Zach Bryan Sparks Backlash Over Kid Rock Super Bowl Alternative
Country star Zach Bryan has drawn online backlash after he mocked a Kid Rock-led, pro-America alternative halftime event that aired alongside the Super Bowl. The flare-up played out across Instagram, where Bryan criticised the rival production and then responded after some fans accused him of losing his patriotism.
Fox News reported that Bryan described Turning Point USA’s “All-American Halftime Show” as “embarrassing,” and later wrote that “a bunch of adults throwing temper tantrums and their own halftime show” was “the most cringe s— on the planet.”
The post in question showed one of Bryan’s friends watching the TPUSA broadcast on a phone while the televised Super Bowl halftime performance, led by Bad Bunny, played in the background. After some followers criticised the jab and suggested he was jealous or out of touch, Bryan shared a hostile message from a critic who called him a “Hollywood sell out,” then reiterated that his objection was not political so much as the spectacle itself.
The TPUSA stream featured performances by Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett, and it ran at the same time as the Super Bowl halftime show. Elsewhere in the debate, Kacey Musgraves also weighed in, posting on X that Bad Bunny’s set made her feel “more proudly American” than anything Kid Rock has done.
The exchange highlights how quickly major pop-culture events can spill into broader identity and politics arguments online, with artists finding themselves scrutinised for off-the-cuff reactions as much as for their music.
