Kendrick Lamar beats Michael Jackson's Super Bowl halftime show record

Kendrick Lamar has officially dethroned Michael Jackson.

The rapper’s recent Super Bowl halftime show has become the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show in history, a record previously held by the King of Pop for over 30 years.

Roc Nation, Apple Music, and the NFL confirmed on Tuesday, February 11, that Kendrick's Super Bowl LIX performance drew 133.5 million viewers, edging out Jackson’s legendary 1993 show, which had 133.4 million.

“We’ve broken the record again! The most-watched Apple Music Halftime show EVER,” the companies announced on Instagram. 

Lamar’s performance even surpassed the game itself, which averaged 126 million viewers, as the Philadelphia Eagles claimed victory over the Kansas City Chiefs with a final score of 40-22.

The milestone marks another historic achievement for Lamar, who became the first solo rapper to headline the Super Bowl halftime show. His set featured guest appearances from Samuel L. Jackson, SZA, Serena Williams, and Mustard, and was packed with tracks from his chart-topping 2024 album GNX. 

The Humble rapper performed hits like Squabble Up, Peekaboo, Luther and All the Stars (with SZA), and TV Off, before closing with his five-time Grammy-winning Drake diss Not Like Us.

Lamar and SZA will soon take their record-breaking energy on the road, kicking off their Grand National Tour in April, with a U.K. and Europe leg set for July.