Worship artist Cory Asbury has said he and collaborator Forrest Frank won’t be participating in Turning Point USA’s proposed “alternative” Super Bowl halftime show after weeks of speculation online due to “incompatible” visions.
“I’ve been getting absolutely blown up about this Jesus Bowl 26 alternative halftime show idea,” Asbury said in a video posted to social media on Tuesday. “I’m getting tens of thousands of messages and comments. I love it, but I’m here to provide some clarity on this thing.”
Asbury and Frank had floated the idea of a faith-based “Jesus Bowl” halftime event last month after it was announced that Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny, who is known for his sexually explicit lyrics, will be the featured entertainment for the 2026 Apple Music Super Bowl halftime show.
Turning Point USA, the conservative group led by Charlie Kirk, subsequently announced plans for its own “alternative halftime show,” called The All-American Halftime Show, prompting fans to assume the two efforts were linked.
“They announced their own show — no venue, no artists — but said, ‘Hey, we’re doing this,’” Asbury said. “In the spirit of unity, Forrest and I jumped on a call with their team. But at the end of the day, the two visions are just incompatible.”
“We want this to be a Jesus moment,” the “Reckless Love” singer added. “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.”
The singer assured fans that he and Frank plan to continue their show independently and are seeking donors and sponsors for their event.
“This is going to cost legitimately millions of dollars,” he said. “Forrest and I are not taking a dime from this. This isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. It’s simply offering something to the nation and to the Lord.”
Bad Bunny, who has been openly critical of the Trump administration’s ICE crackdowns on illegal immigration, sings almost exclusively in Spanish and is expected to perform in Spanish during the Super Bowl halftime event.
Following the news that Bad Bunny would be headlining the show, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was among those who voiced their displeasure.
“I didn’t even know who Bad Bunny was, but it sounds like a terrible decision in my view,” he said. “Well, it sounds like he’s not someone who appeals to a broader audience. And I think there’s so many eyes on the Super Bowl. A lot of young, impressionable children. And I think, in my view, you would have Lee Greenwood or role models doing that. Not somebody like this.”
In his previous video, Asbury lamented that the halftime show is usually “raunchy as heck.”
“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.
“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.”
The next day, Frank posted a reaction video to Asbury’s, which named Frank as a collaborator. “YOOOO SHOULD THIS HAPPEN?!” the “Your Way’s Better” singer captioned the video.
Several other artists commented on Asbury’s post, saying they’d be willing to take part in the alternate show, including Ben Fuller, Red Rock Worship, Colton Dixon, Natalie Layne, CAIN, Seph Schlueter, Riley Clemmons and others.
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
