Lee Brice Debuts A Daring New Track Called “Country Nowadays” During His TPUSA Halftime Set
on Feb 09, 2026
On Sunday, February 8, Turning Point USA hosted its first-ever halftime alternative broadcast called the All-American Halftime Show.
The organization, founded by the late conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, announced in October that it would host the event as a response to the NFL’s announcement that Grammy-winning singer Bad Bunny would headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Earlier this month, TPUSA revealed its lineup. Those who tuned in watched country artists Kid Rock, Brantly Gilbert, Gabby Barrett, and Lee Brice take the stage.
The All-American Halftime Show, which promised to celebrate “faith, family, and freedom,” drew over 6 million viewers during the night.
If you tuned in, you saw all four performers take the stage to sing several songs each, including a mix of their own hits and well-loved country covers.
Brantley Gilbert’s lead guitarist opened the show with an instrumental version of “The Star Spangled Banner.” Gilbert himself then sang his track “Real American,” followed by a cover of Jason Aldean’s “Dirt Road Anthem.”
Gabby Barrett followed with performances of her breakout hit “I Hope” and her 2020 hit song “The Good Ones.”
Before Kid Rock closed out the show with a high-energy performance of “Bawitdaba” (complete with a fur jacket, denim shorts, a giant American flag backdrop, and bursts of occasional fire) along with a more tamed cover of Cody Johnson’s “Til’ I Can’t,” Lee Brice took the stage for the only three-song set of the night.
He performed fan favorites “Drinking Class” and “Hard to Love,” along with a brand-new track titled “Country Nowadays.”
Before introducing his new song, Brice addressed the audience by saying, “Charlie gave people microphones so they could say what’s on their minds. This is what’s on my mind.”
He then launched into the song’s blunt, politically charged lyrics for the first time live.
In the song, he shares his view on how difficult it is to be “country in this country nowadays.” A few of the song’s lyrics include:
“It ain’t easy being country / in this country nowadays / the directions, the finger pointing / when everything goes up in flames / saying I’m some right-wing devil / because I was down South Jesus raised / it ain’t easy being country / in this country nowadays/ in this country nowadays.”
Lee Brice Shares Release Date For “Country Nowadays”
“Country Nowadays” will be part of Brice’s upcoming album, which is said to include 30 songs. But fans won’t have to wait long to hear the track on its own.
Following his performance at the All-American Halftime Show, Brice revealed that Country Nowadays” will officially be released on February 19.
So far, Brice hasn’t shared any other information about his new album, like its title or release date, but if he’s dropping a new track from it, fans could surely expect the full project sometime soon.
