On this track from Kendrick Lamar's GNX album, he trades the sharp edge of his usual storytelling for something softer and more expansive: a vision of love that imagines a society without pain or struggle, where relationships flourish in an endless state of emotional support and growth.
Lamar's longtime friend and former Top Dawg Entertainment colleague SZA joins him on this one. The song marks Lamar and SZA's seventh collaboration, following:
2014 SZA's
Z track "Babylon"
2015 Jay Rock's
90059 track "Easy Bake" featuring both artists
2016 Lamar's
Untitled Unmastered track "
untitled 04 | 08.14.2014"
2017 SZA's
CTRL track "
Doves in the Wind"
2018 Lamar and SZA's "
All The Stars" single recorded for the
Black Panther soundtrack
2024 Another
GNX track, "
Gloria"
The track opens with a sample of Cheryl Lynn and Luther Vandross' 1982 cover of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's 1967 song "If This World Were Mine." That lush, velvety soundscape sets the tone, and the song's title - "Luther" - is an unmistakable homage to Vandross, a master of translating love and longing into music. With Vandross's voice as a spiritual guide, Lamar paints a picture of devotion and empowerment, positioning himself as both protector and partner, someone who lifts up those he loves while imagining a brighter, kinder world for them to share.
Married to his high school sweetheart, Whitney Alford, since 2019, Lamar brings a truth to "Luther" that feels deeply personal. The themes of love and commitment here align perfectly with the perspective of someone who has spent years building a life with one person, finding beauty in the everyday while dreaming big about the future. Yet, as is typical of Lamar, this isn't just a love letter; it's an exploration of how personal relationships can reflect broader societal themes.
Lamar has explored themes of love and relationships in various tracks throughout his career, often blending personal experiences with broader social commentary. Some of his other songs that touch on love and relationships include:
"
Poetic Justice" featuring Drake from
good kid, m.A.A.d city"
These Walls" from
To Pimp a Butterfly"
LOVE." featuring Zacari from the album
DAMN"Luther" feels different - more intimate, more hopeful, and yet every bit as nuanced
Lamar and SZA co-wrote "Luther" with:
Chicago singer-songwriter Sam Dew. He co-wrote 12 of the
Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers tracks and features on "
Savior." Dew also contributed background vocals to the track.
Georgia songwriter Atia "Ink" Boggs, who co-penned several of Beyoncé's
Renaissance and
Cowboy Carter tracks. Her songwriting credits include "
Alien Superstar," "
Summer Renaissance," "
Thique" and "
16 Carriages."
The production on GNX was primarily handled by Kendrick Lamar's principal beatmaker Sounwave and Jack Antonoff (Taylor Swift, Lorde, Lana Del Rey.) Rounding out the production team on "Luther" are saxophonist Kamasi Washington, North Carolina producer Scott Bridgeway, Dutch producer Roselilah and Matthew "MTech" Bernard.
SZA joined Kendrick Lamar at the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show to perform "Luther" and "
All The Stars."
"Luther" topped the Billboard Hot 100 on March 1, 2025, replacing Kendrick's Drake diss track "
Not Like Us," which had returned to #1 the previous week following his Super Bowl LIX halftime performance.
The music video, directed by Karena Evans (who has also shot several Drake clips), uses a mix of monochrome and color visuals to emphasize the track's romantic atmosphere. The video shows Lamar and SZA engaging in close encounters with their respective partners and ends with an extended rendition of Cheryl Lynn and Luther Vandross' "If This World Were Mine."
"Luther" broke the record for the longest run at the top of Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. On the tally dated June 7, 2025, it reached an unprecedented 23rd week at the top, overtaking the 22 weeks spent at the peak position by another Lamar hit, "
Not Like Us."
"Luther" was originally going to be just an interlude based around the "If This World Were Mine" sample. "There were no drums,"
Sounwave recalled to Rolling Stone. "It was literally me chopping the sample and Dot just humming melodies."
"We had the sample in the tuck forever, we just never could crack it," he continued. "But once he hit this one specific melody, I knew that this had to be bigger."
