Kid Rock is pushing back against claims that he lip-synced during Turning Point USA's All American Halftime Show, saying the issue was caused by technical problems and not fake singing.
The 55-year-old rocker, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, said a syncing error between the audio and video made it look like his mouth did not match the music.
The performance aired at the same time as the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show headlined by Bad Bunny.
Soon after Kid Rock's set streamed online, viewers posted on social media that his performance of his 1999 hit "Bawitdaba" appeared out of sync.
According to ENews, in a Feb. 10 video shared on X, Kid Rock denied lip-syncing. "My halftime performance was pre recorded but performed live," he wrote.
"No lip syncing like the haters and fake news are trying to report. When they synced the cameras to my performance on 'Bawitdaba,' it did not line up as I explain in this video."
Kid Rock’s performance at Turning Point USA’s “All-American Halftime Show” drew heavy online criticism after fans pointed out he appeared to be lip syncing — his mouth not matching the audio — during his set, sparking jokes and ridicule across social media.
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) February 9, 2026
Not live.
Not… pic.twitter.com/wA7P4JRaR5
Kid Rock Admits Halftime Show Was Pre-Taped
Kid Rock later spoke with Fox News host Laura Ingraham and admitted the show had been taped ahead of time in Atlanta.
"I even told them when I saw the rough cut, I was like, 'You guys gotta work on that sync. It's off,'" he said. He described the problem as a "syncing issue" and added that it was "very difficult" to fix, DailyMail reported.
Kid Rock explained that the fast pace of "Bawitdaba" may have made things harder for the production team.
"If I was ever going to lip sync, which I wouldn't, that would be the last song I would ever have to bring in the fold to do it to," he said. "We've performed this song every night on tour since 1998."
He also noted that his DJ, Freddie "Paradime" Beauregard, shares some of the rap lines during the song.
Because the DJ was not clearly shown on screen, viewers may have thought Kid Rock missed parts of the lyrics. "No lip syncing here," he insisted.
Online reactions were quick and harsh. Some viewers called it "the worst lip sync" they had seen, while others questioned why the vocals did not match his movements.
© 2026 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
