Kid Rock has come under heavy criticism following his performance at Turning Point USA’s alternative Super Bowl halftime show, with many viewers accusing the singer of lip-syncing.
The event, which aired simultaneously with the NFL’s official halftime show headlined by Bad Bunny, reportedly drew close to five million viewers as Turning Point USA attempted to compete with the league’s marquee entertainment slot. Despite the sizable audience, Kid Rock’s performance was poorly received by many watching at home.
Fans quickly took to social media after the broadcast to voice their disappointment. One viewer wrote on X, “Kid Rock doesn’t know how to lip sync his own songs.” Another added, “Why is Kid Rock’s lip-syncing performance not being talked about? That was atrocious.”
Others compared the two halftime shows directly. One particularly critical post read: “Bad Bunny seamlessly choreographed an 11-minute history of an island and an immigrant family featuring hundreds of dancers and actors. Kid Rock couldn’t even lip sync to his recorded music in a sound studio.”
Kid Rock headlined the alternative show, which also featured performances from Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett. However, the broadcast faced challenges ahead of airtime. Turning Point USA was reportedly barred from streaming the event on social media platform X at the last minute due to licensing restrictions, forcing viewers to watch via YouTube instead.
Despite these obstacles, attracting nearly five million viewers was seen by some as a notable achievement. In the lead-up to Super Bowl LX, Kid Rock framed the event as an underdog effort, telling fans, “We’re approaching this show like David and Goliath. Competing with the pro football machine and a global pop superstar is almost impossible… or is it?”
The NFL’s decision to select Bad Bunny as the official halftime performer proved controversial in the weeks leading up to the game. President Donald Trump was among the vocal critics, later calling the performance “a slap in the face to our country,” though he did not publicly endorse the alternative “All-American halftime show.”
Despite the initial backlash, Bad Bunny’s halftime performance was met with generally positive reactions once it aired. Kid Rock’s set, however, did not receive the same response, with accusations of lip-syncing dominating the post-show conversation.
