For the first time since the Turning Point USA halftime show, Cody Johnson is speaking out about his feelings surrounding Kid Rock rerecording his 2021 hit, “‘Til You Can’t.”
The alternate Super Bowl performance, which now took place over a month ago on February 8, quickly became one of 2026’s biggest talking points, generating massive buzz from both sides following its inaugural debut. As one of the leading acts of the pre-recorded show, Kid Rock took center stage performing his own 1999 hit “Bawitdaba” followed by an appearance from his “real” self, Robert Ritchie.
To viewers’ surprise, Ritchie took the stage with his rendition of Johnson’s first number-one single. Following the performance on February 9, Robbie Ritchie’s, aka Kid Rock’s, live version dropped on all streaming platforms. While it was not only a declaration of Kid Rock’s personal faith journey, he also added a verse reflecting this devotion:
“You know I awoke all alone one Sunday morning with this song stuck in my head, and in that moment, something or someone spoke to me. They said there was still a verse that needed to be written for this song and to get up and write it down. There’s a book thats sitting in your house somewhere, that could use some dusting off, there’s a man who died for all our sins, hanging from the cross, you can give your life to Jesus, and he’ll give you a second chance.”
Johnson admirably gave his vocal stamp of approval of the cover as well as the lyric change on a recent appearance on Dale Brisby’s Rodeo Time podcast. Johnson revealed that the whole thing started with a performance back in November 2025, “When I had to cancel the Hondo Rodeo in Arizona because of my ear, Kid Rock filled in and he played that last verse, and I was like ‘That’s pretty cool.'”
Johnson, at the time, who was at home recovering from his surgery, received a video of the performance along with the news that he would soon be receiving a call from Kid Rock, hoping to get his blessing to release his own version. Admirably, Johnson’s first thought was to get the songwriters Ben Stennis and Matt Rogers’ opinion, who reciprocated this notion. “‘They sent the message that they’re not signing off on it if Cody doesn’t cause it’s Cody’s song.’ And I was like, ‘That’s really respectful. That was really cool to feel the admiration from those guys for taking their song that they wrote and making it what it is.”
On their call, Johnson extended his okay for the release, which led to Kid Rock double-checking before stepping on any toes that his lyrical change was appropriate. Johnson revealed, “He said, ‘I feel like Ben and Matt did such a great job writing this song. I don’t want to insinuate that they didn’t write it good enough.'” While he pointed out the importance of ‘calling your mom, going fishing with your dad, and saying I love you,’ he added, “‘But they just didn’t include God.’ and he’s like, ‘I just felt like you can only ask forgiveness and get to know Jesus until you can’t.'”
Johnson said the exchange was certainly an arm raiser, especially coming from Kid Rock, emphasizing that it was, “a conversation that I never thought I’d have in my life, right? And I was like, I 100% sign off on it.” As for the TPUSA alternative halftime show performance, Johnson was equally impressed and in support, “And I watched it, had tears in my eyes. I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s awesome. Freaking Kid Rock singing my song, man.'”
He jokingly added that he unfortunately couldn’t get the “All Summer Long” singer to sport a Cody Johnson hat during the performance, but it certainly did bring in a second wave of success for his original. “It went number one in all genres the next day. I was like ‘Thanks, bro.”
As the 38-year-old continues to bounce back from last year’s medical pause from touring with a packed year ahead, this track, which was one of Johnson’s biggest career moments, will certainly remain a staple throughout his shows. He revealed that with such an amped up summer ahead, including a headlining night at Stagecoach this April, there’s plenty of new music to keep the momentum going. Continuing out on the road on his Live 26 tour, his final stop will wrap up on September 12 in Tacoma, Washington.
Tour Dates:
- March 27 – Baltimore, MD
- March 28 – Houston, TX
- April 4 – Little Rock, AR
- April 18 – St. Louis, MO
- April 24 – Indianapolis, IN
- May 2 – Clemson, SC
- May 8 – Sioux Falls, SD
- May 9 – Des Moines, IA
- May 29 – Grand Rapids, MI
- May 30 – Rosemont, IL
- June 26 – Milwaukee, WI
- July 11 – Cavendish, PE
- July 17–18 – Columbus, OH
- July 25 – Jacksonville, FL
- Aug. 8 – Oklahoma City, OK
- Aug. 22 – Knoxville, TN
- Aug. 29 – Saint Paul, MN
- Sept. 12 – Tacoma, WA