“Los Angeles, Cali-motherfucking-fornia!”
With this intro, followed by a roll call of local neighborhoods, Kendrick Lamar let everyone know just how happy he was to be back in L.A. And he should be. After weeks on the road, Lamar and friend/frequent collaborator SZA’s co-headlining Grand National Tour was rolling into the biggest venue their hometown has to offer, SoFi Stadium, for three nights of sold-out shows. After the wildly successful year they’ve both had—Billboard hits! Grammys! Movies! Decisive feud wins! The Super Bowl!—this homecoming show could’ve been nothing more than a victory lap. But it wasn’t. Instead, these two artists commanded the stage for nearly three hours as if they still had everything to prove.
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As holographic graffiti cut into a “concrete wall” on stage, Kendrick kicked off the night by rising up inside his recent album’s title object, a Buick Grand National. He opened with “wacced out murals” (from 2024’s GNX) and by the second verse, doused the stage in verbal and actual flames. He never lost this initial intensity at any point, delivering one blistering verse after another from almost every song on the album plus many hits off his earlier albums. Kendrick’s ferocious energy, fueled by dramatic lighting design, gave the night a furious start.
Initially, SZA came out to perform “30 for 30” with Lamar, but once he left, his wall on the video screen began cracking, then crumbling, to reveal gloriously warm and colorful scenes of nature. The stadium’s mood shifted as her video displays became more and more fantastical takes on a garden, as if shrinking the audience down to the size of an ant. And just to take that idea further, SZA later rode a mechanical ant, too. SZA’s chill grooves calmed the audience, but without ever lowering the energy. She always remained joyously light on her feet; metaphorically during a particularly infectious “What Do I Do” and literally when flying via butterfly wings and a harness for “Nobody Gets Me.”
This back and forth formed the shape of the concert: Lamar performed six or so songs, then tagged out with SZA for six or so songs. I’ve never seen a co-headlining show where the two superstars intertwined their sets like this, let alone where two major artists shared the spotlight without ego. It worked out great, creating a refueling flow for all. For an epically long show, you never felt it because this was one of the best sequenced setlists I’ve seen.
As the night went on, Lamar and SZA exchanged vibes, too. Following one of SZA’s mini-sets, Kendrick brought bright colors and a playful troupe of back-up dancers into “HUMBLE.” Likewise, SZA swapped her soft greens and browns for a deep red to accompany the powerful sensuality of “Consideration.” And Lamar and SZA used the night’s structure for clever set-ups and pay-offs too. SZA’s ongoing praying mantis imagery took on a darkly funny context during a soaring take on her hit “Kill Bill,” while Kendrick turned his “tv off” into pre and post “MUSTARD!” bookends for the entire concert. In case these two artists weren’t enough for you, SZA also brought out a special guest, her “best friend for energy and positivity,” Lizzo, to perform her song “Special” together.
Recounting it here, this all sounds massive. And it was. But it never became overwhelming or impersonal. Rather, Lamar and SZA came off as alive and in the moment, never too practiced (even though, realistically, they must’ve been). Even better, the two artists had genuine chemistry every time they shared the stage. Whether for their Oscar-nominated duet “All the Stars”—which used lights and rising platforms to create a vertical performance up through the giant space—or the soft and sweet “LOVE,” the duo created a sense of intimacy despite the venue’s size. You felt their friendship, particularly in the short videos between songs. One that played huge with the L.A. audience found the two of them playfully bickering over what gas station snacks to get, ending with SZA teasing Lamar for not knowing how to pronounce “chamoy” with, “Your fans are Mexican!”
Lamar and SZA ended the evening on this collaborative note, closing out with “luther” and “gloria.” Before that, though, Kendrick gave the crowd a blistering, stadium-shaking “Not Like Us.” It was almost 11 p.m., but everyone was up and shouting along to every knockout lyric with joy. Okay, this moment? This was a victory lap. But Kendrick Lamar has earned it, and both he and SZA showed that they will keep giving music their all no matter how much they win.
To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.
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