High energy was the name of the game for the opening night of the 2025 Grand National Tour, co-headlined by rapper Kendrick Lamar and R&B artist SZA, on April 19.
The two artists have been riding a high over the last year, with Lamar releasing his hit single “Not Like Us” last May followed by his latest album “GNX” in November; SZA soon followed suit, releasing “Lana,” the deluxe edition of her album “SOS,” last December. Lamar now also has two Super Bowl performances under his belt, the first in 2022 alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Mary J. Blige; and the second this past February in New Orleans with SZA. Needless to say, the announcement and following build-up for their global Grand National Tour gained immediate excitement from fans worldwide.
Tour-goers congregated at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis for the show on Saturday evening, some of which arrived hours earlier for SZA’s pop-up shop for her debut beauty line, Not Beauty, where the artist was in attendance to meet fans. Once showtime hit, record producer Mustard opened with his own signature DJ set. His involvement in the tour is no surprise, as he helped produce “Not Like Us,” which won Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the this year’s Grammy Awards; as well as several other songs on Lamar’s “GNX.” Mustard also joined Lamar on the field during his 2025 Super Bowl halftime performance.
After Mustard’s production, the lights would eventually dim and Lamar appeared on the big screens in what appeared to be a deposition-style video, perhaps a nod to recent legal issues led by rapper Drake, who is the center of several diss tracks by Lamar—including “Not Like Us” and “Meet the Grahams.” Drake filed a lawsuit in January against Universal Music Group (which he, Lamar, and SZA are all signed to) over the release and promotion of “Not Like Us,” alleging defamation.
Photo by Amanda Christensen
Lamar and SZA then rose from below the stage in a black Buick Grand National Experimental, beginning the show with “Wacced Out Murals,” the first song on Lamar’s “GNX.” Throughout the two-and-a-half-hour show, Lamar and SZA would trade off performing, coming together for the songs they collaborated on in-between.
Following “Wacced Out Murals,” Lamar went into “Squabble Up,” “King Kunta,” “Element,” and “TV Off,” followed by “30 for 30” with SZA. She then took the spotlight and sang “Love Galore,” “Broken Clocks,” and “The Weekend,” all big hits from her 2017 album “Ctrl.” Flames and fireworks were shot into the air from the stage throughout the set, lighting up the venue and electrifying Lamar’s and SZA’s stage presences.
The second act featured Lamar on stage, by himself or with backup dancers, for “Euphoria,” “Hey Now,” “Reincarnated,” “Humble,” “Backseat Freestyle,” “Family Ties,” “Swimming Pools (Drank),” “M.A.A.D. City,” “Alright,” and “Man at the Garden,” taking attendees on a journey between “GNX” and earlier albums like “Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City” and “Damn.”
SZA’s return to the stage for her next solo set spotlighted songs from albums “Lana,” “SOS,” and “Ctrl,” including “Scorsese Baby Daddy,” a fun pop hit (and a personal favorite of mine from “Lana”), “F2F” with a live band accompanying her, “Garden (Say it Like Dat),” “Kitchen,” “Blind,” “Forgiveless,” and “Low.” When it came to her stage presence, SZA didn’t choose between singing and dancing—the artist gave the audience a stellar show of choreographed dances as she went from one song to the next, capturing the attention of viewers with visible joy and undeniable talent. On theme with the insect motif of her album “Lana,” SZA also brought out two men in praying mantis costumes—on stilts, might I add—to join her for “Garden (Say it Like Dat).”
Lamar came back to join her for their next batch of joint songs, including “Doves in the Wind” from SZA’s “Ctrl,” “All the Stars” from the soundtrack for the 2018 Marvel movie “Black Panther,” and “Love” from Lamar’s album “Damn”—the latter of which is originally a collaboration between Lamar and rapper Zacari, with SZA performing Zacari’s parts for the show.
Photo by Amanda Christensen
Going solo again, Lamar jumped to “Dodger Blue” from “GNX,” performing atop a long dining-style table with dancers performing while seated in a row of chairs. This was followed by “Peekaboo,” “DNA,” “Count Me Out,” “Money Trees,” and “Poetic Justice,” as well as his verses featured on “Good Credit” by Playboi Carti and “Like That” by Future and Metro Boomin. Lamar’s ability to transition seamlessly from powerful hits like “Peekaboo” and “DNA” to the smooth, moody sound of “Money Trees” was exceptional—and translated throughout the entire show.
When SZA re-entered the stage, she gave lots of love to “Lana” and “SOS,” performing “Diamond Boy (DTM),” “Shirt,” “Kill Bill,” “Snooze,” “Crybaby,” “Saturn,” “Good Days,” and “BMF.” These were accompanied by her verses featured on “Rich Baby Daddy” by Drake and “Kiss Me More” by Doja Cat. For “Saturn,” SZA was dressed as a fairy with wings, harnessed and lifted into the air as a backdrop of rotating stars and other astronomical elements flowed on the screen behind her.
As the show approached its end, Lamar came back to the stage to perform “Bodies,” an unreleased clip from the “GNX” project, as well as a second part of “TV Off.” Then, of course, the intro heard around the world for “Not Like Us” blasted through the stadium speakers, and Lamar went into the iconic diss track that has caught the world’s attention since its release—with some 50,000 audience members singing nearly every word.
Photo by Amanda Christensen
Rounding out the night were “Luther” and “Gloria,” both from “GNX” and featuring SZA. “Luther” has become the No. 1 hit for both artists on Spotify, featuring a sample from the song “If This World Were Mine” by Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn, a rendition of the original by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terell. Its melodic, dreamy sound is smooth on the ears and Lamar and SZA performed it beautifully live on stage. “Gloria” was the final song of the night, its lyrics displaying Lamar’s exploration of personal introspection, the love for his musical craft, and social injustice.
While fame is nothing new for either Lamar or SZA, this show, and the tour in general, is going to continue pushing both artists into the much-deserved spotlight, showcasing their longstanding talent and musical genius. They each bring something different to the stage, with Lamar’s deep West Coast heritage as a native of Compton, California, and SZA’s, whimsical, romantic energy—together, they create something fresh and exciting in its own right. Even if you missed the show, I strongly encourage everyone to give their discographies a listen—you might just find your new favorite song and learn something new about the culture these two infuse into each and every project.
