This year’s Super Bowl LX halftime show, headlined by Bad Bunny, a Latin urban music superstar, was met head-on when TPUSA (Turning Point USA) announced they were putting on “The All-American Halftime Show” with Kid Rock as their star performer.
The competition that day was not only reserved for the field. 6.1 million people tuned in on YouTube to watch the alternative show, though it was a long shot from the 120 million-plus that opted for Bad Bunny’s performance as the officially chosen performer.
Kid Rock was accompanied by country musicians Brantley Gilbert, Gabby Barrett and Lee Brice. The show opened with a guitar solo by Barrett of the national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Kid Rock closed the show with a lip sync of his hit song “Bawitdaba” and ended with a cover of “‘Til You Can’t,” by country music artist Cody Johnson.
The rock country show concluded with pictures of the late Charlie Kirk with his family, TPUSA founder, who was shot at Utah University, displayed on large screens behind Kid Rock.
Bad Bunny did not hesitate to represent his Puerto Rican culture throughout his performance, utilizing symbolism to emphasize the overarching theme of unity. He sang and danced under a screen with the words “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” The stage included props like a traditional Puerto Rican casita, a New York Bodega and 18th century San Juan-style castillos (fortress walls), culminating in a representation of the diversity of experiences that make up America.
Most of the songs used for the performance were from his album “Debi ́ Tirar Ma ́ s Fotos” (“I Should Have Taken More Photos”), the first fully Spanish album to win a Grammy. He brought on many guest appearances, including notably Lady Gaga, who sang “Die With a Smile” intertwined with lively Latin beats and salsa.
Ricky Martin, a Latin American artist, performed his song “Lo Que Le Paso ́ a Hawaii” (“What Happened to Hawaii”), which addresses the impacts of colonialism and gentrification on the economy and future of the island. Bad Bunny made an electrifying impact by using a prop of power lines bursting into sparks, a reference to the power outages and lack of certainty in his country.
Bad Bunny’s unabashed and clear stances on politics and representation of Puerto Rican culture did not go unnoticed, or uncriticized, for that matter. In fact, President Trump threw his support behind Kid Rock’s show writing on Truth Social that, “The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER! It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence.” He further expressed concerns for family-friendly standards in the performance.
Conservative political group TPUSA clearly felt similarly and made a point to say so. Turning Point’s Jack Posobiec claimed that the Super Bowl’s halftime show had been “culturally appropriated” and turned into “this woke anti-America political thing that it never should have been.”
Kid Rock himself spoke out, saying, “There’s a big portion of this country, like it or not, that’s underserved entertainment-wise.” He went on to say, “We’re just [going to] go play for our base. You know, people who love America, love football, love Jesus.”
Bad Bunny’s music conveys his love for his culture by mixing traditional Latino beats like salsa, bomba, plena and jíbaro with eclectic rock and punk beats.
In the past, Bad Bunny has been outspoken about his feelings for his country and political stances, speaking out about the lack of aid and development being provided to Puerto Rico, an American territory.
Kid Rock has similarly faced controversy over his blunt political and personal opinions. His 2001 song, “Cool, Daddy Cool,” drew massive backlash. The song contains the lyrics, “Young ladies, young ladies, I like ’em underage, see some say that’s statutory (but I say that’s mandatory).” While this is the most recent spectacle to come to light, in the past, he has been known to be a controversial figure—using Confederate flags, repeatedly saying homophobic slurs onstage and becoming embroiled in more disputes than we can list.
Whether you chose to tune in to Bad Bunny or Kid Rock, one thing is clear. Both performances aimed to convey patriotism to America, although in highly polarized ways.
