Today, word has spread rapidly through entertainment media that Maroon 5 has been selected to headline the Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show, set to take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA on February 3, 2019.
As Variety notes, “Reached for comment, an NFP rep tells Variety, ‘It’s a Super Bowl tradition to speculate about the performers for the Pepsi Halftime Show. We are continuing to work with [longtime sponsor] Pepsi on our plans but do not have any announcements to make on what will be another epic show.’” A rep for Maroon 5 could not immediately be reached for comment. In the time since breaking the rumor early this afternoon, Variety has added an update to their original article clarifying that the news had been confirmed by two separate sources. Neither the band, the NFL, nor the sponsor has given confirmation of the news.
Back in 2015, Maroon 5 frontman and longtime The Voice coach Adam Levine said he and his band were very interested in performing during the highly coveted halftime show. At the time, he told Howard Stern on-air that his group “very actively want to play the Super Bowl.” Now, it appears they might be getting their chance.
The Super Bowl Halftime show has long been one of the most desirable bookings for the world’s biggest artists, but has notably changed directions in recent years, moving toward current pop superstars in place of seasoned rock veterans. Performers this decade have included Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Beyoncé (twice), Bruno Mars (twice), Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Madonna, Black Eyed Peas, Usher, and more of their A-List ilk, and more than a few have been fantastic. But if you read down the list for the decade that preceded it—the 2000s—it paints a notably different picture: The Who, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, U2, as well as Prince.
Last year’s Super Bowl pop star was Justin Timberlake, who put on a glitzy performance featuring extensive, elaborate choreography alongside a mashup of many of his most famous tracks. The performance also included an arguably off-the-mark tribute to Prince that had fans debating for weeks afterward. You can read more about Justin Timberlake’s controversial Super Bowl Halftime Show tribute to Prince here.
Maroon 5 is in the midst of an extensive tour in support of their late-2017 release, Red Pill Blues. For a list of their upcoming dates, head here.
[H/T Variety]
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