Kid Rock Sounds Off on Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show: ‘I Didn’t Understand Any of It’ and ‘I Fault the NFL’

During a Monday appearance on Fox News' "The Ingrahm Angle," Kid Rock offered his critique of Bad Bunny's recent Super Bowl Halftime Show performance. The rocker, who himself headlined the conservative-alternative "All-American Halftime Show," admitted he didn't comprehend the act, which was performed entirely in Spanish. "Like most people, I didn't understand any of it," Rock stated, adding that while the spectacle of dancers and energy wasn't to his taste, he placed blame not on the artist but on the NFL for selecting him. "I fault the NFL for putting him in that position... poor kid," he concluded.

Rock's comments aligned with a wave of conservative criticism directed at Bad Bunny, an artist often at odds with the political right due to his vocal criticism of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and his proud Puerto Rican heritage. Former President Donald Trump delivered a particularly scathing review on his Truth Social platform, calling the show "an affront to the Greatness of America" and criticizing its language and choreography. "Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting," Trump wrote, framing the performance as a disrespect to national standards. This reaction highlights a recurring cultural tension in major American events, where artistic choices are frequently scrutinized through a political lens.

However, Bad Bunny's performance was met with strong support from prominent figures in the entertainment industry. Pop icon Lady Gaga, who made a surprise guest appearance during the halftime set, took to Instagram to express her admiration. "It was my absolute honor," she wrote, thanking Bad Bunny—whose real name is Benito Martínez Ocasio—for the invitation. The Puerto Rican superstar, whose 2022 album 'Un Verano Sin Ti' became the first all-Spanish language release to be nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys, has consistently used his platform to celebrate Latin culture.

Adding a layer of witty defiance, Bravo host Andy Cohen used Instagram Threads to mock the critics of Bad Bunny's show. When one user praised the rival "All American Halftime Show" for being emotionally stirring, Cohen replied with sarcasm: "Me too. The idea that I can wear jorts while looking like a prune gives me hope about getting older!" His retort underscored a broader defense of the halftime show as a celebration of global pop culture, rather than a platform requiring political or linguistic conformity. As one music industry analyst noted, "The polarized response is less about the performance's quality and more about what—and who—we consider 'All-American' in an increasingly diverse cultural landscape."