Getty Adam Levine of Maroon 5 performs at the iHeartRadio Album Release Party with Maroon 5 at iHeartRadio Theater on November 7, 2017 in Burbank, California.
Tonight, Maroon 5 took the M-shaped stage to perform at the 2019 Super Bowl as the headlining act for the Halftime Show. Surrounded by a pyro display, the band kicked things off with a performance of their song “Harder to Breathe,” followed by “This Love”. Then, a short Sponge Bob clip aired before introducing rapper Travis Scott, who joined the stage in a giant fireball.
Scott was joined by Maroon lead singer Adam Levine, who then transitioned into a performance of his hit song “Girls”. Accompanied by a marching band and a choir, Levine carried out the song on stage.
He then performed the song “She Will Be Loved” and made his way into the crowd, who was equipped with lanterns. As the lanterns were shown throughout the stadium, the words “One Love” lit up in the stadium.
Big Boi then rode out in a car, singing “I Love the Way You Move”.
Soon, Levine started taking off his jacket, then his shirt to perform songs including “Moves Like Jagger”. Fireworks then erupted from the stadium, to bring an end to the show.
When Maroon 5 accepted the opportunity to take on the Super Bowl as the 2019 Halftime Show headliner, they were met with instant backlash. But, the band decided to embrace the gig. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, band frontman Adam Levine called the Super Bowl the “biggest gig in the game”. He also said that, “The spectacle is the music. We wanted to bring it back to a time when it was a little more simple when the focus was the connection to the songs.”
Before making the decision to agree to perform, Levine said that he consulted many people, and, according to USA Today, he said that ultimately, “I silenced all the noise and listened to myself and made my decision based upon how I felt.” Levine also said that he wanted to be sure that the performance would support people of color and those who have felt that their voices haven’t been heard. Levine said, “We got you.”
Music producer Sonny Digital weighed in on Maroon 5’s decision, supporting the group by saying, “If they want to perform at the Super Bowl, why not? That’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
According to BBC, performers Cardi B and Rihanna are two of the music artists who declined offers to headline the 2019 Super Bowl.