Kid Rock has pushed back against accusations that he lip-synced during his recent appearance at Turning Point USA’s All-American Halftime Show.
The 54-year-old musician headlined the conservative organization’s alternative halftime programming on Sunday, Feb. 8. The event was announced following news that Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny would lead the official Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show.
Kid Rock, born Robert James Ritchie, faced criticism online after footage circulated of his performance of “Bawitdaba,” a hit from his Devil Without a Cause album. Some viewers questioned whether the vocals were prerecorded.
Addressing the controversy during a Feb. 10 appearance on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle, Kid Rock attributed the issue to technical difficulties rather than lip-syncing.
“It was out of sync,” he said. “Actually, just to have some fun with the haters. I can’t answer all the trolls, but it’s going to be some fun. My DJ, who actually raps that song with me, he was not lit up.”
He added that he planned to demonstrate the performance live to clarify the situation.
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“He’s coming to Nashville tonight, flying in. We’re going to do that live in my living room and I’m going to post it tomorrow to show people exactly how this works,” Kid Rock said.
The performer further argued that if the vocals had been prerecorded, synchronization would not have been an issue.
“If it was prerecorded, it would’ve been super easy to sync it up,” he stated. “I’m jumping around the stage like a rabid monkey, rapping my song, and I’m taking breaths, and my DJ is filling in the other parts of it.”
Kid Rock said he had flagged the timing issue after reviewing early footage of the show.
“I even told them when I saw the rough cut, ‘You guys got to work on that sync. It’s off,’” he said. “It was just a syncing issue that they had, and I know they tried to get it right. It was very difficult.”
Turning Point USA promoted its halftime broadcast as a “family-friendly, values-driven” production designed to offer patriotic entertainment. Kid Rock performed alongside country artists Lee Brice, Brantley Gilbert, and Gabby Barrett.
According to The New York Times, the livestream of the alternative halftime show peaked at approximately 6.1 million viewers. As of publication, the uploaded recording on YouTube has drawn roughly 21 million views.
The official Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show, featuring Bad Bunny, is expected to surpass those numbers. While final viewership figures have not been released, the performance video shared by the NFL on YouTube has accumulated nearly 55 million views.
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Apple reported a significant increase in Bad Bunny’s streaming activity following the show, noting a seven-fold spike in listeners. The company also stated that related halftime content generated more than 63 million views within the first 48 hours.
Separately, reports surfaced regarding Kid Rock’s Rock the Country festival. On Friday, Feb. 6, the Post & Courier reported that the festival canceled its South Carolina tour dates after several scheduled performers withdrew.
Officials in Anderson County, S.C., confirmed that the two-day concert planned for July 25 and July 26 would not proceed.
In a statement, Rock the Country organizers said the festival was “created to unite people together through music,” adding that its lineups and audiences reflect “a wide range of voices, backgrounds, and stories that make up this country.”
