A recent alternative halftime show, intended to provide a contrast to the official Super Bowl entertainment, has sparked considerable discussion. This event, organized by Turning Point USA, aimed to present a vision of a 'real American' celebration, characterized by a focus on rock music, traditional American themes, and Christian themes. Despite drawing significant online viewership, the show, headlined by a prominent conservative musician, faced criticism for its perceived overly nationalistic and politically charged nature.
The "All-American Halftime Show" coincided with the main Super Bowl halftime performance, which featured Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny. The alternative show, led by Kid Rock, garnered approximately 16 million views on Turning Point USA's YouTube channel, with a peak of 5 million concurrent users. This was a notable achievement, especially considering that its initial planned platform, X (formerly Twitter), withdrew due to "licensing issues." While these numbers are expected to rise with additional platforms, they still fall short of the official Super Bowl halftime show's record-breaking 133.5 million viewers.
The alternative event was marked by a strong emphasis on guitars, traditional American imagery, and religious praise. It also included tributes to Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, who was reportedly assassinated in September. Many saw the entire spectacle as a reaction to the mainstream embrace of a Latino, Spanish-speaking, and pro-immigration artist like Bad Bunny, whom some conservatives inaccurately assumed was not an American citizen. The event essentially conveyed a sentiment of "in America, we speak English."
Notably, Kid Rock, despite being the headliner, performed only two songs during the 30-minute set. One was his own track, "Bawitdaba," which exhibited noticeable lip-syncing issues, and the other was an acoustic rendition of Cody Johnson's "Til You Can't," performed under his birth name, Robert Ritchie. The majority of the performance was carried by lesser-known artists.
Other performers included country rock artist Brantley Gilbert, who sang "Real American," a song honoring military personnel and those on the home front. Country singer Lee Brice presented his new song, "Country Nowadays," which expresses lament over changing societal norms regarding gender identity. Gabby Barrett, a country music artist discovered through American Idol, performed her popular songs "The Good Ones" and "I Hope," a ballad about overcoming past heartbreak. Ironically, a bonus recording of "I Hope" features Charlie Puth, who performed the national anthem at the very Super Bowl the alternative show was protesting.
In stark contrast to the counter-programming, Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance, which emphasized interconnectedness among American nations, was widely praised. Grammy-winning country artist Kacey Musgraves notably commented on X that Bad Bunny's show instilled a stronger sense of American pride in her than anything Kid Rock had ever done. The events of the evening highlighted a cultural divide in how national identity and artistic expression are perceived and celebrated.