Kendrick Lamar was on seventh heaven, performing the halftime show at Super Bowl 59.
His performance featured appearances from SZA, Samuel L. Jackson, and Serena Williams, giving fans a power-packed show that was praised as a cultural and artistic masterpiece. His infamous song “Not Like Us” that targets fellow rapper Drake was also enjoyed by the viewers, hyping up the event number-wise.
Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Performance Falsely Inflated by Roc Nation
Roc Nation, founded by rapper Jay-Z in 2008, is facing backlash after reporting two different viewership numbers for Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show. Initially, the entertainment company claimed that Lamar’s performance had racked up 202.4 million viewers.
However, official reports from the NFL, Apple Music, and Fox Sports revealed a different story. Roc Nation uploaded another tweet mentioning 133.5 million as Lamar’s viewership.
The misleading claim spread quickly on social media, with Roc Nation falsely inflating the show’s number and calling it the most-watched Apple Music halftime show ever.
🚨TRENDING: Roc Nation has been caught lying after posting that this year‘s halftime show was the most watched ever…
Despite having 68 million fewer viewers this year than they had at last year’s halftime show.
Wild, they posted it themselves 😳 pic.twitter.com/0mQifDV86K
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) February 12, 2025
The number, 133.5 million, surpassed Michael Jackson’s legendary Super Bowl 27 performance. It even outdrew the game itself, but the exaggeration by Roc Nation didn’t go unnoticed. Fans and media outlets called out the inconsistency, questioning why the numbers were initially inflated.
Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles rematched their Super Bowl 57 showdown, but this time, the Eagles dominated with a 40-22 victory. Even with the historic game on the line, over seven million more viewers tuned in for Lamar’s performance.
Lamar Looking To Top Billboard Charts After Historic SB59 Performance
Lamar is set to dominate the Billboard charts following his Super Bowl 59 halftime performance. The Compton rapper pulled in record-breaking viewers on Feb. 9. While Super Bowl performers are not paid by the league, the surge in performers’ streams and sales hand them a huge payday.
Leading the charge was “Not Like Us,” Lamar’s diss track that found its way back to the top of multiple streaming charts, including Spotify, Apple Music, and iTunes. The track had already spent multiple weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart in 2024 — it is now eyeing a return to the top spot.
It’s not alone — Lamar’s collaboration with SZA, “Luther,” and his track “TV Off” featuring TV Gunplay, are also surging. As of this week, “Luther” sits at No. 2 across major streaming platforms, while “TV Off” finds itself sitting on the No. 3 spot on the Hot 100.
Radio airplay is also propelling Lamar’s chart dominance. “Luther” is seeing a major boost, jumping from No. 14 to No. 11 on the Radio Songs chart, while “Not Like Us” has surged 35% in audience impressions in just four days.
