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Does Taylor Swift have dangerous blood with Kendrick Lamar? A few of her followers assume that she ought to.
On Sunday, the Tremendous Bowl went down between the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.
The actual attraction was, as all the time, the Halftime Present. This yr, Kendrick Lamar placed on a stellar efficiency, placing his anti-Drake anthem on show for tens of tens of millions.
However one of many rapper’s most well-known collaborations didn’t make the present.
Kendrick Lamar speaks in the course of the Tremendous Bowl LVIX Pregame & Apple Music Tremendous Bowl LVIX Halftime Present Press Convention at Ernest N. Morial Conference Heart on February 06, 2025. (Picture Credit score: Mike Coppola/Getty Photographs)
Why didn’t Taylor Swift be a part of Kendrick Lamar for the Halftime Present?
Kendrick Lamar was a pure decide for the Tremendous Bowl’s Halftime Present. His music, and significantly the track, “Not Like Us,” dominated numerous discourse in 2024. It wasn’t fairly the Tune of the Summer season (that was definitely “Good Luck, Babe“), nevertheless it was a scorching subject — and is sort of universally identified.
Typically, when a Halftime Present performer announcement comes out, folks speculate about who would possibly be a part of them for collaborations. Generally, a featured artist is extra thrilling than the headliner.
This yr, a lot of the dialogue was moderately about how Drake would spend these subsequent months dreading Kendrick’s efficiency. Nonetheless, Halftime present collaborations had been clearly on the minds of Taylor Swift’s followers.
Ice Spice, Ashley Avignone, and Taylor Swift attend Tremendous Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025. (Picture Credit score: Jamie Squire/Getty Photographs)
Taking to what stays of Twitter, Swifties lamented that Kendrick Lamar had not introduced Taylor Swift onto the stage to carry out “Bad Blood” partly or on entire.
“Bad Blood” was Taylor Swift’s 1989-era feud anthem. Although the track didn’t initially function Kendrick, he did seem and sing in the course of the squad-studded music video.
“Just really feel like Bad Blood would’ve brought a little razzle dazzle to the halftime show,” tweeted one dissatisfied fan.
‘Bad Blood would’ve introduced a bit of razzle dazzle to the halftime present’
“Not me being so delusional i thought taylor swift might perform badblood with kendrick lamar,” one other Twitter denizen confessed.
“You have countless swifties watching the Super Bowl and you couldn’t simply ask Taylor for the rights to your version of bad blood,” scolded one other Swiftie. “Pathetic!”
One more wrote: “Kendrick had the opportunity to do the most iconic thing & bring Taylor out for bad blood but he didn’t smh.”
Kendrick Lamar, winner of Document Of The Yr, Greatest Rap Efficiency, Greatest Rap Tune, Greatest Music Video and Tune Of The Yr for âNot Like Usâ, poses within the press room in the course of the 67th GRAMMY Awards on February 02, 2025. (Picture Credit score: Frazer Harrison/Getty Photographs)
These are some daring — and, in some circumstances, insulting — opinions. However we must always do not forget that these are coming from a specific strata of Taylor Swift followers, not essentially from followers of Kendrick Lamar.
A diehard Batman fan would possibly really feel dissatisfied at superhero movies that don’t function their finest boy. Equally, if Taylor’s your fave, seeing a Halftime present with out her would possibly look like a waste.
That mentioned … Taylor Swift can’t headline each present. And, on this case, perhaps it’s finest that she didn’t.
Taylor Swift attends the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards on February 02, 2025. (Picture Credit score: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Photographs for The Recording Academy)
Possibly it’s finest that Kendrick Lamar didn’t ask Taylor Swift to affix him
Bear in mind, a bunch of poisonous bros booed Taylor on the Tremendous Bowl. Why? Presumably, as a result of some have considered her as a “distraction” from sportsball video games over the previous yr and a half.
Moreover, there was a wave of “revenge politics” in current months (and years). One other music efficiency at this yr’s Tremendous Bowl makes it clear that many entities are catering to the worst amongst us.
Placing Taylor on stage might need invited unwelcome hostility in the direction of her. It might even have distracted from Kendrick Lamar’s lovely feud with Drake. Can we not spend time appreciating Kendrick for being, really, one of many best haters of all time?
