In the wake of the most-viewed Super Bowl performance in history, Kendrick Lamar and SZA returned for a weekend encore with the music video for their R&B ballad luther. Featured on Lamar’s surprise sixth studio album GNX, the track has spent much of its lifespan dominating the charts, spending its eighth week as the number one song on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite the song’s positivity, one question crosses fans’ minds with every new release: Is he dissing Drake? This time, Lamar seems to set any explicit mentions of the Toronto rapper aside, focusing on love and affection as central themes in the video.
On an unassuming April 11, Lamar–in a blunt fashion typical of his promotional style–surprised the culture with a single tweet. The caption read “luther”, followed by a link to the music video on YouTube. The song is an ode to companionship, sampling Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s iconic rendition of If This World Were Mine to create a deeply romantic serenade. Lamar and SZA’s endearing back-and-forth duet, followed by lines such as “I’d take away the pain, I’d give you everything, I just wanna see you win…,” underscores the importance of teamwork, devotion, and hope as the building blocks to genuine love amidst a world of frustration and suffering.
To amplify these emotions, director Karena Evans strips the visuals of everything flashy and expensive, much like how the lyrics avoid such materialism. The video also lacks any central characters beyond Lamar and SZA’s respective partners, whom they embrace and caress throughout. This is old-school love laid bare: meaning over grandeur, understanding over selfishness. Humility and comfort between two people over worldly desires or temporary pleasures.
The cinematography is intimate and dreamlike, using liminal spaces and soft, neutral tones to invoke the indescribable warmth that accompanies real love. It invokes memories of simpler times–especially for viewers in committed relationships–capturing that universal feeling of two people against a harsh world. It’s that sentiment that Lamar invites us to find solace in. Luther is a manifestation of the protection, safety, and comfort found in unapologetic devotion.
However, love comes in many forms, often extending beyond the romantic. It’s no secret that Lamar deeply values his culture and where he came from. From showing West Coast bravado in the Not Like Us music video to emulating Tupac’s energy and cadence on the GNX track, reincarnated, he shows love for his humble beginnings above all else. Parts of the music video are paused to allow the sampled vocals to shine, paying homage to Vandross and Lynn as pillars in the R&B genre. The tall glass building they travel through is the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in Los Angeles, a tribute to the city that raised him. These thoughtful choices are what elevate the track beyond rap beef; it’s a testament to love, legacy, and the spirit of hope as society navigates the unknown.
Finally, much like his entire catalogue, the production is littered with the classic K-Dot symbolism that listeners have come to enjoy. Lamar and his partner are depicted traveling up and down the Bonaventure elevator, illustrating the highs and lows of any relationship and–more importantly–the pair’s dedication to each other through it all. Keen-eyed viewers, such as @dissectpodcast on Twitter, have also noted the repeated use of circular iconography, as each room features round objects and shapes. Circles are often seen as symbols of balance and eternity, both of which are the lifeblood of lasting love. Each shot is designed to be harmony in motion, a meditation on what it means to love someone.
The music video shocked fans just a week ahead of Lamar and SZA’s joint Grand National Tour, beginning April 19 at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Live performances of luther are all but guaranteed, especially after its brief appearance during the Super Bowl Halftime Show. The song has already carved out a space as a staple in Lamar’s catalogue and an earworm in the hip-hop/R&B landscape. As the track continues to top the Billboard charts and playlists of every romantic out there, luther will continue to reign as a stark reminder to move forward with love, no matter how tough life becomes.
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