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Kid Rock’s “Rock the Country” music festival has experienced another setback as Shinedown, a well-known American rock band, announced its withdrawal on Friday. This marks the fourth act to step back recently, citing concerns that their participation could potentially spark further division.
In a statement shared on Instagram, Shinedown expressed their commitment to unity through music, stating, “SHINEDOWN is everyone’s band. We feel that we have been given a platform to bring all people together through the power of music and song… Our band’s purpose is to unite… with that in mind, we have made the decision that we will not be playing the ‘Rock The Country’ Festival.’”
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The announcement follows the earlier withdrawals of country singers Morgan Wade and Carter Faith. Neither artist has publicly disclosed their reasons for pulling out. Additionally, rapper Ludacris’s name was removed from the festival’s promotional materials, with a spokesperson informing “Rolling Stone” that his inclusion was a mistake.
While the festival has not officially communicated a political stance, critics suggest its messaging carries implicit political undertones, especially given the involvement of Kid Rock and Jason Aldean, both vocal supporters of former President Donald Trump. Rapper Nelly, known for his early 2000s hits, also performed at Trump’s 2025 Inaugural Ball, adding to the speculation.
Promoted as “a celebration of community, tradition, and the spirit of America through 250 years,” the festival’s theme aligns with Kid Rock’s commentary on his planned “alternative” Super Bowl halftime show. This show emerged following conservative backlash against the NFL’s choice of global music sensation Bad Bunny as the headliner for the upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show.
55 year-old Kid Rock has dissed the Puerto Rican artist in the lead up to the shows, with the “Cowboy” singer saying, “We’re approaching this show like David and Goliath. Competing with the pro football machine and a global pop superstar is almost impossible…or is it? He’s said he’s having a dance party, wearing a dress, and singing in Spanish? Cool. We plan to play great songs for folks who love America.”
The “Rock the Country” Festival dropouts also come after Kid Rock faces criticism for his headlining of conservative group Turning Point USA’s show. The criticism came after multiple lyrics from the singer’s tracks went viral, pointing to seemingly hypocritical statements for the headliner of a show billed as being a celebration of “American faith, family and freedom.”
Most notably, social media users honed in on Kid Rock’s 2001 song, “Cool, Daddy Cool,” which contains the lyrics, “Young ladies, young ladies, I like ’em underage, see some say that’s statutory (but I say that’s mandatory).”
Though Kid Rock has so far not directly addressed the situation, the singer posted a quote from late NBA great Kobe Bryant which reads: “Learn to love the hate. Embrace it…. Haters are a good problem to have. Nobody hates the good ones. They hate the great ones.”