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Photos: Kendrick Lamar and SZA launch tour in Minneapolis

April 21, 2025

Kendrick Lamar, SZA and Mustard performed for the opening night of the Grand National Tour on Saturday, April 19, at U.S. Bank Stadium. Greg Noire - pgLang

Kendrick Lamar and SZA performed a whirlwind 52-song set on night one of the Grand National Tour at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. On Saturday night, in front of a packed stadium of about 50,000, they blended the best of their discographies.

DJ Mustard warmed up the crowd with a mix of his biggest hits – such as Migos’ “No Masterpiece,” 2Chainz’s “I’m Different,” and Big Sean’s “IDFWU” – blended with jams like Juvenile’s “Back That Azz Up,” Travs Scott’s “Fein,” and City Girls “Act Up.” Noting the faces of the crowd, he ended his set with Fun. & Janelle Monae’s song “We Are Young.”

Kendrick Lamar, who had his Super Bowl-famous car with him, kicked off with a five-song set including “wacced out murals” from 2024’s acclaimed GNX. Later, SZA joined him to perform “30 for 30” from the Lana deluxe edition of SOS. More tag team moments would follow. SZA then ran through “Love Galore,” “Broken Clocks,” and “The Weekend,” from her Grammy-nominated CTRL.

Lamar re-emerged for a spirited third act featuring a dizzying array of pyrotechnics and matched visuals through some of his most energetic hits. During “euphoria,” dancers matched their energy with Kendrick’s songs. It continued for “reincarnated,” “hey now,” and “HUMBLE.” As Lamar performed “Not Like Us” near the tail end of the show, the audience enthusiastically rapped along.

SZA on stage — SZA. Kendrick Lamar, SZA and Mustard performed for the opening night of the Grand National Tour on Saturday, April 19, at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Cassidy Meyers

There were nods to the greats. An abundance of soul singer Anita Baker’s music before the show foreshadowed a drumless interpolation of “Sweet Love” during Kendrick’s powerful performance of “mAAd city.” During SZA’s performance of her cameo verse from Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More,” a splice-in of Prince’s “Kiss” audibly delighted the audience. The cheers were at a fever pitch as Kendrick and SZA performed “luther” as their combined set came to a close.

As sets switched, visuals did a lot of the heavy lifting in keeping the crowd entertained. For Kendrick, there was stylized court deposition testimony. SZA’s video transitions evoked the scenery of CTRL and Lana: SOS Deluxe. Footage of SZA’s fascination with insects such as ants, butterflies, and praying mantises accompanied SZA undergoing her own metamorphosis. Video segments also gave nods to The Fly, Species, and even Jordan Peele’s Nope. Then songs such as “Kill Bill,” “Snooze,” and “Shirt,” brought SZA’s set to its apex as she morphed into a butterfly taking flight while performing “Saturn.”

Both Kendrick Lamar and SZA relied very minimally on overdubs and audience to carry the vocals. The kids will tell you that the mics were definitely on as Lamar and SZA maneuvered on a stage carrying similar elements to Lamar’s historic Super Bowl performance. Two artists doing that at the peak of their celebrity was a masterclass in performance.

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