So here we go, the lineup for Turning Point USA’s All-American Halftime Show is finally out in the open, and it’s exactly the kind of culture-clash moment you’d expect in a year when even the Super Bowl halftime show can turn into a political flashpoint. Turning Point is pitching this as an alternative to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance, and they’ve stacked the deck with a very specific kind of star power: Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett.
Let’s start with the artists, because their résumés matter here. Kid Rock may bounce between rock, rap, and country, but when it comes to the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, his peak came with Picture, which climbed to number three. Brantley Gilbert, often described as a mid-level country star but with serious radio muscle, has done even better. Songs like Bottoms Up took him all the way to number one on the Hot Country Songs chart. Lee Brice is in that same category of quietly dominant country hitmaker. Tracks such as Rumor also reached number one, giving him a peak chart position at the very top.
That kind of chart success explains why Turning Point thinks this lineup can go toe-to-toe, at least ideologically, with the NFL’s halftime pick. Kid Rock, who has become increasingly vocal about his conservative views and his support for President Donald Trump, framed the whole thing as a David versus Goliath moment. In his words, competing with the NFL and a global pop superstar sounds impossible, until you remember there’s a huge audience that wants something very different from what the official halftime show is offering.
And then there’s Bad Bunny, the center of the controversy that sparked all of this. His upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance drew criticism from conservative pundits and politicians almost immediately. Part of that backlash was fueled by the sheer size of his audience. Super Bowl halftime shows routinely pull in well over 120 million viewers, and Bad Bunny’s selection meant that massive stage would be handed to an artist who sings primarily in Spanish and has openly criticized Trump’s deportation policies.
🚨 BREAKING: TPUSA just released their lineup for their “ALL-AMERICAN Halftime Show” in response to the Super Bowl’s planned ANTI-American halftime show
Awesome lineup right here! 🔥
Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett
Tune out the anti-ICE BS that will… pic.twitter.com/LMsVpdVLVR
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 2, 2026
From a numbers standpoint, it’s hard to argue he isn’t popular enough. In 2025, Bad Bunny was Spotify’s most-streamed artist worldwide, racking up well over 18 billion streams globally. That kind of reach is exactly why the NFL went in his direction, and exactly why his selection struck a nerve with critics who see it as cultural signaling rather than pure entertainment.
Turning Point’s response has been to create an alternative rather than just complain. Their All-American Halftime Show will stream on their own social platforms and conservative networks like Real America’s Voice and OAN, leaning hard into themes of faith, family, and freedom. Gabby Barrett’s inclusion, as the only female performer announced so far and a former ACM New Female Artist of the Year winner, rounds out the lineup and broadens the appeal beyond just the usual suspects.
Whether this alternative show pulls in anything close to Super Bowl-level numbers is another question entirely. But in a media landscape where attention itself is the prize, Turning Point is betting that millions of viewers want an option that reflects their values. And judging by the artists they’ve chosen and the audience they’re targeting, this is less about beating Bad Bunny and more about making a statement during the biggest television event of the year.
