One year ago today (Thursday, Juneteenth), Kendrick Lamar, Mustard, and many more popped out for Dot's first concert post-Drake battle. Inglewood's Kia Forum was absolutely electrifying from all accounts. But back then, we didn't know what was coming with SZA and the highly successful "Grand National" tour. More importantly, all the way up to the trek's last North American show on Wednesday night (June 18) in the DMV, they made sure to carry that same sense of unity, balance, determination, and above all, excellence.
That philosophy manifested in Maryland's Northwest Stadium in many ways, even after some heavy rain that had us early line-makers quite annoyed. Nevertheless, by the time Mustard hit the stage to get concertgoers hyped, the weather was clear and venue staff removed the tent above his boards. The setlist's main draw wasn't meticulous curation or mind-blowing transitions, but rather a celebration of some wedding-ready hip-hop bangers from the past 25 years or so. Although "Party In The U.S.A." and the crowd's successful "Swag Surf" were the only strong differentiators from any other opening DJ set.
Mustard Paves The Way For A Grand Entrance
Still, the crowd was having fun throughout, whether they were making their way to their far-away seats or had spent half an hour waiting. It was a very egalitarian and diverse make-up of ages, genders, backgrounds, and fandoms. They still faced the major caveats of stadium shows, though. Detached viewing experiences, less than ideal sound mixing, and most uniquely for a double-headlining tour with a back-and-forth setlist, many fans patiently and silently waiting for their favorite of the two superstars to return. In many ways, not even pgLang and TDE's production could fully mitigate those consequences. But Kendrick Lamar and SZA certainly did everything they needed to and more to make up for them.
Simplicity reigned supreme across the board. Light visuals and stage set-ups translated excellently to massive screens, and straightforward stage presences gave the crowd the root of why they are so captivating. Since their stellar performances are no shocker, the "Grand National" tour's visual presentation was the key. However, they did a lot with a little, even if this barebones approach limited extravagance to milder levels. There were few but very cool set pieces like a huge ant, tight choreography for dancers, and visual nods to the small things in life. Cruising down blocks in a Black Grand National, frolicking in the field with a loved one, grabbing your gas station go-tos... You get the gist.
Kendrick Lamar & SZA's Visual Parallels
Most impressively, parallels emerged between Kendrick Lamar and SZA's artistries. While Solána emphasized wildlife, love, night skies, and bugs as her environment, the Compton lyricist used a lamppost, food stamps, a dinner table, massive black dice, L.A./Chicano imagery, and petrified statues as his inspirations. They were born out of this soil, and we saw their transformation first-hand. SZA literally blossomed into a butterfly with a high-flying and gorgeous rendition of "Nobody Gets Me," whereas Kendrick Lamar became the ferocious Boogeyman whenever a Drizzy diss played. Solána incorporated more dazzling pyrotechnics by comparison, but Kenny kept up with his commanding delivery.
The other big parallel between them was via deposition videos, cheekily referencing Lil Wayne's iconic and standoffish moment. Kendrick answered questions about whether or not "Watch The Party Die" was a metaphor or a threat. The New Jersey singer questioned whether she's making light of her negative romantic experiences, and where she'd be without them. They know the discourse well. But despite any fan interpretations or doubts of their intent, they staunchly defended their mission and expression. It also helps that they earned the crowd's frenzied roars.
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Kenny & Solána's Performances
From the intro of "wacced out murals" up to their "gloria" closer, Kendrick Lamar and SZA excellently created balance and compellingly championed their craft. They traded about nine sections with each other, each with a few songs which represented a diverse array of their respective catalogs with some killer live embellishments. Whether it was an Anita Baker "Sweet Love" mashup with "m.A.A.d. city" or blazing guitar solos during some SZA tracks, the instrumentation's live feel achieved cohesion and engaging pace throughout, and they both got the spotlight they deserved.
Their live mics also countered the idea that both artists were giving more of a play than a concert with how granularly they had to stick to a script. Of course, a show of this scale means there is no room for error. But improvised and beautiful vocal runs went a long way to give fans that in-the-moment fire whose studio version you can't replicate. On the other hand, Kendrick Lamar's occasional lyrical mistakes showed a relieving sign of humanity (although his "euphoria" spitting in particular was an absolute bullet train with zero slip-ups). Also, he changed some lyrics here and there, showing that he was living in the moment despite knowing his routine and controlling his movement in flawless fashion.
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One Last American Ride
In addition, they bounced off of each other very well for songs like "All The Stars" and "LOVE." The latter might become a fan favorite just because of how seamlessly SZA blended into Kendrick Lamar's Zacari collab. All throughout, their performances showed them in their prime, either for blistering verses or for awe-inspiring and transportive belts and croons. In fact, sometimes, it seemed like not even their mics could handle the heat, as some on-stage banter was sadly muffled on occasion.
Speaking of which, Kendrick Lamar and SZA didn't make too big of a fuss about this being their last North American "Grand National" concert. They expressed gratitude for one another and for fans, and shouted out the DMV as one of, if not their favorite show of the tour. But for the most part, they knew exactly what fans were there for, and the SOS creative in particular treated the crowd to an exclusive "20 Something" rendition, which was wonderful. It all ended when they got back in the GNX and drove off, but not before SZA held up a United States flag and a Mexican flag as she closed out "gloria."
What Did Kendrick Lamar & SZA Achieve?
Overall, here's the main takeaway from the "Grand National" tour. Everything that needed to be great was fantastic, and everything irksome about stadium shows was there in a non-overwhelming capacity. Regardless of these compromises, the production emphasized their visual language in breathtaking ways, and they recognized the sheer importance of passionately but surgically performing their behinds off. A no-filler, easily appreciable set-up made for a pretty universal experience. So no matter where you sat in the stadium, you felt that magic with everyone around you.
Back to The Pop Out, Kendrick Lamar's first "Not Like Us" performance was staggering. Unless he decides to fully incorporate the Drake beef into his forthcoming legacy, this DMV show might've been the last time he played it in North America. Needless to say, for someone consumed by the beef for the past 15 months (for better or worse), it was absurdly cathartic. Maybe the recent Toronto shows go against that possibility, as it felt like an explosive close of the victory lap that still has gas in the tank. But in any case, Kendrick and SZA proved that their future will emphasize connection, heritage, self-identity, and achievement more than any turbulent circumstance that led them here.
