The stadium roared. The lights went off. Blasts of fire went up, and with that, the volume. To call it grand was an understatement. Starting on April 19 at the U.S. Banks Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Kendrick Lamar and SZA began the Grand National Tour. The starring duo would treat it like a showcase of their best works throughout the years, performing songs from their old albums, like Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city, and SZA’s Ctrl album, mixed in with newer songs from over the years.
Arriving in Atlanta, Kendrick and SZA knew how to get the energy going at the beginning of their tour, bringing Playboi Carti out for “Good Credit,” a song featured on Playboi Carti’s new album, MUSIC. Their performance included dancers on a black and white screen in the background and Playboi Carti’s signature in bright red. What the stadium did not know was that Playboi Carti would not be the only surprise guest star on the tour—soon in New Jersey, more surprises were yet to come. Baby Keem and Kaytranada appeared on the tour at Metlife Stadium, where they performed “Family Ties” and a surprise song, “Be Your Girl,” by Teedra Moses.
Aside from the starring music of the tour, the merch did not disappoint. Kendrick Lamar created a variety of shirts featuring the 1987 Buick GNX Regal, the car that inspired his most recent album. SZA leaned into the theme from her Lana album, specifically its association with bugs. Part of her performance was spent on top of a giant ant, singing her 7 top song, “Drew Barrymore.” Together, they created a sweatshirt and T-shirt with both of their names on the back and bugs, and the GNX car on the front. Many of Kendrick’s pieces also included another theme of the tour, “Gloria,” one of the top songs on the GNX album.
My experience at the Grand National Tour at Metlife, night two, was nothing short of amazing. The light features hit every beat, the crowd was energetic, and the vibes were on point. The concert was an even 50/50 between Kendrick and SZA, but the best songs weren’t the ones they did separately. “30 for 30,”“Doves in the Wind,” and “Luther” were just a few of the duets they performed. My favorite of all their songs together was easily “All the Stars.”The song was a fan favorite, and the crowd knew every word.
Kendrick performed his songs, opening with “wacced out murals,” “squabble up,” and “King Kunta,” from his GNX album. After being in his “element,”SZA joined the stage, performing her songs “Love Galore,” “Broken Clocks,” and “What Do I Do.” Sza had a special fairy costume during her performance of “Nobody Gets Me,” where she was suspended above the stage in a dress that suddenly dropped, revealing her fairy wings underneath. The background changed from the dancers to a starry, pink night.
The show ended with SZA singing “Kiss Me More,” a Doja Cat cover, and the encore of “luther” and “gloria” by Kendrick Lamar.
In the end, the Grand National Tour wasn’t just a concert. From stunning visuals to surprise guests, it was a full-blown experience. Kendrick Lamar and SZA delivered the performance of a lifetime.
