Share this Story: Maroon 5 'safe' Super Bowl halftime show choice amid Kaepernick controversy Maroon 5 'safe' Super Bowl halftime show choice amid Kaepernick controversy Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Article content You want drama on the field at the Super Bowl halftime show? Well, there’s already been plenty of drama off of it. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Maroon 5 'safe' Super Bowl halftime show choice amid Kaepernick controversy Back to video Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you know that many artists like Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Cardi B have turned down performing at the halftime show in solidarity with the NFL’s alleged blacklisting of Colin Kaepernick. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback started protesting police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem before games thus creating the #TakeAKnee movement. Along comes L.A. pop-rock act Maroon 5, with special guests and rappers Travis Scott and Big Boi (OutKast), whose announcement as Sunday night’s halftime show performers at Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Stadium, was met not only with criticism but one big yawn. The group, led by The Voice’s coach Adam Levine, are about as safe and mainstream as you can get without the dramatic performing chops of such previous halftime performing giants as Prince or Beyonce. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content And their discography brims with frothy pop hits and romantic ballads – Moves Like Jagger, She Will Be Loved, This Love, and the newer female empowerment anthem Girls Like You – but they’re hardly classics. Beggars can’t be choosers I guess? More On This Topic Super Bowl Sensations Super Bowl overview: Patriots going for ring No. 6 Scott only agreed to perform if the NFL joined him in donating $500,000 to Dream Corps and Maroon 5 subsequently announced they joined with the NFL and Interscope Records to donate the same amount to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Now outspoken Pink Floyd veteran rocker Roger Waters wants Maroon 5 to “‘take a knee’ on stage in full sight…in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick.” Knee or no knee, Levine only said to ET in an exclusive interview: “(The critics) will be (heard) — that’s all I want to say because I don’t want to spoil anything.” Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The biggest speculation now is whether they’ll cover SpongeBob Squarepants’ Sweet Victory in tribute to cartoon creator Stephen Hillenburg who recently died after 1.1 million (and counting) people signed a petition for the band to cover the song. One point that Levine was right about in ET interview? “This is the show that’s gonna have the biggest hip-hop presence that there’s ever been.” If only it was headliners like Kanye West — admit it you’d tune in — or hometown boy Drake. SOME ACTS I’D RATHER HAVE SEEN PERFORM INSTEAD OF MAROON 5 Foo Fighters: Dave Grohl and gang are already there for the love of Pete. The rockers’ DIRECTV Super Saturday Night performance at Atlantic Station is one of the most sought after tickets of Super Bowl week. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Pink: The ballsy pop belter was reportedly in talks to do the halftime show but didn’t end up doing it. Wouldn’t it be a trip to see the acrobatically-inclined singer swing from the rafters of a stadium? Led Zeppelin: If there was going to be a reunion of the British rock vets, what a platform — the biggest TV audience of the year — to see them in. Now if only we can just convince singer Robert Plant? Taylor Swift: Country crossover queen Swifty knows how to throw a spectacle if her recent Reputation stadium tour is any indication. KISS: You wanted the best? You got the best! Why not let the rock vets, who just kicked off their farewell (again) tour in Vancouver, put on the Kabuki and platform shoes, and blow things up real good? Carrie Underwood: Yes, she just had her second baby but the country diva already sings NFL’s Sunday night football song (albeit Game On got mixed reviews) and she knows her way around a gown or two. Guns N’ Roses: Ever since Slash and Axl made up, the Gunners have been touring non-stop so they’re stadium ready. jstevenson@postmedia.com Share this article in your social network Latest National Stories Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Toronto Sun Headline News Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Toronto SUN, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address. By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. The next issue of The Toronto Sun Headline News will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again Trending<doc-sep>‘‘My husband, he loves football. His kids play football. It’s really hard for him. ... He really wants to go to the Super Bowl, but he can’t go to the Super Bowl, because he’s got to stand for something,’’ said Cardi B, who is nominated for five Grammys. She is competing for both album and record of the year. The Grammy-nominated rapper told The Associated Press on Friday evening that she had ‘‘mixed feelings’’ after she declined to take the stage at Super Bowl 53 in Atlanta. She said it was a hard decision since her husband, rapper Offset, loves to watch football, but she felt obligated to ‘‘stand behind’’ Kaepernick because he ‘‘stood up’’ for minorities. ATLANTA (AP) — Cardi B said she received an offer to perform at the Super Bowl, but struggled with the decision to turn down the lucrative opportunity in support of ex-NFL player Colin Kaepernick. ‘‘You have to sacrifice that,’’ she added. ‘‘I got to sacrifice a lot of money to perform. But there’s a man who sacrificed his job for us, so we got to stand behind him.’’ Advertisement Kaepernick helped start a wave of protests by kneeling during the national anthem to raise awareness to police brutality, racial inequality and other social issues. His efforts ignited a political firestorm over whether social justice needs to be addressed at the NFL’s marquee event. Maroon 5 will be joined by Big Boi of Outkast and rapper Travis Scott at halftime of the game between the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots on Sunday. Gladys Knight will sing the national anthem. Some, including Rihanna and Pink, have reportedly turned down offers to perform during this year’s halftime. In a recent song, Jay-Z alluded to declining to perform at the Super Bowl, and Amy Schumer refused to appear in a TV ad during the game. Advertisement Last year, Cardi B said she wouldn’t take the Super Bowl stage until Kaepernick gets a job. With Kaepernick still without a team, she is standing by her words, but will perform at a downtown concert Saturday. She is hosting a party this week and will also appear in a Super Bowl commercial. Cardi B heard the criticism toward her and other music artists for taking part in Super Bowl-related events. But she believes she can perform at those events outside the championship game without directly supporting the NFL. ‘‘I hear people saying like ‘Oh, y’all are saying all this stuff about the Super Bowl, but you’re doing all these parties,’’’ she said. ‘‘And it’s like, well, if the NFL could benefit off from us, then I’m going to benefit off y’all. Y’all make the most money off our people. Why am I not going to take advantage of y’all and take money from y’all too? Because of y’all, we are getting these parties. OK, thank you.’’ Cardi B hopes the protests supporting Kaepernick can create positive change in the world, but she’s not sure if that will happen anytime soon. ‘‘We got an arrogant president, and the racism right now has been reborn,’’ she said. ‘‘They feel mighty brave nowadays. When Obama was around, I just feel like they were praying on the day when his eight years was over. A lot of jealousy.’’ Cardi B added: ‘‘When they see (how) the choices they made due to racism has affected the country, that’s when things are going to start changing. Right now, they don’t want to accept that their decision has affected the country.’’<doc-sep>One of the biggest names in Atlanta hip-hop will be part of Super Bowl 53’s halftime show, as Big Boi will join Maroon 5 and Travis Scott. Get all the info about this Outkast icon before the big event. Outkast is synonymous with Atlanta and Southern hip-hop. So, including Big Boi, 43, one half of the duo (the other being André 3000, 43) as part of the Super Bowl 53 Halftime show was a no-brainer. With the Feb. 3 game taking place at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the ATL will be represented on the field when Big Boi joins Maroon 5 and Travis Scott for the mid-game extravaganza. For those who need a refresher on this important hip-hop icon, here are some facts you should know: 1. Big Boi is best known for his work with Outkast… Big Boi (Antwan Patton) and André 3000 (André Benjamin) burst onto the scene in 1994 with Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, an album that went platinum and earned them Best New Rap Group of the Year at the 1995 Source Awards. While they continued to build their sound on follow-ups ATLiens and Aquemini (the latter having their successful single “Rosa Parks”) their real defining album is 2000’s Stankonia. It’s considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. 2. …but he’s also a solo artist. Outkast’s fifth album, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, was a preview of what was to come for the band. Basically, two solo-albums were packaged as a double-LP. Big Boi’s side of the release (Speakerboxxx) is a funk/Dirty South bash, while André’s (The Love Below) is a mix of funk, jazz, rock, and electronic music. The group went on hiatus in 2007, and Big Boi has since released a trio of solo albums, with 2017’s Boomiverse being the most recent. 3. He’s smart. Big Boi was “an honor student at high school and had planned to study child psychology at New York University after graduation,” according to NME. He also has collaborated with the Atlanta Ballet on “Big,” a production that is an examination of “the American dream – or lack of it.” Also, he has two pet owls named Hootie and Hoodini. Outkast turned down the Super Bowl – and it changed history. Imagine this timeline: instead of the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show featuring Janet Jackson’s nipple, imagine a world where Outkast performed instead? No “Nipplegate.” “Wardrobe malfunction” wouldn’t be a household phrase. Just imagine, because such a world almost happened. Big Boi said on a 2015 episode of The Dan LeBatard Show that he and Andre were offered a chance to play the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show, according to Pitchfork. They turned it down because Andre wouldn’t agree to perform anything but full songs. “[Andre] didn’t want to cut the songs, he wanted to do the full songs,” Big Boi said, indicating the songs the producers wanted were “Hey Ya!” and “The Way You Move.” “He said, ‘Nah, can’t do it.’ “ Big Boi said he tried “a lot” to convince Andre to change his mind, but no go. “Hopefully they invite us back.” He’s a licensed pit bull breeder. Big Boi’s wife, Sherlita, was the co-owner of PValentine, a boutique in Atlanta. Though it closed in 2008, the couple remains busy. After all, for over 20 years, he and his brother, James, have run Pitfall Kennels, a 25-acre facility that not just rescues dogs, but breeds American Bulldogs, English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, and pit bulls. “These are the best, loyal, most family oriented dogs ever,” the rapper said in a 2016 video, per NME. “We’re here to dispel the stigma that’s been put on them… When all’s said and done, I just want to sit back with my animals in the midst of the trees and the forest and just be peaceful.”<doc-sep>
The 2019 Super Bowl halftime show will be headlined by Maroon 5, the wildly popular radio-rock band led by lead singer and host of "The Vocie," Adam Levine. Super Bowl 53, along with the halftime show, takes place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. Considered one of the more special shows for a musical guest to take part in, the Super Bowl halftime show always brings out mass hysteria on social media and creates major talking points in both the sports and pop culture universes. With the likes of Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Bruno Mars participating in years past, the Super Bowl always brings out the biggest names in the industry. This year, Maroon 5 will be joined by Travis Scott and Big Boi on stage in Atlanta. In order to make the performance more enjoyable, let's review all the background information you need to know about the Super Bowl 53 halftime show. Who is performing at Super Bowl 53? Maroon 5: Led by lead singer Adam Levin, Maroon 5 has constantly sat at the top of the pop charts for over a decade. With well-know classics such as "This Love", "One More Night" and "Moves Like Jagger" to go along with recent hits "Girls Like You" and "Wait", Maroon 5 appeals to a large array of listeners. This will be the bands first Super Bowl halftime performance. Travis Scott: Coming off a wildley successful year of music in 2018, Scott is one of the most well-known names in the rap industry. You probably can't go to any bar or stadium in the country without hearing his song "Sicko Mode" being blasted through the speakers. A native of Houston, Scott is very involved in the sports scene for his hometown teams and can constantly be seen sitting courtside at Rockets game. Big Boi: Joining the other two on stage, Big Boi represents the Atlanta portion of this Super Bowl perfomring trio. A native of the city Super Bowl 53 will be played in, Big Boi is most well-known for his time spent in the hip-hop duo Outkast alongside André 3000. Why is Maroon 5 performing at Super Bowl 53? This year's Super Bowl halftime show has not come without a little controversey between artists and the NFL. Maroon 5 Canceled Their Press Conference On Tuesday, the NFL announced the the band will not be holding the customary press conference prior to Super Bowl 53 on Sunday. There was no clear reasoning given as to why the conference became a no-go, but the band had been getting some heat over the past few weeks for accepting the gig after other artists turned it down due to conflicting views with the NFL. Travis Scott and the NFL will donate $500,000 Part of the agreement between Scott and the NFL is that the two will come together to donate money to charities, including the Dream Corps. Where to Watch Super Bowl 53 halftime show: Super Bowl 53 between the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots will be aired on CBS this year. The Super Bowl can also be streamed through CBS or watched through the network's app. When to Watch Super Bowl 53 halftime show: Kickoff for Super Bowl 53 is set for 6:30 p.m. ET, but most likely won't begin right then and there. If the first half remains pretty standard you should expect Maroon 5, Travis Scott and Big Boi to take the stage near 8:30 p.m. However, you would be better off to have the game in the background than to take my word for it. MORE NFL NEWS: