Nothing is off limits when it comes to Blake Shelton andAdam Levine‘s longstanding love/hate relationship.
DuringThe Voicefinale on Tuesday night — which crowned TeamKelly Clarkson’sChevel Shepherdas thewinner— the country star seemed to make a subtle joke about how theMaroon 5frontman is rumored to be headlining the2019 Super Bowlhalftime show with his band.
A source previouslyconfirmed to PEOPLE in Septemberthat Maroon 5 would perform at the halftime show, but if the band officially signs on for the high-profile performance it would come amid a storm of controversy. More than 75,000 people have signed aChange.org petitionasking them to back out of the event to supportColin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who started the#TakeAKnee movementto protest racial injustices.
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
“Kaepernick risked his career to take a knee for equality, and the NFL punished him for it,” the petition reads. “Until the league changes their policy and support players’ constitutional right to protest, no artists should agree to work with the NFL. Join me in asking Maroon 5 to drop out of the 2019 Super Bowl halftime show.”
“Colin Kaepernick has sacrificed his NFL career to call out violent racism in America, and players across the country have followed his lead,” the petition continues. “Maroon 5: Americans look to artists and celebrities as leaders, and you have huge opportunity to use your influence to take a stand.”
Colin Kaepernick; Adam Levine.Johnny Nunez/WireImage; Trae Patton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Whenever Levine has been asked about the band’s plans for the show in the past few months, he has kept his answers cryptic.
“I’m still formulating a lot of things,” Levine, 39,toldVarietyin a wide-ranging interview for their November hitmakers issue.
Levinepreviously spoke only in hypothetical terms— joking that “whoever is lucky enough to get that gig probably is gonna crush it” — whenEllen DeGeneresasked him about the Super Bowl during an appearance on her show in November.
“It’s a rumor. I can neither confirm nor deny the truth of this rumor. It’s definitely a rumor. And the rumor is a rumor that everyone seems to be discussing,” he said.
Levine’s bandmates James Valentine, Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden, PJ Morton, Matt Flynn and Sam Farrar have not commented on their involvement or the mounting controversy, either.
Maroon 5.Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Airbnb
With the performance scheduled to take place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, many fans are hoping the group brings out rapperCardi B, who is featured ontheir single“Girls Like You.”
“Cardi Bis in negotiations to perform,”TMZreported in September. “The main issue being discussed is whether or not she gets a solo set.”
But earlier in February, she toldTMZthat if the NFL asked her to perform during halftime that she would only do so “when they hire Colin Kaepernick back.”
Rihannareportedly turned down the opportunity to perform at the Super Bowl. “Yes, they asked her, and yes, she declined,” a sourcetold PEOPLE in October, noting that her choice was likely intended to support Kaepernick.
This would be Maroon 5’s first ever Super Bowl performance. Last year’s show featuredJustin Timberlake(for the second time) and 2017 wasLady Gaga. Other big names that have taken the stage in recent years includeBeyoncé,Coldplay,Katy Perry,Bruno Mars,Missy ElliottandLenny Kravitz.
The band’s sixth and most recent studio album,Red Pill Blues, was released in November 2017. They released their debut albumSongs About Janein 2002 and have gone on to win threeGrammy Awards.
The 2019 Super Bowl halftime show airs Feb. 3 on CBS.
source: people.com
