Turning Point USA, a conservative political organization founded by deceased activist Charlie Kirk, decided to offer an alternative to Bad Bunny’s performance, organizing an online music event in which notably conservative artists such as Kid Rock and Brantly Gilbert performed. The Super Bowl has traditionally invited the year’s most influential music artist to perform at the Halftime Show, including pop icons such as Michael Jackson and Taylor Swift. This year, when Puerto Rican Artist Bad Bunny was nominated, many heads turned, as some doubted his “American” heritage due to his birthplace being the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.
“The music was actually decent,” Steven Nave, country music lover, said. “I knew some of the country artists, and if we look at the show without the political implications, it wasn’t a bad alternative.”
Turning Point USA’s show, named the All-American Halftime Show, attracted an estimated live audience of 6.1 million people, as viewers tuned in on the video-sharing platform YouTube. The show was backed by many conservative activists, and the performers were notable musicians who publicly stated their support for conservative America, such as Gabby Barrett or Lee Brice.
“I think the political assumption was that Bad Bunny was progressive, while the All-American Halftime Show was more conservative,” Morgan Park (10), global politics enthusiast, said. “But in my opinion, I don’t think Bad Bunny had any political messages other than the call for unity across the entire American continent.”
The divide around this year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show performance has shown that music can be a great contributing factor to cultural and political disagreements. Bad Bunny’s historic performance has shown that a majority of America is willing to accept new cultures and ideas, while the All-American Halftime Show displayed the more traditional side of the country.
The All-American Halftime Show, though paling in comparison to Bad Bunny in total audience, still attracted millions of viewers across the country, proving that the contrast reveals a nation that is still deciding what values are truly American.
