Following months of controversy, it has been confirmed that Maroon 5 will headline the Super Bowl halftime show in Atlanta on February 3.
The group will be joined by rapper Travis Scott and former Outkast member Big Boi.
From celebrities like Amy Schumer to organisations like NAAPC, many have taken issue with the halftime booking, partially because of NFL’s treatment of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has been essentially taken out of the league for kneeling during the National Anthem and because the big game is taking place in Atlanta, the capital of black music in the US. They subsequently advocated for musicians to turn down the gig.
According to the report, artistes like Cardi B, Outkast, Mary J. Blige, Usher and Nicki Minaj – were considered or approached to perform with Maroon 5. Notably, the announcement comes late in the football season schedule because of negotiations dragging out. Justin Timberlake, who performed at the 2018 Super Bowl, was announced on the preceding October 23 while Lady Gaga, the 2017 performer, was announced on the preceding September 29.
Maroon 5 will now have two artistes of colour performing with them at the Super Bowl.
Other acts performing in town during the days leading up to the game include Cardi, Post Malone and Bruno Mars. Local artistes like Ludacris and Lil Jon too will feature prominently at the Bud Light shows held on the weekend of the game.
