Concert Reviews

Lamar, considered one of the greatest rappers of his generation, and SZA, an R&B shining star, have cemented themselves as top performers and hit makers.

Kendrick Lamar and SZA at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Monday, May 12

Kendrick Lamar’s fiery pyrotechnics, SZA’s animatronic ant, and the pair’s electrifying performance of their many collaborations dazzled a sold-out show at Gillette Stadium Monday night.

Lamar and SZA’s joint stadium tour was high energy at their last New England stop in Foxborough, hitting new and old hits from the pair. Lamar, considered one of the greatest rappers of his generation, and SZA, a genre-exploring R&B artist, have cemented themselves as two of the top talents in popular music.

Kendrick’s peak of the show was “DNA.” and “Peekaboo,” while SZA literally flew with her fairy wings during “Cry Baby.”

Lamar’s black-and-white, concrete aesthetic contrasted with SZA’s highly saturated nature vibe until the two converged for their hit song “All the Stars” about halfway through the set. Lamar and SZA performed on the diamond B-stage, tall lights reaching the sky, with finishing fireworks.

Lamar’s acts particularly did not skimp on the pyrotechnics. He opened the show with “wacced out murals” and “squabble up,” which also open his surprise 2024 album “GNX.” He rapped from the titular GNX before the area screens lit up with a video of a deposition, likely alluding to a lawsuit Canadian rapper Drake filed alleging that Lamar’s hit “Not Like Us” is defamatory. (Kendrick ended the concert with the hit in Foxborough).

The rapper then revisited past hits “King Kunta” and “ELEMENT.” Plumes of fire and sparks accented the hard turn into “tv off” to conclude the first act of the almost-three-hour show.

Lamar’s aesthetic stayed with neutral streetwear and grey sweatsuits during his longest act, while he also sported red camo pants and a Los Angeles hat. He incorporated Anita Baker’s “Angel” as a transition and performed “m.A.A.d. city” over a slower, classic beat before hitting high energy with “Alright.” Instead of jumping into “Swimming Pools (Drank)” during his act, he called out to his “day ones” when he performed an a capella verse from the 2012 hit.

SZA immediately made her mark for the second act, rising onto stage on the GNX covered in vines. Lamar joined her for their song “30 for 30” against the backdrop of the car. For SZA, the screens switched from gritty black-and-white to warmer, yellow lights to match the alt-rock vibes of her tracks.

She first covered some tracks from 2017’s “Ctrl,” not touching on any hits from 2022’s smash album “SOS.” “Love Galore,” “Broken Clocks” and “The Weekend” all had some heavy drums and reverberating guitar, in contrast with the studio versions. A guitarist and bassist even ran onto stage to join SZA for some of the pieces.

The back of the stage was covered in flowering vines, which she expanded for her next act. SZA headlined the fourth act — including “Scorsese Baby Daddy,” “F2F,” and “Blind” — where she danced on top of an animatronic ant the size of a car, and her back-up dancers were dressed as praying mantises on stilts during a standout vocal performance of “Garden (Say It Like Dat).”

During “Low,” however, she dropped to the splits and transitioned to sexy, red fire visuals before the pair blended seamlessly for “Doves in the Wind” and “All the Stars,” both studio collaborations.

Later, Lamar’s older hits “Money Trees” and “Poetic Justice” had vintage backdrops of bonds, newspapers, and more. Vocally, Lamar never let up, keeping emotions emphasized on the lyrics and a range of ad-libs.

For her final main act, SZA’s ballroom gown stretched to the floor while she flew high above the stage before “BMF” and “Kiss Me More,” her hit with Doja Cat. The pair encored with “luther” and “gloria,” both from Lamar’s newest album. 

Setlist for Kendrick Lamar and SZA at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Monday, May 12, 2025:

Act 1: Kendrick Lamar

• wacced out murals

• squabble up

• King Kunta

Act II: SZA

• What Do I Do

• Love Galore

• Broken Clocks

• The Weekend

Act III: Kendrick Lamar

• euphoria 

• reincarnated 

• Backseat Freestyle

• family ties

• Swimming Pools (Drank)

• m.A.A.d city 

• man at the garden

Act IV: SZA

• Scorsese Baby Daddy
• F2F

• Garden (Say It Like Dat)

Act V: Kendrick Lamar and SZA

• Doves in the Wind

• All the Stars

Act VI: Kendrick Lamar

• dodger blue

• GOOD CREDIT

• Count Me Out / B*****, Don’t Kill My Vibe

• Money Trees

• Poetic Justice

Act VII: SZA

• Nobody Gets Me

• Rich Baby Daddy

• Kiss Me More

Act VIII: Kendrick Lamar

• Not Like Us

Encore

• gloria
• heart pt. 6

Molly Farrar

Molly Farrar is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on education, politics, crime, and more.

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