'Maroon 5, Rams 3': Twitter Reacts to 2019 Super Bowl Halftime Performance
Maroon 5, Travis Scott and Atlanta native Big Boi took the stage during Super Bowl LIII on Sunday, breaking up the low-scoring game between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams.
The pop band kicked off the performance with some of their biggest hits, before including a couple of their recent chart-toppers. Scott and Big Boi contributed one song each to the performance.
The show earned the musical acts mixed reviews. Many viewers were underwhelmed by the performances, sharing their views on Twitter, while others thought Adam Levine and his bandmates brought their best.
One fan suggested incorporating more of the local talent, as Levine singing with gospel choir Voice of Atlanta was certainly highlight.
Another drew similarities between the game and the halftime show, calling them both “the most boring” ever.
Another referenced the SpongeBob SquarePants interlude included in the show, which seemed to suggest that there would be a performance of the beloved cartoon’s song, “Sweet Victory,” but instead Scott, 26, came on stage, rapping “Sicko Mode.”
Another made a pun about the band’s name.
Others, however, appreciated the visual effects and other details of the performance. One user called attention to the lights which formed the band’s trademark M at one point.
Another user simply called it “fire” with a pair of flame emojis.
A third appreciated perhaps one of the most controversial moments of the show: Levine taking his shirt off. (Many Twitter users called out that Janet Jackson was derided after her nipple was unexpectedly exposed at a Super Bowl halftime show.)
On Sunday night, Maroon 5 opened the show with a throwback from their first album, “Harder to Breathe,” as red sparklers erupted around the stadium and the crowd went wild. Next, Levine continued the nostalgia with “This Love.”
Then after the brief SpongeBob Squarepants interlude introduced Scott, Levine supported him with his guitar before taking to the stage again for “Girls Like You,” which he sang with help from Voice of Atlanta choir.
Next, Maroon 5 threw it back once again with “She Will Be Loved” as the crowd looked on and released paper lanterns into the sky to spell “One Love.”
Then the third headliner, Big Boi, rolled up in a car wearing a floor-length fur coat while rapping Outkast’s classic “I Like the Way You Move.”
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A source first confirmed to PEOPLE in September that Maroon 5 would perform during Super Bowl LIII, but Levine remained cryptic when asked about their plans in the following months.
Sunday marked Maroon 5’s first-ever Super Bowl performance. Last year’s show featured Justin Timberlake (for the second time) while 2017 was Lady Gaga‘s time to shine. Other big names that have taken the stage in recent years include Beyoncé, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Missy Elliott and Lenny Kravitz.
Before the performance, Scott, 26, revealed that he had only agreed to play the halftime show if the NFL agreed to join him in making a joint donation to a charitable cause. In partnership with the league, the rapper made a $500,000 contribution to Dream Corps, a non-profit organization that champions social justice.
“I back anyone who takes a stand for what they believe in,” Scott said in a statement to PEOPLE. “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. I am proud to support Dream Corps and the work they do that will hopefully inspire and promote change.”
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Ahead of the game, Maroon 5, the NFL and Interscope Records also announced their decision to make a $500,000 contribution to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
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Maroon 5’s 2019 Super Bowl LIII Pepsi Halftime Show aired Feb. 3 on CBS.
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