Celebrated rapper Kendrick Lamar is slated to headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show on Sunday, February 9, in New Orleans. In a teaser for the performance posted on social media, it was also announced that R&B star SZA will serve as a “special guest” during the performance, but many of the other performers are still a mystery.
But, what many want to know is if Taylor Swift, who is dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, is going to make a special appearance at the show, too.
Kendrick Lamar and Taylor Swift Have a History Together
Lamar and SZA make sense as performers together, because they’re both multiple Grammy Award winners and former labelmates. The two collaborated on “All the Stars” off the 2018 “Black Panther” movie soundtrack album and “Luther” off Lamar’s 2024 GNX album. They’re also touring together on the Grand National Tour this April through June.
Swift could make sense, too. She and Lamar famously collaborated together on the mid-2000s hit “Bad Blood.” Since that was 10 years ago, the two could perform together as a special, 10th anniversary performance.
Don’t get too excited, though. In a feature published in the New York Times leading up to the big game, music writer and expert Jason Jones predicted that Lamar won’t perform “Bad Blood” with Swift. He actually gives Lamar a zero percent chance of playing the song at the show, with or without Swift.
“Taylor Swift collaborated with Lamar on this song in 2015. Swift, however, might be in a suite watching her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, play in New Orleans,” he said, in the piece published before it was confirmed that the Chiefs would be at the big game. “If that’s the case, there’s no way she could quietly leave to prepare for a performance.”
So, Jones makes a good point that if Swift truly wants to support her man at the game, that would be difficult to do while prepping for a big performance.
Travis Kelce’s Friend Fuels the Idea of a Surprise Performance
Some fans still think it could happen, though, and a post from one of Kelce’s friends is creating a stir.
“Meet us in Nawwwwlans!!” Aric Jones, a friend of Kelce, posted on social media along with a photo with Swift in a suite at Arrowhead Stadium after the Chiefs’ win over the Bills. The post also featured a Lamar song.
Fans responded to a social post circulating with Jones’ post, stating things like, “imagine a superbowl performance for TS13.”
“Walk with me in my delusion for a moment plz,” another followed commented. “Kendrick Lamar is doing the halftime show. Kendrick Lamar has a feature on a taylor swift song. Taylor swift is also going to be at the superbowl. I know it’s not going to happen. But let me sit in my delusion temporarily plz.”
It would be pretty epic to see this collaboration happen, but time will tell.
Lamar’s appearance at Super Bowl LIX will mark his second time playing the Super Bowl halftime show, so he’s no newbie. He performed at Super Bowl LVI in 2022 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and Eminem.
