Kendrick Lamar and SZA take us on a journey of love with slick “luther” visual

Fans were already in love with Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s GNX collaboration, “luther,” which stands as a poignant homage to R&B's golden era and is filled with thought-provoking lines about faith, love and more. Things were kicked up a notch after the track, which sampled Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s 1982 rendition of “If This World Were Mine,” received a visual companion on Friday (April 11).

Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “luther” video has all the feels in both color and black-and-white

As with much of Lamar’s work, the Karena Evans-directed clip elevates the song’s emotional depth through its cinematic storytelling and evocative imagery. Much is seemingly left open for interpretation, as clips of the collaborators with their respective love interests are shown in both color and black-and-white. set against a backdrop that pays tribute to the soulful aesthetics of the 1980s while incorporating modern visual elements.

“I can't lie, I trust you, I love you, I won't waste your time, I turn it off just so I can turn you on, I'ma make you say it loud, I'm not even trippin’, I won't stress you out,” the duo sing while in locations like an elevator and a fast-food restaurant. The five-minute run perfectly adds weight to the nostalgic vibes of the song — the same vibes that Lamar and SZA managed to bring to life during the widely lauded Super Bowl LIX halftime show.

As Billboard reported earlier this week, “luther” is currently enjoying its seventh week on the Hot 100. The laid-back cut has been on that chart for 19 weeks overall — the same amount of time for GNX on the Billboard 200, where it hit the top position three times since its late 2024 release.

Kendrick and SZA are ready to bring their “Grand National Tour” to the world stage

Kendrick Lamar and SZA are set to embark on their first-ever co-headlining stadium tour, the “Grand National Tour,” which kicks off later this month. Said tour will span a slew of dates across North America and Europe with Mustard providing additional support.