In what perhaps was an obvious homage to Michael Jackson (who was the last person to perform a Super Bowl halftime show in Los Angeles prior to 2022, ESPN reported), Kendrick Lamar channeled the King of Pop during his part of Super Bowl LVI’s halftime show. The rapper not only used choreography to enhance his performance — similar to what Jackson would do — he also dressed in a way that reminded fans of the “Thriller” singer’s own halftime performance. Along with the white glove on his hand, Lamar and his dancers wore an outfit in black and gold that was reminiscent of a military uniform, just like Jackson.
Fans of both Jackson and Lamar took to Twitter to express their love of the rapper’s potential nod. “Kendrick’s one glove and military dancers,” one person wrote. “Kendrick Lamar with the Michael Jackson swag!” a second fan enthused, along with a strong arm and clapping emoji. “Kendrick paying tribute to Michael Jackson,” a third user tweeted, confirming what others thought about the segment.
While Lamar himself has not confirmed he was paying his respects to the late King of Pop, the comparisons were undoubtedly there and pleased Jackson’s fans, regardless of Lamar’s intentions.