Post Malone's Halftime Show Performance at Chiefs vs. Cowboys Game Sparks Heated Talk Online — Video

The 30-year-old singer and rapper wrapped up his Thanksgiving halftime set with a tribute that few saw coming, and the internet wasted no time weighing in.

Post Malone took the stage during the National Football League's (NFL) Thanksgiving Day game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Kansas City Chiefs, delivering a halftime performance that quickly sparked conversation online.

Performing at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on November 27, 2025, Post Malone sang three songs: "Wrong Ones," "Wow," and the country-leaning hit, "I Had Some Help." At the end of his set, he closed it with a message:

"Ladies and gentlemen, make some noise for the best team in the world, the Dallas Cowboys. I hope everyone has a great night. I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving, and I love you more than I could ever say, and we love you 94, we love you. Have a great night, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you."

His mention of "94" was a tribute to Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, who died in early November, just days after scoring his first touchdown in a game against the Arizona Cardinals.

The emotional gesture struck a chord with many fans and quickly spread across social media. Even so, not everyone was moved. One viewer on X wrote, "The was worst Post Malone performances ever [sic]." A second stated, "This has gotta be a bottom 5 halftime show of all time, good god this is trash."

Another X user suggested that the backlash against Post Malone may be coming from rap and hip-hop fans who dislike his shift toward country music. It also pointed out that some critics believe he gained fame through Black music before turning to a different style. The post ended by defending the artist's choices.

Another on Instagram said, "Yeah he shouldn't do country music he should stick to his hip hop pop music. People heckled beyonce for trying country but they okay with Post. Weird and hypocritical [sic]." A different viewer commented, "Boy did he change his image."

Amid the mixed reactions on the platform, someone defended Post Malone, "this is exactly why nobody even cares who the halftime performer is anymore, there’s always something for people to complain about!! he probably wanted to perform way more songs, but the halftime show has a strict time limit, so you only get a few, leave that man alone 🙄 [sic]."

On Facebook, a viewer complained, "Did anybody else have a hard time hearing him? I was so disappointed. The background singers were louder than him!"

But others responded more positively. A supporter typed, "Who would have thought the Dallas Cowboys could put on a better halftime show than the NFL themselves." A different Facebook commenter remarked, "We love you, Posty! Amazing halftime performance. You are a true gentleman!"

While some critics view Post Malone's country pivot as sudden or performative, the shift has been years in the making.

Back in December 2024, he made another high-profile appearance as a guest performer in the "Beyoncé Bowl", Beyoncé's special hometown halftime show in Houston on NFL Christmas Gameday.

Just a few months earlier, in February 2024, Post Malone performed a stripped-down, country-influenced version of "America the Beautiful" at the Super Bowl, drawing early attention to his evolving sound.

Together, these appearances showed his growing comfort at events that blend music genres and fanbases. But his interest in country music stretches back even further. In a 2017 interview with Vice, he credited his mother with introducing him to the genre:

"So, I mean, my love of country music came from my mom. Whenever I was a little kid, a little niño, my mom would always play country in the car, so I guess that's where it kinda came from."

He cited Johnny Cash as a major influence, especially his San Quentin live performance for prison inmates. Post Malone described the moment as "really inspiring," praising music's power to connect across boundaries.

In the same interview, he reflected on the shared roots of country and rap, "Country and rap, I think, is essentially the same thing. I mean, just presented differently." He pointed to their common focus on cars, style, and identity.

Post Malone also noted that earlier country stars, with their rhinestone suits and custom guitars, embraced visual storytelling in a way that mirrors modern rap. For him, the blend feels natural — and he questioned why any artist shouldn't be free to make both.

Post Malone's growing presence on country stages has kept him in the spotlight, and not without controversy, as seen in earlier high-profile appearances.

As previously reported, he and Ashley McBryde were among the artists who performed in tribute to late country music legends during "Opry 100: A Live Celebration," which took place on March 19 and aired on NBC and Peacock TV.

On social media, NBC shared a short clip of Post Malone and McBryde singing their rendition of Johnny and June Carter Cash's "Jackson." Playing the guitar while singing, he looked impressive in a beige cowboy hat, a white shirt, a red jacket, blue jeans, and brown cowboy boots.

McBryde stunned in a black strapless floor-length jumpsuit as she held a microphone and sang along. Seeing a Facebook reel of the same clip, one unimpressed person confessed, "Not a fan of Malone. Think they could've picked someone better. Sry [sic]."

Another critic stated that the performance was "Disrespectful to Johnny and June," while someone else lamented, "They destroyed this great song. No one can fill Johnny and June's shoes."

Someone else who disapproved complained, "Really Post Malone. [sic] He is not country and can not even carry a tune. He is not a member of the opry. Others deserve to be there in his place I hope he never a member. [sic]"

Another person praised McBryde but criticized her duet partner, saying, "Ashley killed it but unfortunately Post didn't do it justice in my opinion." Noticing Post Malone's large, rounded silver earrings, a netizen commented, "His big earrings are kinda [sic] cute!! Do they make them for men??"

Someone who believed the two artists were nowhere near the Cashes' league wrote, "No comparison they butchered jackson. Should got Lainey Wilson and George Strait to do it. [sic]"

A fan of the rapper shared, "I love Post but he was not the right person to be singing Jackson with her. They should've got someone with a deeper voice like Josh Turner, scotty McCreery, or Chris Young just to name a few. [sic]"

However, not all the comments were negative. One person remarked, "They were playful and cute. Great song."

While some enjoyed the tribute, others felt Post Malone was unsuitable for the performance. Regardless, the event celebrated country music's legacy with a star-studded lineup.

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time he has faced criticism while performing at a country music event. On November 20 at the 2024 Country Music Association (CMA) Awards, the rapper delivered a solo rendition of his then-latest track.

His performance featured an acoustic setup with violins and guitars. Like at the Grand Ole Opry 2025 event, the star embraced the country aesthetic by wearing a purple embroidered suit and a cowboy hat.

However, his performance had netizens talking, with some reacting in disappointment. One person commented, "Beautiful lyrics but man...that was hard to listen to!" while another added, "So many better performances. His voice was weak tonight."

An unimpressed netizen remarked, "It was terrible! Worst performance I've ever seen from him." Someone else lamented, "I love Post but that was really off today which made me sad."

Meanwhile, a netizen noted, "Great song. Not so great singer." One person didn't hold back, claiming, "Well, I mean he is talentless anyway." Another viewer noticed Post Malone was "Off key, off pitch," and added, "Is that how he always sounds? I can't figure out why he's famous. Tonight was my first time hearing him sing."

Someone else shared that they liked the song but called the performance "terrible." However, not all the comments were negative, as one person exclaimed, "Posty made this song!! Gotta [sic] love him for his talent. Welcome to country music."

Before his solo performance, Post Malone opened the CMA Awards with a high-energy set alongside Chris Stapleton. The duo performed "California Sober," their most recent collaboration from Post Malone's "F-1 Trillion" album.

Tackling country music had been the rapper's dream for nearly a decade. In 2015, he tweeted, "WHEN I TURN 30 I'M BECOMING A COUNTRY/FOLK SINGER." At 29, he followed through on his promise.

His album, "F-1 Trillion," had been released months before the Country Music Awards event. It featured 18 songs, including collaborations with country icons such as Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, and Brad Paisley.