Kendrick Lamar, SZA are at the peak of their powers at Atlanta show

Kendrick Lamar and SZA brought all of that dominance during their Grand National Tour stop at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium Tuesday night.

The duo’s sold-out show began around 7:15 p.m. with an opening DJ set from Mustard (the maestro behind Lamar’s epic “Not Like Us”). An hour later, the lights went dark and Lamar rolled onstage in the 1987 Buick GNX car that’s the namesake for his new album to the tune of “Wacced out Murals.”

Credit: Greg Noire

Credit: Greg Noire

The track, which features Lamar affirming his rap superstardom, is an opener on “GNX.” On stage, it became a larger-than-life war cry for the artist, who was declared a unanimous winner in last year’s rap battle royale against Drake. Lamar barely moved during the opening song. But he performed each lyric with unrelenting vigor, as if it were his personal thesis statement.

Other “GNX” tracks like “Squabble Up” and part one of Mustard-produced hit “TV Off,” spurred the show’s momentum, along with 2015’s “King Kunta” and 2017’s “Element” performed in between. It was surprising to hear “TV Off” so early in the show, given its recent popularity. The track probably would’ve fit better at the end, performed in full. The song’s true power lies in the transition to the second part, with Kendrick yelling “Mustarrrrdddddd.”

SZA later joined Kendrick onstage for their recent duet “30 for 30.”

That was the core structure for the duration of the night. Each artist would perform five to six songs before handing the stage to the other and appearing together to sing their collaborations, giving them enough time to recalibrate in between sets. Across roughly 50 songs in 2 hours, Kendrick Lamar and SZA showcased why they’re at the peak.

SZA floated around the stage as if it were her personal garden. She seemed at ease, with stellar vocals to match while singing earlier hits like “Love Galore,” “Broken Clocks” and “The Weekend.” The crowd sang along to each word.

Credit: Cassidy Meyers

Credit: Cassidy Meyers

Her best vocal moment arrived at the end of “Garden (Say It Like Dat).” On her knees, SZA’s falsetto became more angelic with each sway to the beat.

The show’s visuals felt like their own character. Lamar mainly employed dark imagery (mostly anchored by the black GNX car in the background) throughout the concert while flames erupted on every menacing bar, as they did for his performance of “Euphoria”—his first of a few diss tracks against Drake last year.

Tributes to ’80s soul singer Anita Baker were sprinkled throughout Lamar’s portions of the show. Snippets of her songs “Angel” and “Sweet Love” played throughout the show. If his admiration for Baker wasn’t already clear, he performed his classic “M.A.A.D City” to the tune of “Sweet Love,” making for a clever reimagining of the hit.

SZA’s stage was mainly built with nature in mind. Each set felt like watching a different scene in a garden. There were visuals of her and a lover in a forest and flowers. For “Crybaby,” a song from her recent album, she wears a fairy costume as she ascends into the sky.

She maintained that theme for most of the show, with few exceptions: For “Low,” the stage resembled a rave as red lights shone in the stadium. For “Rich Baby Daddy,” which features Drake and Sexyy Red, she welcomed the audience to a twerking session.

The night included a special guest — the tour’s first so far: Atlanta’s own Playboi Carti. Initially appearing onscreen backstage, the rapper raged in his signature screams, which felt like his bat signal to the hometown crowd. He and Lamar performed their recent collaboration “Good Credit.”

Throughout the show, skits featuring Lamar and SZA played on the screen. For most, each were in what appeared to be an interrogation room.

“Isn’t disappearing a form of attention?” a voice asks Lamar.

“Do you create dysfunction in your relationships?” the same voice asks SZA.

Those moments were refreshing, showing that both stars aren’t too big to poke fun at themselves.

At the end of the show, Lamar performed the second part of “TV Off” (joined by Mustard on stage) and “Not Like Us,” backed by a rotating screen filled with symbols of Black culture, like women wearing afros and signs for Black-owned stores. And yes, when Lamar performed the verse that praised Atlanta’s dominance, the audience rapped in unison.

The night ended with SZA returning to the stage for “Luther” and “Gloria.” SZA and Kendrick Lamar effortlessly wielded their star power in ways that reiterated their status as pop music’s most exciting dynamic duo of this generation.

In song, they’re skilled hitmakers. On stage, they possess a sibling chemistry with opposing styles that become seamlessly cohesive the more they appear together.