Mark J. Rebilas – Imagn Images/ Dan MacMedan-USA TODAY
Kendrick Lamar is set to culminate arguably the greatest year of his professional career — his hit “Not Like Us” became the biggest song of his career, dismantled Drake, and won five Grammys — with a halftime performance at Super Bowl LIX on Sunday in Louisiana. Ahead of the big show, last year’s headliner Usher shared some advice for Lamar.
While appearing on The Jennifer Hudson Show earlier this week, the 46-year-old Usher — who headlined last year’s Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers — said that while he has not yet personally spoken to Kendrick Lamar, he’s got some nuggets of advice all the same.
Usher’s advice regarding the Super Bowl halftime show wasn’t necessarily revolutionary, as he urged Lamar to “stay in the moment” because everything isn’t going to go perfectly but he needs to find a way to enjoy himself regardless.
“I haven’t had the chance to catch up with him and tell him, one, how excited I am. I’ve talked to everybody around … I’ve talked to all the producers, his creative team… The one thing I would say is savor the moment ‘cause you get obsessed in trying to build the best performance but you don’t realize that it’s really about enjoying it,” Usher explained to Jennifer Hudson.
“It might not be perfect, everything may not go exactly the way it’s supposed to but if you are in your mind and stuck trying to make something perfect , you’re not going to look up and smell the flowers.”
“We realize that these past vulgar performances may have been acceptable to the residents of those states where those Super Bowls were held but, in Louisiana, these lewd acts are inappropriate for viewing by children, objectify women, and are simply NOT welcomed by the majority of Louisiana parents,” they wrote.
“The Super Bowl is a family tradition, and since Louisiana allocated state funds this year, its events should reflect wholesome values. While certainly a large amount of support exists among many Louisianans who are excited about the Super Bowl coming back to New Orleans, many are also hardworking taxpayers with children who have serious concerns about the fact that past Super Bowl halftime performances have been less than family-friendly.”
Super Bowl LIX between the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs, who are seeking a historic third-straight Super Bowl title, and the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles, will kick off from the Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on Sunday, February 9 at 6:30 p.m. EST, meaning Lamar will likely perform around 7:45 p.m. – 8 p.m. EST.