Concert Review: Kendrick Lamar & SZA - Grand National Tour in Houston
- Jazz Williams
- May 1
- 4 min read
April 23th was a day a to remember. I went to see Kendrick Lamar and SZA co-headline the Grand National Tour at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. I started listening to SZA’s music two years ago and saw her perform live that same year. When this tour was announced, I immediately bought tickets to see her again. I liked a few of Kendrick’s older tracks, but I never called myself a fan. I didn’t officially become a fan until I watched his Super Bowl performance. That’s when I knew the decision to buy tickets for the show was the right one. This was my first hip hop concert and I was intrigued, to say the least.
At 8:30 pm on the dot, the show started with the crowd fired up to hear Kendrick’s first round of songs like “wacced out murals”, “squabble up”, and part one of “tv off”. Then, we get to see SZA perform a few slower songs including “30 for 30,” “Broken Clocks”, and “The Weeknd”. Before you can even process your emotions, Kendrick swoops in again with another round of crowd approved songs that included “euphoria”, “Humble.”, “m.A.A.d. city”, and “Alright”. After a small break from yelling, it was time for SZA’s extended return to the stage. She performed fan favorites including “Scorsese Baby Daddy”, “F2F”, “Kitchen”, and “Low”. Just when you think SZA left the stage, she stays on to sing “Doves In the Wind” and “All The Stars” with Kendrick. During “All The Stars”, lights were circulating the stage like batman’s signal and both of them were on platforms lifted high in the air.
Fast forward to Kendrick blasting through “peekaboo”, “DNA.”, and “Poetic Justice”. Later, SZA rattled off some of my personal faves such as “Kill Bill”, “Snooze”, “BMF”, and “Kiss Me More”. Next, Kendrick finishes off the second part of “tv off” before he unleashes the song we’ve all been waiting for, “Not Like Us”. It was absolutely chaotic with the collective screaming and dancing of 42,205 people. This moment will go down in world history. After the craziest moment of the night, the final act ensues. Kendrick and SZA perform "luther" and "gloria". For the last time that night, they told us how much they loved us. Then, the icons got in the Buick GNX and descended underneath the stage. The iconic show was over at exactly 11:00 pm.
SZA’s forest, insect, and garden themed sets were truly phenomenal. Her backup dancers were dressed up in various insect costumes. Most notably during “Kill Bill”, two preying mantises accompanied her on stage. In addition to that, she sang on top of a giant ant during “Kitchen”. She even floated above the stage during “Crybaby” and “Saturn” while shedding her cocoon and morphing into a butterfly all without missing a note. The way she bounced from R&B to rock to hip hop to alternative pop and back around was very impressive. I also would like to praise her for the use of rock/punk elements in “Scorsese Baby Daddy”, “F2F”, and various other songs. I love rock music and it’s one genre I would like to see black musicians get back in the rock music scene. From the visuals to the singing to the dancing to her unique genre-bending musicality, there is nothing she can't do.
Kendrick Lamar is a highly lauded and well respected rapper and I finally understand why. I am extremely impressed how he was able to bounce from song to song and remember the sheer plethora of lyrics. I also love how he uses his music to speak on issues affecting the black community and the political climate. On various songs, he was accompanied by backup dancers and strobe lights. The Buick GNX was on stage during “wacced out murals”, “Man At The Garden”, “gloria”, and numerous other songs. Most of his performances were in a black and white color palette with the exception of very colorful songs like “DNA.” and “Not Like Us”. His raw energy, rap flow, and political commentary are chef’s kiss.
The Grand National Tour is a must-see, don’t-miss, or you’ll regret it once-in-a-lifetime event. Two and a half hours, five duets, nine acts, 52 songs, and a stadium full of awestruck, jaw-dropped, drooling fans who couldn’t get enough. The energy of the crowd was so infectious the entire show. Even you didn’t know any of the songs, you would have the best time. There were so many incredible moments during the show, but “Not Like Us” takes the cake. I would love to see Kendrick and SZA perform individually and together again. This is an unforgettable moment in pop culture/music history and you don’t want to miss it.
Written By Jazz
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