When Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican singer and rapper, was announced as the Super Bowl LVI halftime performer last fall, some people were upset by the choice.
Why not an American pop singer who speaks English and supports the president? It’s no surprise the right felt offended, believing they were targeted by a conspiracy during football’s biggest event – did anyone see the Grammys?
Turning Point USA, a conservative group founded by Charlie Kirk and now led by his wife, Erika, had an idea to counter Bad Bunny’s popularity. They decided to host their own event around the time of the Super Bowl, featuring performers who would sing in English. The goal was to attract viewers and compete with Bad Bunny’s concert, offering a distinctly American alternative.
Turning Point USA has revealed the performers for its alternative to the Super Bowl halftime show, called the “All-American Halftime Show.” Headlining the event is Kid Rock, though his last popular song came out over a decade ago. The rest of the lineup features country artists Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett, who may not be widely known. The show will stream live on Sunday at 5 p.m. – the same time as Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance – on Turning Point USA’s YouTube, X, and Rumble channels, as well as on conservative media outlets like Daily Wire+, Real America’s Voice, TBN, and OAN. More performers may be added, according to Turning Point’s website.
I gotta say, Kid Rock – Robert Ritchie, as a lot of us know him – is framing this whole thing as a real underdog story. He’s basically saying going up against the NFL and a massive pop star is a huge challenge, maybe even impossible… but he’s leaving the door open to proving everyone wrong, and honestly, as a film enthusiast, I’m here for that David versus Goliath narrative!
Of course, it’s incredible! Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is a hugely popular singer who’s taken the world by storm. He blends reggaeton, Latin pop, rap, and R&B into a unique sound. At 31 years old, he was the most-streamed artist on Spotify in 2025 and recently made Grammy history as the first Spanish-language artist to win Album of the Year.
On Sunday, he’ll be seen by millions more people during the most-watched TV event in the country: the game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks.
Kid Rock, age 55, seems eager to stay relevant, and a good way to do that is by criticizing the most popular artists. He recently responded to Bad Bunny’s recent performances by saying, “He’s doing a dance party, wearing a dress, and singing in Spanish? That’s cool.” Kid Rock then added that he and his band plan to focus on playing songs that appeal to American audiences.
The singer behind “Bawitdaba” has experienced backlash from the right wing before, specifically regarding what he wore during a Super Bowl halftime show and accusations that he wasn’t patriotic. Back in 2004, while performing with Janet Jackson, he wore a modified American flag as a poncho, which upset many conservatives, and then threw it into the audience.
Things have changed. There are new challenges and dramas demanding attention, and Trump’s recent concert seems designed to divert attention from serious problems like the rising cost of living, deaths of Americans linked to ICE, and the disturbing revelations in the Epstein files. It’s a way to avoid dealing with what really matters.
The Justice Department recently released a new set of documents – including emails, files, and videos – and The New York Times found over 38,000 mentions of Donald Trump, his family, and his Mar-a-Lago Club within them. Earlier releases of these documents, dating back to late last year, already contained 130 files with references to Trump.
No wonder his followers need a distraction.
Bad Bunny didn’t hesitate to speak out during his Grammy acceptance speech on Sunday. Addressing the audience in Los Angeles, he criticized the Trump administration’s policies on immigration, declaring, “ICE out.” He passionately defended immigrants, stating, “We’re not savages, animals, or aliens—we are humans, and we are Americans.”
And also Super Bowl headliners.
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2026-02-04 17:03