Kai Cenat, the popular Twitch streamer, recently criticized Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance during Super Bowl LIX, suggesting that the crowd engagement was not as vibrant as the televised experience suggested. According to Cenat, although Lamar’s performance attracted an astounding 133.5 million viewers—making it the most-watched halftime show to date—the energy from the live audience was noticeably lacking.
Was the Super Bowl Audience Engaged?
Cenat recounted his experience from the venue, claiming that apart from a few standout moments, the audience remained virtually silent throughout the performance.“Kendrick Lamar came out. Word to my mother, if anybody was there, y’all knew what it was — y’all felt it. Crowd wasn’t making no noise, ” Cenat remarked. The energy peaked only during certain instances, particularly when stars like SZA and Samuel L. Jackson were shown on the big screen, and during the performance of “Not Like Us, ” a track directed at Drake.
Kai Cenat speaks on his personal experience during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show saying the whole crowd was quiet basically the whole performance besides certain times when people were shown 👀 pic.twitter.com/mzwRmJi0RU
— ryan 🤿 (@scubaryan_) February 12, 2025
Allegations of Altered Sound Effects
In a more controversial assertion, Cenat implied that the “vibes were not good”during Lamar’s set, primarily because the crowd seemed uninterested until certain focal points in the show. He indicated that a change in song selection might have heightened the audience’s enthusiasm.
Adding fuel to the fire, Cenat alleged that Lamar’s production team may have enhanced the crowd noise post-production to create an illusion of enthusiastic reception.“Oh my God, they added sound effects to the NFL sh*t. On my life, right here, there were no sounds, ” he stated while streaming on Twitch and pausing the performance to emphasize his point.
Reactions from the Streaming Community
Despite the controversy surrounding the performance, it has ignited significant dialogue among viewers and streamers alike. Popular streamer Pokimane expressed her perspective, suggesting that only “white men”failed to grasp the significance of Lamar’s artistry and the underlying messages. This prompted a sharp rebuttal from fellow streamer xQc, who criticized her comments, calling them “dumb as f*ck.”
The conversation around Kendrick’s performance reflects broader discussions about cultural understanding within music and entertainment, particularly in high-profile platforms like the Super Bowl.
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