Kendrick Lamar Breaks Super Bowl Record, Surpasses Michael Jackson

Kendrick Lamar has made history with his Super Bowl 59 halftime performance, which has become the most-watched in history.

The rapper’s 12-minute set at the 2025 Super Bowl match between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs was watched by 133.5 million viewers, according to Chart Data.

This slightly edged out Michael Jackson’s record of 133.4 million U.S. viewers from his iconic 1993 performance.

Similarly, the match itself became the most-watched Super Bowl game ever, drawing 127 million viewers and surpassing Super Bowl LVIII, which previously held the record with 123.4 million viewers across all platforms.

Lamar made history as the first solo hip-hop act to headline the famous halftime show.

He performed a mix of his hit songs, including Humble, Loyalty, and Money Trees.

Oscar-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson introduced the rapper for his highly anticipated set, which he kicked off with an intense lyrical delivery.

Lamar also brought out SZA for a performance of their hit collaboration All The Stars, while Samuel L. Jackson played the role of a narrator guiding the rapper’s show.

The highlight of the night was Lamar’s performance of his Drake diss track Not Like Us, a song he initially hinted he wouldn’t perform.

“I want to perform their favorite song, but you know they love to sue,” Lamar said, referencing Drake’s lawsuit against Universal Music, under which the diss record was released.

The rapper then acknowledged, “this what the people want,” before launching into the track.

However, he notably toned down some of the lyrics, leaving out the controversial “pedophile” line.

Adding to the spectacle, American tennis icon and Drake’s former romantic partner Serena Williams made a special appearance.

She stole the moment as she crip-walked on a lamp post while Lamar completed another victory lap over his rap feud with her ex.

Lamar’s record-breaking performance came just a week after he won five Grammys at the 67th Grammy Awards for Not Like Us, including historic wins for Song of the Year and Record of the Year.