Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” Spotify Streams Jump by 430 Percent Following Super Bowl Halftime Show

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Kendrick Lamar’s electrifying Super Bowl half-time show had fans eager to explore more of his music, leading to a significant surge in his Spotify streams following his performance on Sunday evening.

On Monday morning, the streaming service reported that the Grammy Award-winning rapper experienced a 430% surge in streams within just three hours, immediately following Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance, for his hit diss track “Not Like Us.

The track gained renewed popularity among many others: Lamar’s total streams rose by a staggering 175%. Notably, “Humble” saw a boost of 300%, while his collaboration with SZA, “All the Stars,” experienced an even greater jump of 290%. Interestingly, SZA also observed an 80% surge in her individual streaming figures.

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The song regained attention among several others: Lamar’s overall streams skyrocketed by 175%. Specifically, “Humble” saw a significant increase of 300%, and his duet with SZA, “All the Stars,” had an impressive jump of 290%. Additionally, SZA herself reported an increase of 80% in her individual streaming data.

The GNX rapper showcased a number of his latest tracks such as “squabble up,” “DNA,” “euphoria,” “man at the garden,” “peakboo,” “luther” and “tv off.” During this performance, Lamar hinted that he was planning to play their favorite song but mentioned they have a tendency to sue – an allusion to the Drake diss track “Not Like Us” and ongoing lawsuits related to the song. In the end, he opted not to play it at that moment, instead slowing things down and inviting Grammy Award-winning vocalist SZA onto the stage before eventually returning to the song.

There was much talk among fans as to whether Lamar would perform “Not Like Us” on the NFL’s major platform. This highly praised song, released during his ongoing dispute with rapper Drake, is one of several diss tracks Lamar put out against Drake, with “euphoria” being another, which he also performed.

In the original tune, Lamar explicitly mentioned Drake’s name. Interestingly, he avoided using the word “pedophiles” from the song, yet the crowd echoed loudly with the lyrics “trying to find a harmony and it’s likely in A minor.

2024’s smash hit “Not Like Us” ruled the Billboard Hot 100 for two consecutive weeks, while dominating the Hot Rap Songs chart for an impressive 20 weeks. This chart-topping track swept all five Grammy categories it was nominated for, including Song and Record of the Year. It transcended its initial purpose as a diss song and evolved into a global and cultural phenomenon. The track has now surpassed one billion streams on Spotify and was inducted into their Billions Club.

In a recent defamation case, Drake has filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), his record label. The lawsuit alleges that UMG knowingly released a song with the intent of making it viral, which contained accusations implying that Drake is a pedophile and urging listeners to take vigilante action. In other words, the lawsuit claims that UMG created and distributed a track that falsely portrayed Drake as a criminal pedophile.

In November, Drake’s company, Frozen Moments, made a claim in a New York court stating that Universal Music Group (UMG) intentionally flooded streaming platforms and radio airwaves with the song “Not Like Us” to make it trendy. They alleged this was done through the use of automated programs, or bots, and pay-to-play deals. However, both Spotify and UMG have denied these accusations, with UMG calling them baseless and untrue.

UMG and Spotify have never entered into an agreement where UMG provided Spotify with a 30% discount on licensing fees for ‘Not Like Us,’ in return for Spotify actively promoting the song, such as suggesting it to users searching for similar songs and artists,” Spotify stated following the petition.

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2025-02-10 21:54