Zach Bryan didn’t hold back his thoughts on the dueling halftime shows that split screens during Super Bowl LVIII. The country music firebrand made it clear he was Team Bad Bunny, while firing off a few digital jabs at Kid Rock and the conservative counter-programming put on by Turning Point USA.
As fans around the world tuned in to see Bad Bunny headline the official halftime show, a parallel event featuring Kid Rock, Lee Brice, Brantley Gilbert, and Gabby Barrett was livestreamed as the “All-American Halftime Show.” The event, backed by a right-wing youth organization, aimed to provide a culture-war-tinged alternative for viewers.
Bryan, never one to shy away from commentary, took to Instagram to call out the rival production. “A bunch of adults throwing temper tantrums and their own halftime show is embarrassing as hell,” he wrote in a since-deleted story, adding that the move was peak cringe.
He followed up with a snarky clip that showed someone covering their TV during Bad Bunny’s performance while watching Kid Rock’s show on a phone. His caption? A mocking dig: “What Kid Rock actually thinks is happening across America.”
Bryan wasn’t alone. Kacey Musgraves chimed in with her own sharp contrast, tweeting that Bad Bunny’s performance made her feel “more proudly American than anything Kid Rock has ever done.”
Despite detractors, Bad Bunny’s high-energy halftime show earned the nod of approval from a range of stars including Adam Sandler, Jennifer Lopez, and Ricky Martin. While Donald Trump may have turned his nose up at the performance, the pop culture consensus seems to be leaning strongly in Bad Bunny’s favor.