Kid Rock’s counterprogrammed Super Bowl halftime performance is embroiled in a lip-sync scandal.
His two-song appearance was part of the alternative “All-American Halftime Show,” hosted by Turning Point USA on YouTube and other channels. Kid Rock opened with “Bawitdaba,” after country-music performances by Brantley Gilbert (“Real American”), Lee Brice (“Country Nowadays”) and breakout American Idol star Gabby Barrett (“The Good Ones” and “I Hope”).
However, the denim shorts-clad Kid Rock either lost his place or simply forgot the words to his rap-rock hit. In any case, the movement of Kid Rock’s mouth didn’t match up with the vocals. Check out his performance of “Bawitdaba” in the video below.
What Are Critics Saying About Kid Rock’s Halftime Performance?
Rolling Stone described Kid Rock’s performance as “half-assed.” Yahoo stated he’s being “brutally roasted” – and that was no overstatement. Online commenters were predictably merciless: “Kid Rock doesn’t know how to lip sync his own songs.”
The All-American Halftime Show aired directly opposite a Super Bowl 60 appearance by Bad Bunny, with special guest turns including Lady Gaga, Cardi B, and Ricky Martin. The Puerto Rican hitmaker, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, had earlier guested when Jennifer Lopez and Shakira headlined the big game in 2020.
READ MORE: Kid Rock Sometimes Tells Himself to Shut the F— Up
President Donald Trump did not attend this year’s Super Bowl, which saw Seattle top New England at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, before hundreds of millions of television viewers. However, he must have been watching from home because Trump had plenty to say about Bad Bunny, who performed almost all of the show in Spanish.
Kid Rock visits President Donald Trump last March at the White House. (Andrew Harnik, Getty Images)
President Donald Trump Lashes Out at Bad Bunny
Commenting on his personal social media platform, Trump called the show a “slap in the face to our country.” He added: “It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence. Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World.”
Kid Rock, 55, has been a longtime vocal supporter of Trump. Bad Bunny, on the other hand, has heavily criticized the administration’s recent immigration-enforcement actions. That set up a big ratings battle, with final figures still being tabulated.
Watch Kid Rock’s All-American Halftime Show Performance
Rockers With Presidents
A number of these pairings run along straight political lines but at least one act proved to be an equal-opportunity shutterbug.
Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso
