Whether you were ogling at Adam Levine’s shirtless performance or scratching your head with the internal debate of whether that was appropriate or not, one thing is for sure, Maroon 5 drew a lot of mixed reactions for their performance recently.
Maroon 5 took the stage for the halftime show at the 2019 Super Bowl, which took place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday. The Los Angeles-based band performed a medley of their biggest hits and welcomed cameos from rapper Travis Scott and Outkast member Big Boi.
Although Maroon 5 is well known for their catchy songs and durability as a band, unfortunately, their performance, which featured a “Spongebob Squarepants” tribute and a cameo from Scott, drew mixed reactions from fans and critics alike.
The two performed a rendition of “Sweet Victory,” a song that originated in a 2001 episode of the Nickelodeon hit titled “Band Geeks,” during which SpongeBob and other characters perform at “The Bubble Bowl,” a football game that imitates the Super Bowl.
During the halftime performance, a short clip of the “Sweet Victory” performance featuring SpongeBob, Squidward and other characters was shown on the Mercedes-Benz stadium big screen as an introduction to Travis Scott’s rendition of “Sicko Mode.”
Levine also caused controversy going shirtless during the show, leading many to call out double standards following the backlash that Janet Jackson received for unintentionally exposing one of her breasts in 2004’s Super Bowl halftime show.
In response to the backlash, Levine took to Instgram, writing: “When we accepted the responsibility to perform at the SBHTS, I took out my pen and just wrote. Some of the words that came to me in that moment eventually made their way onto the incredible lanterns that flew high and low tonight.
“We thank the universe for this historic opportunity to play on the world’s biggest stage. “We thank our fans for making our dreams possible. And we thank our critics for always pushing us to do better. One Love.”
Levine also added: “And the list of words is… Forgive, Laugh, Cry, Smile, Share, Live, Endure, Embrace, Remember, Enlighten, Preserve, Inspire, Sweat, Fight, Express, Give, Receive, Elevate, Climb, Unify, Fortify, Soften, Dance, Scream, Dream, Educate, Provide, Inhale, Exhale, Persevere, Stand, Kneel, Overcome, Love, Listen.”
By: Maytinee Kramer
