As expected, rapper and Pulitzer Prize winner Kendrick Lamar completely owned the stage at the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime show in New Orleans tonight. The rapper was joined by SZA for his much-anticipated performance, as well as special guest appearances from Samuel L. Jackson (dressed in custom Bode as a well-clad Uncle Sam character), Mustard, and Serena Williams, who served as one of his background dancers. (All of the dancers were dressed in shades of blue, red, and white—the three colors of the American flag.)
Given the musician always uses his fashion choices for a deeper meaning—his looks tend to bear messages, whether there are obvious or hidden meanings behind them—it was no surprise that his Super Bowl outfit tonight also told a much larger story. Styled by Taylor McNeill, the rapper wore bootcut jeans (Y2K style is back, according to Lamar and other stars like Pharrell Williams), as well as a custom leather Martine Rose varsity jacket that spelled out “Gloria” along the front. (At first, a lot of viewers actually mistook it for the Florida Gators logo.) So, what was the story behind that bold jacket?
True Kendrick fans will know that “Gloria” serves as the closing track on his 2024 album, GNX. According to outlets such as Genius, Gloria serves as a metaphor for Lamar’s pen game. “The woman Kendrick speaks of serves as a conceit, becoming an extended metaphor for the discussion of his craft,” reads an explanation. “Gloria, which means ‘glory’ in Spanish, becomes a personification of rap glory—his ‘pen’ and the artistic journey it represents.” Around his neck, the star also donned a hefty chain necklace with a lowercase “a” pendant on it—a nod to his lyrics in “Not Like Us,” in which Lamar raps, “Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A-minorrrrrr.” (The song is a Drake diss track—you can read all about the meaning behind that specific line here.)
Lamar wasn’t the only star on the halftime stage to use his fashion choices to nod back to his music, either. SZA was styled by Alejandra LaPilusa for her performance. The singer sported a custom red leather jacket by Born x Raised that bore a white Lana logo on the chest, the title of her 2024 album, as well as “Crybaby” on the back, which is the title of one of its songs. Both stars used their moment in the global spotlight to connect their attire back to the soul of their records—they are their own best billboards, after all.
This story was originally published on Vogue.com.
