Adam Levine Addresses Critics and Fans After Super Bowl Halftime Show

“We thank the universe for this historic opportunity,” Maroon 5 singer said, in spite of crush of criticism.

adam levine maroon 5
Adam Levine of Maroon 5 performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 03, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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Adam Levine and Maroon 5 had already found it difficult finding someone to perform alongside them during last night’s Super Bowl halftime show. The controversy surrounding Colin Kaepernick and the protests during the National Anthem caused many big names to turn down the offer.

Now, after what some are calling the most boring game (and halftime show) in Super Bowl history, Levine took to social media to speak out to fans and critics of the band’s performance.

“When we accepted the responsibility to perform at the SBHTS, I took out my pen and just wrote,” Levine wrote on Instagram. “Some of the words that came to me in that moment eventually made their way onto the incredible lanterns that flew high and low tonight. We thank the universe for this historic opportunity to play on the world’s biggest stage. We thank our fans for making our dreams possible. And we thank our critics for always pushing us to do better. One Love.”

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When we accepted the responsibility to perform at the SBHTS, I took out my pen and just wrote. Some of the words that came to me in that moment eventually made their way onto the incredible lanterns that flew high and low tonight. We thank the universe for this historic opportunity to play on the world’s biggest stage. We thank our fans for making our dreams possible. And we thank our critics for always pushing us to do better. One Love. ❤️ And the list of words is… Forgive Laugh Cry Smile Share Live Endure Embrace Remember Enlighten Preserve Inspire Sweat Fight Express Give Receive Elevate Climb Unify Fortify Soften Dance Scream Dream Educate Provide Inhale Exhale Persevere Stand Kneel Overcome Love Listen

A post shared by Adam Levine (@adamlevine) on

He also included the list of words he mentioned: “forgive, laugh, cry, smile, share, live, endure, embrace, remember, enlighten, preserve, inspire, sweat, fight, express, give, receive, elevate, climb, unify, fortify, soften, dance, scream, dream, educate, provide, inhale, exhale, persevere, stand, knee, overcome, love, listen.”

According to Billboard, the band spoke to only one news outlet about the controversy: “I’m not in the right profession if I can’t handle a little bit of controversy,” he said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. “It’s what it is. We expected it. We would like to move on from it. And like I said earlier, speak through the music.”

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