Super Bowl 2019: Maroon 5 Halftime Show Misses the Mark With Viewers

Maroon 5’s performance at the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show on Sunday drew mixed responses from audiences at home, ranging with excitement from the group’s fans to disappointment from their detractors.

The group started their performance with “Harder to Breath” and “This Love,” before a brief SpongeBob SquarePants video introduced rapper Travis Scott.

One fan suggested Levine looked bored after a first half that only included three points scored.

Another viewer joked that she would turn her chair around for singer Adam Levine, referencing his job as The Voice coach.

Another person called Maroon 5’s performance “trash.”

Another commented on Levine’s outfit.

One viewer called Maroon 5 “bloody awful.”

The responses were not completely negative, since some fans thought Maroon 5 did a good job, especially compared to Scott.

The performance included appearances from rappers Scott and Big Boi.

Maroon 5’s performance at the Super Bowl drew some criticism before they even took the stage. Critics of the NFL called on the group to skip the show because of the ongoing controversy with quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who remains an unsigned free agent after kneeling during the National Anthem throughout the 2016 season to protest police brutality and racial injustice.

On Jan. 29, the NFL announced Maroon 5 would not take part in a press conference before the game, as the Super Bowl halftime performers typically do.

“[Their] show will meet and exceed the standards of this event,” the statement read. “As it is about music, the artists will let their show do the talking as they prepare to take the stage this Sunday. Starting with the Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show announcement, we begin a cross-platform rollout of behind-the-scenes footage and content from each of the halftime performers. Instead of hosting a press conference, this social and digital media rollout will continue through Sunday across our owned and operated media assets as well as through the platforms of the artists.”

During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Levine said he did take the Kaepernick controversy into consideration when agreeing to perform.

“You know, I think when you look back on every Super Bowl halftime show, it is this insatiable urge to hate a little bit,” he added. “I am not in the right profession if I can’t handle a bit of controversy. It is what it is. We would like to move on from it and speak through the music.”

Both Maroon 5 and Scott announced separate plans to donate $500,000 to charities. Maroon 5, Interscope Records and the NFL donated $500,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Scott joined the NFL in donating $500,000 to Dream Corps, a social justice organization.

“I back anyone who takes a stand for what they believe in. I know being an artist that it’s in my power to inspire. So before confirming the Super Bowl Halftime performance, I made sure to partner with the NFL on this important donation,” Scott said in a statement early last month. “I am proud to support Dream Corps. and the work they do that will hopefully inspire and promote change.”

Last year’s Super Bowl halftime show featured Justin Timberlake, and Lady Gaga performed the year before. This was the first time since Super Bowl 50 in 2016 that multiple artists performed during the halftime show. That year, Beyonce was joined by Coldplay, Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson.

Photo credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images