Reports: Maroon 5 will perform at Super Bowl halftime in Atlanta

Us Weekly

The multiple-sourced reports, first from Us Weekly and later Variety, that NBCThe Voice star Adam Levine and his Los Angeles-based band will perform at Super Bowl LIII in the music-rich city of Atlanta were met with ridicule on Twitter. "(H)aving the super bowl in atlanta and getting maroon 5 to perform at halftime is like going to pappadeaux and asking the waiter to bring you some long john silver’s," tweeted The Ringer writer Shea Serrano. "Atlanta, home of Outkast, T.I., Future, Ludacris, Usher, etc., gets Maroon 5 to play the damn Super Bowl," tweeted Jake Reuse. The NFL declined to confirm Maroon 5 is performing, while the band couldn't be reached for comment. “It’s a Super Bowl tradition to speculate about the performers for the Pepsi Halftime Show. We are continuing to work with Pepsi on our plans but do not have any announcements to make on what will be another epic show," the NFL said in a statement. Earlier this year, two-time Super Bowl halftime performer Bruno Mars urged the NFL to tap a hip-hop artist. "@NFL you have the opportunity to celebrate incredible Hip Hop Artist from Atlanta Next year," he tweeted. "This isn't a band known for spectacle, like Madonna, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, or even Bruno Mars," added Matt Miller. "This is a band that's somehow less interesting than Coldplay...I get why Maroon 5 is a logical choice. They're safe during a time when the NFL doesn't want to take risks, when a political statement would be disastrous, when they couldn't afford the subtle messages of a Beyoncé show. Maroon 5 has somehow kept itself relevant by buying some of the biggest features in music, from SZA, Cardi B, A$AP Rocky, and even the untouchable Kendrick Lamar. The only saving grace of a Maroon 5 halftime show is the possibility of any of these artists showing up to perform. That will not prevent the inevitable outcome, which is that everyone will forget Maroon 5 performed at the Super Bowl Halftime Show as Maroon 5 performs the Super Bowl Halftime Show."