We have gained further knowledge about what to anticipate from the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show next year. Kendrick Lamar, set to headline the biggest TV show of the year in February, recently dropped a complete surprise album on all music streaming services last Friday, much to everyone’s surprise.
Lamar’s latest album, GNX, is his initial complete album since the release of Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers in 2022. It further capitalizes on the notoriety he gained in the current year due to his highly-publicized conflict with rapper Drake. Regarded as the top rap artists of their era, the pair exchanged diss songs throughout the summer until Lamar’s “Not Like Us” ultimately triumphed.
Therefore, Lamar currently possesses an incredibly strong series of tweets in the present year. He has made five posts in 2024: One for his first Drake diss track, “Euphoria”; another for the follow-up diss track “Meet the Grahams”; one for “Not Like Us”; one for his Super Bowl announcement video; and finally, one for the GNX release.
“Unlike Drake,” a song that cleverly suggests Drake is a pedophile, topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts, marking his first solo number one hit and likely aiding Lamar in securing the Super Bowl performance.
In a recent interview, Lamar explained that “Not Like Us” symbolizes his essence and the image he portrays as a man.
This man possesses morals, values, beliefs, and convictions. “He’s not trying to please or appease,” Lamar explained, when SZA requested further explanation. He is a man who can admit his errors, unafraid to share them, willing to delve into fear-based beliefs or experiences to express them without compromising his masculinity.
Beyoncé set the standard for surprise album drops in 2013 with her self-titled release, leading other artists to attempt to emulate her achievement in the following years. However, with the increase of music on Spotify and other streaming services, there was a return to stricter regulations on releases. Lamar demonstrates that surprises are still possible for everyone.
