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Adam Levine Answers Critics Of Maroon 5 Super Bowl Halftime Show

The Maroon 5 frontman took to social media to respond to critics of the Super Bowl halftime show from Atlanta.

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ATLANTA -- Adam Levine, lead singer for Maroon 5, took to social media Sunday night to respond to critics who said the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show was bland and too apolitical. Maroon 5, Big Boi and Travis Scott performed at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta during Super Bowl LIII, in which the New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 13-3.

Back in the summer, Maroon 5's selection as a halftime performer came under criticism from members of Atlanta's music industry, who felt the show should have more of a local hip-hop theme. Then, as more local performers were added to the ceremonies, such as Atlanta's sister duo Chloe x Halle and Gladys Knight, those performers were criticized for taking any part in the event.

Social justice advocates continue to condemn the NFL because quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who last played in 2016, gained national attention for kneeling during the national anthem to protest what he called police brutality toward minorities.

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After Sunday night's performance, Levine posted this moving narrative on his Instagram account:

View this post on Instagram
 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 Feb 3, 2019 at 5:44pm PST

Fireworks shoot in the air above Mercedes-Benz stadium during halftime of Super Bowl LIII between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams. (Logan Riely/Getty Images)

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Adam Levine of Maroon 5 performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

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