Predicting Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl 59 halftime show setlist: When will Kendrick perform 'Not Like Us'?

Kendrick Lamar has had quite the year and we're just over a month into 2025 — and it's only going to get better at Super Bowl LIX. While the Kansas City Chiefs, the Philadelphia Eagles and the now more-high-profile-than-ever referees are on the field trying to determine the next champion, all eyes will be on the Super Bowl halftime show with the Grammy-winning rapper at the forefront.

The Super Bowl halftime show is always a bit different than some people might think it is, though. Just last year, everyone though they had the setlist figured out for Usher only to be wrong. So while we know the big hits for Kendrick Lamar, predicting what order they'll come in and otherwise is always interesting.

Yet, we're going to try and crack the code and predict the Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl 59 halftime show setlist. That starts, of course, with the first song that he'll play, which is a novelty prop available in FanDuel users in Canada, among other places. We'll also look at if he'll perform the Grammy Record of the Year "Not Like Us" amid litigation from Drake over the diss track in addition to his last song before a full prediction for the setlist.

What song will Kendrick Lamar play first at the Super Bowl halftime show?

Official prediction: 'Alright'

Just to be clear, "Alright" is not among the favorites to be the first song that Kendrick Lamar performs during the Super Bowl halftime show but I've become a bit convinced that this is the one. The music video for the track features Kendrick floating through the city of Los Angeles while also being an absolutely hype record. The combination of those two things would give us an unforgettable entrance and help the tone for the entire halftime show, so I'm sticking my neck out on the longshot to be the first song played in New Orleans.

Will Kendrick Lamar play 'Not Like Us' in the Super Bowl halftime show?

As mentioned, Drake and OVO have filed pending litigation against Kendrick Lamar over the diss track "Not Like Us". Of course, that hasn't stopped the rapper from performing the song at high-profile places like the Grammys. And again, the record also won the coveted Record of the Year and Song of the Year categories at the awards show.

Because of all of that and the immense popularity of "Not Like Us", it almost feels certain that he will perform the track at the Super Bowl 59 halftime show. That, of course, will be our official prediction: Kendrick will perform it and the atmosphere will be electric (as a little bonus prediction).

What song will Kendrick Lamar play last at the Super Bowl halftime show?

Official prediction: 'Not Like Us'

Not only will Kendrick Lamar perform "Not Like Us", he'll use it as the hammer and the finale for the Super Bowl 59 halftime show.

Think about it: "Not Like Us" has not just been arguably the biggest song of Kendrick's career — a feat in its own right — but has been a cultural phenomenon. Crowds will go berserk singing along to the "A Minor" line among many others and it's a great way to cap off the party. While some have wondered if Kendrick would open the halftime show with the track, I think it fits much better as the exclamation point to end the show.

Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl 59 halftime show setlist prediction

We have the first and last songs but what will happen along the way? Here are our official predictions for the Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl halftime show and what songs he'll play.

The biggest omissions, at least in my opinion, would be "Money Trees", "Swimming Pools (Drank)", "tv off", "peekaboo" and even "euphoria". On the last one there, I have a hard time believing that Kendrick, even if he's unafraid, will perform two standalone Drake diss tracks in the Super Bowl halftime show. Maybe I'm proven wrong, but that feels like the proper read on the situation.