ATLANTA — While you won't hear from Super Bowl Halftime headliner Maroon 5 in the usual pre-game press conference ahead of the Big Game, frontman Adam Levine is still speaking out about the controversy surrounding their upcoming performance in Atlanta.
Entertainment Tonight interviewed the 39-year-old singer Thursday to ask him about the band's decision to perform in the Halftime show, despite the backlash.
"No one thought about it more than I did," he told ET's Kevin Frazier. "No one put more thought and love into this than I did. ... I spoke to many people, most importantly though, I silenced all the noise and listened to myself, and made my decision about how I felt."
The announcement that Maroon 5 would headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show has been marred with bad press since it was first leaked last fall.
The selection was widely met with contempt - from both socially-conscious fans who wanted them to turn down the gig over the NFL kneeling controversy to critics who were irate that the league passed up a chance to pick a performer who represents Atlanta's thriving music scene.
It also didn't help that reports surfacing that artists kept turning down the opportunity to be featured on stage, either from being previously booked with other Super Bowl-related gigs or solidarity to Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick is the the ex-NFL quarterback who claims he was blackballed by the league over his decision to kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality in America.
The band was ultimately able to get rappers Travis Scott and Big Boi, from iconic Atlanta duo Outkast, to sign on to the performance, though Scott reportedly stipulated it was only if a $500,000 donation was made to a social justice group. Maroon 5 also announced their own $500,000 donation to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America organization.
Then, in the days leading up to the concert, the NFL suddenly announced it would be canceling the usual pre-game press conference with the Halftime act.
In the interview with ET, Levine acknowledged he took all the controversy into consideration when approaching the performance.
"I think that to have not done that would have been deeply irresponsible," he said. Adding that for those who feel like their voices aren't being heard, "They will be [heard] -- that's all I want to say because I don't want to spoil anything."
Levine said he and the band were "beyond proud" of the finished project and are excited to share their set with fans.
The Super Bowl and the Halftime Show both air Sunday, Feb. 3, live from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
