag much clearer to see.

However, the dancers were divided in half with Kendrick standing in-between them. Some eagle-eyed audiences noted this and deduced that the group was split to show how the country is politically and culturally divided. Others noticed that all of Kendrick's dancers were Black, which was an apparent nod to slavery. 'Black folk representing the American flag because modern America was built on our labor… Kendrick I see you,' said one.

Another wrote: 'Kendrick creating the American flag and then splitting it in half to symbolize the country's divineness... the amount of amazingly executed political symbolism in this one performance… I'm going to have to sit down with a notebook and pen.'. The dancers were unified momentarily before being divided and leaving Kendrick in the middle. President Donald Trump attended the Super Bowl with his daughter Ivanka Trump.