Kid Rock Dragged for Apparent Lip Sync at TPUSA Halftime Show
Kid Rock faced a wave of online criticism after viewers accused him of lip syncing during Turning Point USA’s “All-American” Super Bowl halftime show. The performance, positioned as an alternative to the official halftime set, drew attention for its visuals and big patriotic staging, but much of the immediate conversation centred on whether the headliner was actually singing live.
According to Yahoo Entertainment, close-up shots during Kid Rock’s performance of “Bawitdaba” made it appear his vocals continued even when his mouth was not moving, prompting comparisons on social media to infamous lip-syncing moments involving Ashlee Simpson and Milli Vanilli.
The report described Kid Rock entering the stage shouting his name before launching into the 1998 hit, with flames, an American-flag backdrop and his name flashing in lights behind him. As the set progressed, commenters on X posted clips and jokes about the sync issues, with one user calling it “more egregious” than Simpson’s widely remembered incident.
The TPUSA show also included performances by Mr. Brantley Gilbert and Ms. Gabby Barrett, and country singer Mr. Lee Brice praised TPUSA founder Mr. Charlie Kirk before playing a song, as a separate controversy about artists joining Kid Rock’s Super Bowl event has already played out in the broader cultural debate around the counter-programming.
Even with the lip-sync accusations, the event still drew a sizable livestream audience, and the backlash illustrates how quickly a halftime show—official or alternative—can be judged on authenticity as much as spectacle.
