Happy Music Monday Muses! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and are ready for a beautiful week ahead.
If you guys didn’t see the news yesterday, it was announced before the noon slate of NFL games yesterday that Kendrick Lamar would be the Super Bowl halftime performer for the game in February that will be held in New Orleans.
As always, there has been speculation and discourse about who everyone would like to see headline to show since the conclusion of last season’s show that was headlined by Usher in Las Vegas. I’ve seen everyone from Taylor Swift to Miley Cyrus to Kanye West to Drake in people’s opinions. I also saw with the Super Bowl being held in Atlanta that it should’ve been Lil Wayne with Wayne being from Nola and that he could reunite the Hot Boys on stage.
Inevitably, the NFL in partnership with Apple Music and Roc Nation, announced Kendrick as the headliner with a video as well posted to YouTube by Lamar urging everyone to “meet him in New Orleans” and to “wear your best dress, even if you’re watching from home.” You can watch the spot on his official channel here.
In honor of that, I decided that K-dot was going to be my star of The Muse Mixx this week. In my opinion, it was only right. This week, I’ll be sharing some of my fave tracks and tracks I hope he’ll perform in February.
Let’s get into this tracklist:
- “F***in Problems” by A$AP Rocky featuring Drake, 2 Chainz, & Kendrick Lamar
- “family ties” by Baby Keem with Kendrick Lamar
- “A.D.H.D”
- “Alright”
- “Freedom” by Beyonce featuring Kendrick Lamar
- “untitled 05”
- “Sidewalks” by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar
- “good kid”
- “HUMBLE.”
- “Hair Down” by SiR featuring Kendrick Lamar
- “untitled 07”
- “King’s Dead” by Jay Rock with Kendrick Lamar, Future, & James Blake
- “Collard Greens” by ScHoolboy Q featuring Kendrick Lamar
- “Institutionalized”
- “ELEMENT.”
- “LOYALTY.” featuring Rihanna
- “Not Like Us”
- “Goosebumps” by Travis Scott featuring Kendrick Lamar
- “DNA.”
- “untitled 06” featuring Cee-Lo Green
- “Mona Lisa” by Lil Wayne featuring Kendrick Lamar
- “Like That” by Future & Metro Boomin featuring Kendrick Lamar
- “Alien Girl (Today w/ Her)”
- “Forbidden Fruit” by J. Cole featuring Kendrick Lamar
- “HiiiPower”
- “Tints” by Anderson .Paak featuring Kendrick Lamar
- “Money Trees” featuring Jay Rock
- “Rigamortus”
- “All the Stars” featuring SZA
- “Doves in the Wind” by SZA featuring Kendrick Lamar
- “God Is Fair, Sexy, Nasty” by Mac Miller featuring Kendrick Lamar
- “m.A.A.d city” featuring MC eiht
- “The Blacker The Berry”
- “euphoria”
- “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst”
- “Swimming Pools (Drank)”
- “Poetic Justice” featuring Drake
- “Pray For Me” by The Weeknd with Kendrick Lamar
- “Father Time” featuring Sampha
- “Vice City” by Black Hippy
As you can see…I got a *bit* carried away. But, I couldn’t help it. Once you start naming songs and vibing, it’s easy to let things get out of control.
However, I think that the discourse surrounding him being chosen for the halftime show is interesting.
There’s people claiming Kendrick doesn’t have the hits to carry the show as a headlining act, claims that people just started listening to Kendrick in 2024 because of the beef with Drake, and that this is just the NFL riding the wave of what’s popular by tapping K-Dot.
I’m misunderstanding why people are forgetting the influence Kendrick’s music has had culturally but especially over the last couple of years. Between his track “Alright” becoming a track of multiple Black movements/marches, his curation of the Black Panther soundtrack, to becoming the first rapper to win a Pulitzer Prize for an album. I also don’t get where this rhetoric that people just started listening to him this year when he has one of the highest grossing tours in rap history. Many people I know have been listening to Kendrick Lamar for YEARS now. I mean like since Section 80 at least. We are not about to sit here and act like Kendrick hasn’t been a household name for a good minute now.
Another thing is this movement for Lil Wayne to be the halftime performer just because he’s from Nola and Kendrick is not, I raise you these as they were two of my favorite tweets about the subject:
I believe another thing that needs to take place is the people who are legit mad that Kendrick is the performer because they feel that it sullies his message about the people. Some see it as the status of being a “sellout” these days to work with the NFL in any capacity. I don’t believe his message and work that he does for his community and with inspiring the Black community is messed up over a performance at the Super Bowl.
As for those that believe it should have been Lil Wayne…I’m not saying Lil Wayne doesn’t have the catalog because that would just be disingenuous, however, in my opinion I haven’t seen a Lil Wayne show recently in which he is performing at the level he once did earlier in his career. Performances aren’t just for the people we like, it’s also about knowing they can put on a show. For example, J. Lo isn’t my favorite artist, but I would never fix my lips to lie and say that she isn’t a performer. Lil Wayne isn’t commanding a stage in my opinion the way he used to.
For those that believe Kendrick is only still relevant because of his beef with Drake is simply not true. Kendrick definitely doesn’t need Drake to be popular and I believe that you are chronically online if you believe that. Both artists can stand alone without the other, however, many people have been speaking on both of their latest projects. Some hot and some cold with both. But the commercial tour success of both of their tours showed they are both top touring artists as well.
I believe Kendrick will put on an amazing Super Bowl show looking back at the production of his “Kendrick & Friends” show at the Forum back in June and how his last tour went. Kendrick’s songs have been all over social media, being used for sporting events, HBCU bands have arrangements, and he basically took over the summer. Kendrick will be just fine.
I also think that those that are against Kendrick forget that he has been part of a Super Bowl Halftime show before and has also performed at the halftime of the first ever College Football Playoff National Championship:
Moving on from Kendrick Lamar, this week’s D-Sides that I also have for y’all is a Mixx of songs from former Super Bowl performers and new songs that have dropped recently that I’ve been liking. I have songs from the past couple of halftime performers Usher, Rihanna, The Weeknd, Maroon 5, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, and Coldplay. Then of course, I went back to Michael Jackson and Prince because LEGENDS.
As far as new music goes; I got Megan thee Stallion, Halle, Lola Brooke, Flo Milli, Fred again…, Big Sean, Victoria Monet, Doechii, and Laila!
Y’all can check out this week’s D-Sides here on Spotify, it’ll be a Spotify exclusive this week.
I also have yet ANOTHER playlist for y’all! I actually made it last week and forgot to post it when I got caught up in my own excitement.
I made a Football Hype playlist for the College and NFL seasons, I intend to add to it from time to time as the season goes on. So far; you can listen to Ying Yang Twins, Migos, Panic! At the Disco, Kanye West, Goldlink, and more on the playlist. It’s a Spotify exclusive, so you can listen to it here.
I can’t talk Music Monday without mentioning some other new and recent music news.
The Weeknd: Live in Sao Paulo & New Album
The Weeknd had been teasing and advertising a show in Sao Paulo, Brazil since July and mentioned “we will be together” in a post on Instagram on July 20th. After announcing pre-sale for tickets for the show in Brazil, he announced in August that the show would be livestreamed on YouTube about 8 ET (which was 7 my time and in the middle of the Alabama Football game versus South Florida😬.)
Of course, y’all know how huge of a fan of his I am, so even with the Bama game being on and effectively stressing me out (if you watched the game from start to finish, then you know why) I was tuned in to the concert. He also ended up bringing Anitta and Playboi Carti out on stage with him and performing songs with both of them that are new (Carti also performed his verse from his collaboration with Travis Scott, “Fein,” which has me thinking there is a remix coming?)
This already seems like this is going to be his most transparent and vulnerable era. He talks about mental health, religion, and finding true happiness in his interview with Billboard Brazil, for which he is also the cover artist this month. You can read more about the interview here.
Just a short five days ago, he announced that his upcoming album will be titled Hurry Up Tomorrow with a video posted to his socials, again, seemingly extremely transparent about internal battles he’s been facing for a while. Of course, it didn’t take XO fans long to speculate on what he meant between losing his voice that postponed a tour date in the US and his mental health. No release date in sight yet, however many have speculated from the shipping information on the pre-orders for the vinyl and CD that it can be anytime between now and March of 2025 due to the shipping timeline.
Since it’s been rumored (and can’t remember the confirmation from him) that he’d be retiring The Weeknd stage name/persona after this latest trilogy was complete, which would be with this album release, do we think he’s going to use his government name to release music or are we saying goodbye to The Weeknd and Abel for good? If you missed the concert, you can catch it again here.
He also just announced via socials that the first single, “Dancing in the Flames,” from the new album is dropping this Friday!
Young Money…Crashing Out?
It’s been a little over 24 hours since the news of Kendrick Lamar being the halftime show headliner was announced. Since then on today, we’ve had a rant by Nicki Minaj and subtweets by Birdman.
Nicki even went as far as to call Jay-Z out his name (bold of someone who hates folks bringing up her husband,) and Birdman called Jay a “hater.”
Let me say this. Nobody and I mean NOBODY is denying Lil Wayne’s place in Hip-Hop/Rap history. We also aren’t disregarding the moment in the culture and time where he introduced us to his Young Money squad featuring Drake and Nicki. But what we AREN’T going to do is act like he owns New Orleans. We also aren’t going to act like Nicki isn’t a walking contradiction for speaking ill on Jay when many have also alluded to the fact that she really has an issue with Beyonce but won’t mention her, so she attacks her husband instead. While this isn’t a gossip blog, y’all know I will always speak my opinion and truth on what’s going on currently. I also feel like all these fans that feel entitled to their fave performing and making it seem like the decision has to make sense regionally sound insane. No one is entitled to anything.
It’s also worth noting that why would we want someone to perform who has admitted to not being able to remember his own lyrics, has made controversial comments about the Black Lives Matter movement, and has openly been cheesing and grinning with Donald Trump. This is where my personal conflict lies.
It also bothers me that people are discrediting Kendrick in favor of Wayne. It doesn’t have to be like that at all.
Beyonce Snubbed from CMAs
The nominations for this year’s Country Music Association Awards have been released and Beyonce, in spite of having one of the most successful Country albums this year, wasn’t nominated for any awards.
Of course, social media called out the irony due to how Beyonce wasn’t nominated especially after speaking on how she felt uncomfortable in the space in 2016 when she performed with The Chicks (formally the Dixie Chicks.)
There hasn’t been a time when anyone had the #1 song and album in the genre and been snubbed from the awards. Further, proving Beyonce (and most black people’s point) for how we’re not accepted in the space.
However, *big shocker,* Morgan Wallen leads the nominations for the CMAs which surprises NO ONE with common sense.
But, I’m glad our boy Shaboozey knows what’s up.
The Upcoming MTV VMAs
While I haven’t been paying attention to the VMAs since Beyonce’s Video Vanguard performance and doubley since they have been attempting to erase the face that that award is named after Michael Jackson plus them not booking Victoria Monet last year. This year Megan Thee Stallion will be hosting the awards on September 11th and I may tune in if only to support my girl plus to see Lenny Kravitz return to the VMA stage. Taylor Swift leads the nominations with 10 and Post Malone is close behind with 9. This year’s Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award recipient is Katy Perry. To which ehh. However, Perry did announce today that her new single and video “I’m His, He’s Mine” with Doechii on September 13th.
What do we think Muses? How do we feel about Kendrick being the halftime performer? What’s your favorite new song out right now? How are we feeling about The Weeknd’s concert? I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Monday.
Musically yours,
Links:
+ Listen to The Muse Mixx Vol. 13 on Spotify
+ Listen & Watch The Muse Mixx Vol. 13 on YouTube
+ Listen to Deni’s Football Jump Off on Spotify
+ Follow me on Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | TikTok
