Worship leader Cory Asbury announced that he and fellow artist Forrest Frank are pausing plans for a proposed “alternative halftime show,” stating that what began as a vision to honor Jesus had “devolved into something else.”
“Hey friends,” Asbury posted on social media, “I want to update everyone and clear the air about the ‘alternative halftime show.'”
“What started as a dream to lift up the name of Jesus during one of the biggest moments of the year began to devolve into something else, something distracting,” Asbury continued. “After much prayer, we’ve decided not to move forward with it in its current form. Not forever, just not now.”
Bad Bunny, who has been openly critical of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, sings almost exclusively in Spanish and is expected to perform in Spanish during the Super Bowl halftime event.
The 40-year-old “Reckless Love” singer emphasized that his dream was “never about rivalry.”
“It’s not us vs. Bad Bunny. It’s not us vs. Turning Point USA. It’s not about politics, parties, or proving a point,” he said. “The heart was never competition, just worship. We want whatever we do next to be pure and focused solely on Jesus, not on headlines, not on hype.”
Asbury said he still believes “there is something great to come in the spirit of what we were dreaming up, but [we] sense there is a different expression God has in mind.”
The singer concluded his message by thanking those who offered “stadiums, arenas, churches and other resources with no strings attached,” describing their “commitment to see the Gospel furthered” as “beautiful” and something that “will bear much fruit.”
Last week, Asbury clarified that he and Frank would not be participating in Turning Point USA’s proposed “All-American Halftime Show,” citing “incompatible” visions.
Asbury and Frank first floated the idea of a faith-based “Jesus Bowl” halftime event after it was announced that Bad Bunny would be headlining the Super Bowl.
“What if we threw together an alternate show at a different venue with just the biggest Christian artists and glorified the name of Jesus on a gigantic scale?” Asbury said, lamenting that Super Bowl performances are often “raunchy as heck.”
“My vision is this. Blow it up huge. Let’s get a stadium. Let’s go crazy while people are glorifying money and fame and sex and all kinds of stuff that we don’t want to see. We can lift up the name of Jesus.”
Turning Point USA later announced plans for its own alternative halftime event, the “All-American Halftime Show,” prompting confusion among fans.
“In the spirit of unity, Forrest and I jumped on a call with their team,” Asbury said at the time. “But at the end of the day, the two visions are just incompatible.”
Asbury said his heart remains focused on creating a “Jesus moment,” adding, “We’re glorifying the name of Jesus, worshiping, praying. I almost see it like a Billy Graham crusade, a call to the altar, mass salvation across the nation.”
While the project is paused, Asbury indicated that the team remains open to pursuing it in a new form “when the timing and focus are right.”
TPUSA has not yet announced its lineup of singers, but the organization’s website features a form asking “what genres” fans would like to see featured.
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
