"luther" by Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA // Song Review

"luther" is such a gorgeous song, grounded in the way it's built around an innate sense of love and peace that radiates through every layer of its production. Kendrick Lamar and SZA's artistic chemistry is truly unmatched and this track feels like the clearest expression of their shared talents. Their creative partnership has only continued to grow across years of collaboration, including twice on Kendrick's 2024 surprise album GNX, where "luther" stands as one of its most expansive moments. The vocal chemistry between them is like no other. They've made incredible music together before, but this feels like their most transcendent collaboration.

On the verses, Kendrick opens with a deep yearning for connection and the hope of something brighter. "If this world was mine, I'd take your dreams and make 'em multiply," he raps in the first verse. "If this world was mine, I'd take your enemies in front of God, introduce 'em to that light, hit them strictly with that fire"

SZA's stunning and ethereal chorus then elevates the track into something even more special with the promise of "better days coming for sure". "In this world, concrete flowers grow" is especially such a beautiful line, inspired by Tupac's poem The Rose That Grew From Concrete, and it captures the thesis of the song being built around beauty and hope blooming against all odds.

The song takes a soulful, atmospheric approach to a traditional love ballad, reframing it through a fresh lens shaped by R&B and hip‑hop influences. It features a prominent sample of Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn's 1982 rendition of "If This World Were Mine", originally performed by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. That classic serves as the basis of the entire song and is also where the title, "luther", is derived from. Lyrically, "luther" is so beautiful and ultimately so deeply rooted in love, which makes it such a moving interpretation of the 1982 classic by Luther Vandross and a heartfelt homage to his legacy and the enduring beauty of that original song.

The song was written and produced in collaboration with Kendrick's longtime creative partner Sounwave, alongside an incredible group of artists including Jack Antonoff, Ink, Sam Dew, Kamasi Washington, Scott Bridgeway, Roselilah, M‑Tech, and more. Kendrick and SZA's artistic partnership played a major role in this chapter of his career in particular, from the emotional weight of the record itself, to his iconic Super Bowl Halftime performance, where they performed "luther" live for the first time, to their joint Grand National Tour in 2025. It's one of many moments that show just how powerful they are together. The way they trade lines back and forth on the third verse in particular is a highlight of the entire song. It blends their styles in a way that feels completely seamless and showcases both of their strengths as songwriters and performers.

In a 2026 post-Grammys interview with SZA, she talked about her own personal connection to this song and what it means to her. "I really feel like this is one of the few songs of mine that like I'm involved in that when I hear it I feel soothed by it, she said. "The frequency of it is so smooth. It's so gentle. That's really Luther and his frequency. So us being allowed to tap into that, and it's such a blessing."

The song ended up becoming a massive critical success and also became Kendrick's sixth number one and SZA's third number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100. It spent 13 straight weeks at the top of the chart, as well as 31 non-consecutive weeks at the top of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, the longest in history. It broke both of their personal career records, marking another major accomplishment in a long string of remarkable hit songs.

At the 2026 Grammys, "luther" won Record of the Year, marking Kendrick's second consecutive year winning the award, following his memorable "Not Like Us" win in 2025. With that, he officially became the first rapper to ever win the award twice and the first male artist to win it two years in a row. "luther" was also awarded for Best Melodic Rap Performance and was additionally nominated for Song of the Year as well. With 27 overall awards, Kendrick is now the most-awarded hip-hop artist in Grammys history!

"This is what music is about," Kendrick said in his acceptance speech. "Luther Vandross. This is special for me. I got to take my time because it's one of my favorite artists of all time. They granted us the privilege to do our version of it. When we got that clearance, I promise you, we damn near all dropped a tear because we know how much him and Cheryl Lynn poured into that record."

"Being able to put our vocals on it, it proves that we were somewhat worthy to be just as great as them individuals. They granted us that. They said, 'No cursing, though. Can't curse on it.' He continued, "And we said, 'You know what? We're gon' do just that. No cursing. And we're gon' make sure that this song represents love.'"