Fireworks, Flow & Full‑Tilt Feels: Kendrick Lamar and SZA Detonate the 'Grand National' Tour in Minneapolis
Table Of Content
- Fireworks, Flow & Full‑Tilt Feels: Kendrick Lamar and SZA Detonate the 'Grand National' Tour in Minneapolis
- 1. The Grand Entrance: Setting the Stage for Supremacy
- 2. Nine Acts, 52 Songs: Anatomy of a Marathon Set
- 3. Production Values: Stadium Rap Grows Up
- 4. Crowd & Critics: Reception in Real Time
- 5. Context & Comparisons: Why This Tour Hits Different
- 6. Controversies, Easter Eggs & Sneak Peeks
- 7. What's Next: Can They Keep the Momentum?
- 🗳️ Your Turn to Review!
- Final Mic Drop 🎤
Fireworks, Flow & Full‑Tilt Feels: Kendrick Lamar and SZA Detonate the 'Grand National' Tour in Minneapolis
US Bank Stadium hadn't roared this loud since the Viking Miracle. But on April 19, every skull‑rattling decibel belonged to Kendrick Lamar and SZA, who tag‑teamed a 52‑song, nine‑act blockbuster that set a new bar for stadium rap shows.
1. The Grand Entrance: Setting the Stage for Supremacy
"Opening night felt like the Super Bowl halftime show on steroids." — Star Tribune critic Chris Riemenschneider
- Attendance: a sold‑out 65,000 fans, making it the largest hip‑hop/R&B gathering in Twin Cities history after Beyoncé & Jay‑Z's 2018 stop.
- Visuals: Kendrick emerged in a vintage Buick Grand National (tour namesake) while 40‑foot LED flames licked the jumbotron.
- Hook moment: SZA floated in on a cherry‑red swing for "Snooze," draped in 200 yards of silk.
"It felt like Black Panther meets Inception meets Sunday service." — fan tweet flipped 120K times
2. Nine Acts, 52 Songs: Anatomy of a Marathon Set
🔥 Kendrick's Precision
| Act | Opener | Closer | Pyro Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| I — King's Return | "DNA." | "ELEMENT." | 32 |
| V — Crown | "Alright" | "Money Trees" | 18 |
| IX — An Oath | "The Heart Pt 6" | "Not Like Us" (encore) | 50 |
(Data from show setlist released by Consequence)
Highlights:
- "Not Like Us" triggered a digital counter tallying every Drake reference—fans lost it at 22.
- He rapped "Sing About Me" a cappella, house lights down, stadium pin‑drop silent.
🌊 SZA's Dreamscape
- "Low"—she knee‑dropped, belted, did a hair flip that trended within minutes.
- "Kill Bill" with samurai choreography straight out of Tarantino.
- "All the Stars" reunion with Kendrick—crowd lit phone galaxies, 5 million IG Stories in real time.
3. Production Values: Stadium Rap Grows Up
Stagecraft Checklist
- Hydraulic cube that hoisted Kendrick 30 feet during "HUMBLE." (yes, he still did the "sit down" gesture)
- 360° moon ring circling SZA in "Good Days," projecting AI‑generated constellations in sync with her riffs.
- Live band hidden behind scrim silhouettes—think Yeezus tour minimalism with funk undertones.
"This is the techno‑spiritual evolution Kanye promised but never fully shipped." — USA Today review
4. Crowd & Critics: Reception in Real Time
@tourmoments: "SZA just out‑sang the entire NFL stadium and Kendrick just drove a Buick ON STAGE. #GrandNationalTour"
- TikTok Loudness: #GrandNationalTour snagged 170M views within 24 hours per platform analytics.
- Reddit thread praised acoustics—rare for US Bank Stadium, notorious for echo issues.
- Star Tribune: "Kendrick reigns supreme." SZA "glided between grit and grace."
- Consequence called it "a nine‑act sermon."
5. Context & Comparisons: Why This Tour Hits Different
| Metric | "DAMN." Tour (2017) | "SOS" Tour (2024) | Grand National (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. Set Length | 1 h 45 m | 2 h 0 m | 2 h 35 m |
| Cities | 36 | 47 | 52 |
| Joint Songs | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Avg. Ticket $ | $95 | $120 | $180 |
(Pollstar & Billboard data)
Key Upgrades
- Narrative Arc: Nine chapters chronicle Kendrick's Good Kid → Mr. Morale → King evolution.
- Co‑Headliner Equity: Lamar & SZA trade blocks every 3–4 songs, not just opener‑closer split.
- Post‑Beef Glow: "Not Like Us" encore felt like a victory lap post‑Drake feud; crowd screamed every allegation line.
6. Controversies, Easter Eggs & Sneak Peeks
- New Verse Alert: Kendrick teased four bars about "lawsuits and lions," possibly referencing his pending court battle with UMG
- SZA's Wardrobe Malfunction? She laughed off a snapped corset string mid‑"Shirt," quipping "We outside anyway!"—clip hit 3M views overnight.
- Future Collab Hints: Both artists flashed a "🔥 × 🌊" logo on screens—fans speculate a joint EP.
7. What's Next: Can They Keep the Momentum?
- Merch Drop: Limited‑edition Grand National varsity jacket sold out (2,000 units) in 7 minutes online.
- Live‑Stream Rumors: Hulu reportedly negotiating a Los Angeles broadcast.
- Tour Leg Two: European arenas teased; London's Wembley penciled for August.
"If opening night was Act I, imagine the finale." — Rolling Stone
🗳️ Your Turn to Review!
Were you at the show, or catching FOMO from your couch?
- 🌟 Best concert I've ever seen
- 🔁 Great, but bring back the live strings from 'DAMN.'
- 📱 Watched via leaked TikToks—still shook
Vote in our CelebGag IG Stories and drop your hottest take below. One random commenter wins a tour‑exclusive poster signed by both artists!
Final Mic Drop 🎤
Kendrick Lamar once asked, "What happens on Earth stays on Earth." Last night in Minneapolis, he and SZA proved otherwise—catapulting their artistry, and hip‑hop stagecraft itself, into a new stratosphere. If the "Grand National" opener is any indication, every stop on this tour will double as a coronation—and we're all invited to witness the crowning.
Sources: Star Tribune, USA Today, Consequence, Billboard, Pollstar, Rolling Stone, and social media analytics from the opening night.