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By Mandy Taheri
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More than 100 million viewers are expected to tune in to the official Super Bowl LX halftime show headlined by Grammy winner Bad Bunny, but conservative activist group Turning Point Action announced it is hosting counterprogramming headlined by Kid Rock.
The showcase that the group calls “family-friendly, values-driven” has drawn backlash from several critics, pointing to some of Kid Rock’s lyrics, including those that refer to underage girls.
Why It Matters
Conservative lawmakers and pundits have lashed out over Bad Bunny's Super Bowl booking, calling it a provocation. Former Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and Fox News pundit Tomi Lahren wondered why the Super Bowl would hand its biggest stage to a Puerto Rican artist who performs his music in Spanish. President Donald Trump called the decision “absolutely ridiculous” before noting he didn’t know who Bad Bunny was. Weeks after the September announcement, Trump said he would skip the Super Bowl altogether, dismissing the halftime lineup as a “terrible choice” and declaring himself “anti-them.”
Read More on Entertainment
Some critics have wrongly questioned whether Bad Bunny is American, even though he is a citizen since he was born in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory. An anonymous NFL player criticized the pick to The Athletic, saying the halftime performer “should be an American.”
While conservatives attacked the announcement, fans of the global megastar praised the selection. Born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, the Puerto Rican artist is one of the most commercially dominant artists of the streaming era. He has been Spotify’s most-streamed global artist four times. The NFL called him “the most popular artist on Earth” when announcing his upcoming performance, underscoring his commercial power and cross-cultural influence.
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What To Know
On Monday, TPUSA, the organization co-founded by assassinated conservative Charlie Kirk, announced that Kid Rock will be headlining their “All-American Halftime Show.”
Kid Rock has been a longstanding Trump ally, having performed at the 2024 Republican National Convention in which Trump was officially named as the party’s nominee and inauguration eve in 2025.
Other artists at the TPUSA event include Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett.
Following the announcement, some of Kid Rock's lyrics have drawn scrutiny across online platforms, particularly his 2001 song “Cool, Daddy, Cool,” with social media users saying they go against the pledged “faith, family, and freedom,” values that Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet would be part of the show.
In verse 3 of that song, Rock says, “Young ladies, young ladies, I like ‘em underage, see some say that’s statutory (But I say it’s mandatory).”
The song also appeared in part in the movie Osmosis Jones. Snopes noted the verse including “underage” girls did not appear in the movie.
Another song, Lowlife (Living the Highlife) from 2007, has also been highlighted, with lyrics: "I got kids I've never seen/ And their momma's 17."
In a Monday statement, Rock said, "We plan to play great songs for folks who love America,” adding, “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?”
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How to Watch the TPUSA Halftime Show
The TPUSA halftime show will be streamed online during the Super Bowl halftime window. Turning Point USA has said the broadcast will be available across its digital platforms and shared through partner channels, such as Real America's Voice and OAN, making it accessible on mobile devices, computers and smart TVs. Viewers are expected to find the livestream through the organization’s official website and social media accounts as kickoff then halftime approach.
What People Are Saying
Vice President JD Vance said in an X post on February 3: “Fantastic lineup for the TPUSA halftime show, including the great Bob Ritchie AKA KID ROCK.”
Representative Shri Thanedar, a Michigan Democrat, said in an February 4 X post: “’I like 'em underage, see, some say that's statutory, but I say it's mandatory.’ -Kid Rock. This is who the Vice President is promoting. No surprise here, sounds like the kind of guy he’d normally be sucking up to.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office said in a February 3 X post: “Peak snowflake behavior: MAGA Republicans are planning a backup halftime show so no one hurts their feelings.”
**Erika Kirk told guest host Trace Gallagher on Fox News' The Story with Martha MacCallum on Wednesday: "**For us to be able to provide an alternative that's pro-America, that's just pro everything, that that's not the opposite of what they're putting out there, I don't want to go into details and bash that, because there's apparently an audience that wants that… But there's a larger audience that wants ours. And so we are going to make it very amazing. I'm so excited."
What Happens Next
Both the official NFL halftime show and TPUSA's halftime show will take place around 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, in between the second and third quarter of the football game.
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