Kendrick Lamar’s Buzzy Super Bowl Look

If you were paying close attention to Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 Super Bowl halftime show, you would have noticed that his performance was as much about what he wore as it was about his song choices.

Lamar’s ensemble, styled by Taylor McNeill, combined personal narrative with fashion statements. His custom Martine Rose varsity jacket, emblazoned with “Gloria,” paid homage to the closing track of his 2024 album GNX.

Complementing the jacket were light-wash bootcut jeans by Celine, a nod to the resurgence of Y2K fashion trends. His choice of denim, with its dramatic flare, became an instant viral sensation online. Fans debated whether flared jeans could become a menswear staple once again. (Yes, they can — but no one will look as cool as Kendrick wearing them.) Some social media users dubbed them “Hannah Montana pants” while praising their boldness and masculinity. These pieces, as much as the music, cemented Lamar’s role as a cultural trendsetter.

The “Gloria” jacket mattered because it celebrated his music and highlighted themes of perseverance and excellence in hip-hop. The jeans defied conventional expectations of male performers. They also demonstrated Lamar’s willingness to challenge norms and embrace individuality. Paired with a diamond-encrusted “a” chain referencing his Grammy-winning diss track “Not Like Us,” his look was filled with layers of symbolism and Easter eggs for fans to unpack.

Music and fashion have always been intertwined. David Bowie made the androgynous glam rock aesthetic cool. Madonna consistently challenged fashion norms, most notably by wearing undergarments as outerwear. Today, Billie Eilish is challenging pop star norms with her oversized, gender-neutral outfits. Lamar’s look was all about visual storytelling, and the impact on fashion will be felt long after the buzz about Super Bowl 2025 subsides.

The buzz about Kendrick Lamar also helps explain why live sports has become the crown jewel of connected TV. A major sporting event like the Super Bowl is a global cultural phenomenon that permeates the digital and analog viewing experience. Streaming platforms ranging from Netflix to Amazon Prime want a piece of the action. And they have the money to buy their way in. Watch for future sporting events to become even more integrated into music, fashion, and culture than they are now.