Super Bowl LVI is still several weeks away, but Pepsi has stoked already massive expectations for the blockbuster 2022 halftime show with a cinematic trailer helmed by Friday and Straight Outta Compton director F. Gary Gray. Watch it below.
The concept of the clip centers around the halftime show’s maestro, Dr. Dre, assembling the veritable all-star lineup of some of his closest collaborators: Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Snoop Dogg. It opens with Em’s record-breaking “Rap God” playing in the background as the Detroit legend channels his infamous Slim Shady alter ego. When he receives “the call” from the Good Doctor, however, he puts everything to a halt and hops on a jet.
The rest of the trailer plays out similarly: Snoop Dogg cruises in a lowrider while blasting “The Next Episode,” Blige is seen in a photoshoot with “Family Affair” blaring in the background, and Kendrick puts pen to paper while writing “HUMBLE.” Once Dre enters the picture, we hear “Still D.R.E.” and “California Love.”
“Each time I collaborate with Dre, it seems to mark an important moment in entertainment history, from projects like Friday, Set It Off, Straight Outta Compton, to now the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show,” Gray said in a press release. “As a super fan, I consider it an honor and privilege to authentically build and create this moment with five of the most legendary artists in music history. It’s been a blast!”
If all of these classics make the setlist, it should make for one of the best halftime shows ever. In a previous statement announcing the lineup, Dre promised it will be “an unforgettable cultural moment.”
The 2022 Super Bowl goes down on February 13th at Inglewood, California’s SoFi Stadium, and marks the first time Los Angeles will play host to the Big Game in 30 years, making it a no-brainer to bring in Dre with fellow SoCal legends Lamar and Snoop Dogg. Having longtime collaborators like Em and Blige along for the ride brings the event over the top.
This year’s show marks the third Super Bowl Halftime event put on by Pepsi and Roc Nation since JAY-Z came into the fold with a 2019 partnership with the NFL. It follows the Shakira-Jennifer Lopez duet for the 2019-2020 season, followed by last year’s The Weeknd experience.
