Luther (2024)

"Luther" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar and American singer-songwriter SZA. Titled after the American R&B and soul singer Luther Vandross, the track contains a sample of Vandross and Cheryl Lynn's 1982 rendition of "If This World Were Mine", originally performed by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. "Luther" was released as the third single from Lamar's sixth studio album, GNX, on November 29, 2024, through PGLang and Interscope Records.

"Luther" was written by Lamar, SZA, Ink, and Sam Dew; it was produced by Sounwave, Jack Antonoff, Ruchaun "Scott Bridgeway" Akers, Kamasi Washington, Matthew "M-Tech" Bernard, and Roshwita Larisha "roselilah" Bacha. An R&B and hip-hop love ballad with influences of 1980s R&B and freestyle music, "Luther" features Lamar and SZA's vocal harmonies against 808 drums, hi-hats, and an orchestral arrangement. Its lyrics are about imagining a better future for one's loved ones.

Music critics lauded "Luther" for the vocal chemistry between Lamar and SZA; many reviews highlighted it as a tender and heartfelt track compared to GNX's boastful other songs. The single spent 13 consecutive weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it Lamar and SZA's longest-charting number one song on the chart, as well as the second longest-running hip-hop song of all time on the Hot 100, behind Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road". It also peaked at number one in New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, and South Africa; at number three on the Billboard Global 200 chart; and in the top 10 in many countries including in Australia, Canada, Portugal, and the UK.

Lamar and SZA first performed "Luther" live at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show on February 9, 2025. At the 68th Grammy Awards, "Luther" won Record of the Year and Best Melodic Rap Performance, and was additionally nominated for Song of the Year. It was also Billboard magazine's number-one song on both their 2025 Year-End Hot Rap Songs chart and their Year-End R&B/Hip-Hop chart.

Composition

"Luther" is a love ballad that combines contemporary R&B and hip-hop with elements of 1980s R&B and freestyle music. The lyrics are about imagining a better future for one's beloveds. The track begins with classical guitar riffs and a vocal sample of Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn's 1982 rendition of "If This World Were Mine", originally performed by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. After the sample, Lamar delivers his first verse in a monotone, pauses with repeated "fa"s, then continues his second verse, which is accentuated by double vocal tracking and an orchestral swell. The chorus features Lamar and SZA harmonizing together, with SZA's vocals being layered on top of Lamar's, against accentuations of 808 drums and hi-hats.

Music video

A concept art music video for the song was released on April 11, 2025, directed by Canadian director and actress Karena Evans. It stars both Lamar and SZA, along with Nigerian-American musician, visual artist and model Annahstasia Enuke playing Lamar's love interest, while model Geron McKinley plays SZA's respective love interest. Most of the scenes were shot on location of the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles, as well as the Brandeis-Bardin Campus of American Jewish University and its House of the Book, in the Simi Hills of the Simi Valley, in California, the same shooting location where the one-minute teaser for GNX was filmed. The song pauses throughout the video to play the original sample of "If This World Were Mine", and the video's final minute consists of Vandross' first verse playing uninterrupted. The video won the 2025 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Music Video and the 2026 Juno Award for Video of the Year.

Critical reception

The song received widespread critical acclaim. Writing for NME, Kyann-Sian Williams thought the song was yet another demonstration of the duo's "chart-topping chemistry" and praised their "debonair" take on a "traditional love ballad". Lindsay Zoladz at The New York Times called "Luther" a notably "tender moment" and "three-minute pause" from an otherwise boastful album. Tomás Mier of Rolling Stone noted Lamar for "stretching his singing chops" before being joined by SZA. The song was nominated for three Grammy Awards in 2026, winning two for Record of the Year and Best Melodic Rap Performance.

Commercial performance

In New Zealand, "Luther" debuted at number one on the Official Aotearoa Music Charts, marking Lamar's fourth overall number-one single in the country, and his second for 2024. Following the Super Bowl LIX halftime show performance, "Luther" returned to the top spot and spent five consecutive weeks, totaling six weeks atop.