TheSuper Bowlhalftime show is one of the biggest gigs an artist can score — but the 2019 set has been mired in controversy.
Long beforeMaroon 5,Travis Scottand Outkast’sBig Boiwere confirmed to perform at the Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show on Sunday, celebrities spoke out against headlining this year, urging musicians to stand in solidarity with former San Francisco 49ers quarterbackColin Kaepernick.
Adam Levine, Travis Scott, Big Boi.Andrew H. Walker/Getty; Jason Merritt/FilmMagic
Speculation about halftime performersstarted brewing last fall, and stars started weighing in on the controversy whenRihannaturn down the opportunity, reportedly in support of Kaepernick. (“Yes they asked her and yes, she declined,” a source with knowledge of the situation previously told PEOPLE. “That’s certainly what everyone at the NFL believes … the word within the organization is that’s why she said no.”)
Colin Kaepernick.Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty
After the news ofRihanna‘s pass on the performance broke, manycelebrities took to social mediato praise her decision.Amy Schumerstepped in to applaud the Fenty Beauty mogul and suggest that it would be “cool” ifMaroon 5followedRihanna‘s lead.
“Wouldn’t it be so cool if @adamlevine and @maroon5 stepped down too? What do you guys think?” Schumerwroteon Instagram Oct. 18, alongside a headline covering the story.
Replying, comedianKathy Griffinwrote: “That is feminine power my friends, that is feminine power! Good for her!”
The next day, Schumer posted a longer meditation on why more people aren’t publicly supporting Kaepernick: “I wonder why more white players aren’t kneeling. Once you witness the truly deep inequality and endless racism people of color face in our country, not to mention the policy brutality and murders. Why not kneel next to your brothers? Otherwise how are you not complicit?” she wrote.
“I think it would be cool if @maroon5 backed out of [the] super bowl like @badgalriri Did,” added Schumer, who revealed she “told my reps I wouldn’t do a Super Bowl commercial this year.”
Continuing, she wrote: “I know it must sound like a privilege ass sacrifice but it’s all I got. Hitting the nfl with the advertisers is the only way to really hurt them. … Stand up for your brothers and sisters of color.”
Rihanna also received support fromThe Good Placestar Jameela Jamil as well as Tony Award winnerAnika Noni Rose.
“What a powerhouse. Rihanna’s grown into such an important voice for women, for people of colour and for body positivity,” Jamil wrote. “Turning down a $2M dollar cheque and all that publicity and the records and clothes and make up she would have sold off the back of it…is God-Level Boss.”
Rose tweeted: “I’ve loved @rihanna for some time. I love her even more today. #Superbowl #NFL.”
Cardi Balso says she’s one of the artists who was offered a performance spot at thePepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show, but sheturned it downto “stand behind” former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
In an interview with the Associated Press on Friday, the “I Like It” rapper, 26, revealed that she declined because of the way Kaepernick “stood up” for minorities.
It wasn’t an easy decision for Cardi, who said she and husband Offset had “mixed feelings.”
“My husband, he loves football. His kids play football.It’s really hard for him…He really wants to go to the Super Bowl, but he can’t go to the Super Bowl, because he’s got to stand for something,” Cardi told the AP. “You have to sacrifice that. I got to sacrifice a lot of money to perform. But there’s a man who sacrificed his job for us, so we got to stand behind him.”
Cardi B and Colin Kaepernick.Theo Wargo/Getty Images; Johnny Nunez/WireImage
News broke in December that rapper Scott agreed to performunder one condition— that the NFL join him in a joint donating $500,000 toDream Corps, a nonprofit organization that champions social justice.
Fellow rapper Meek Mill questioned why Scott would be performing.
“For what????” Mill tweeted after reports began swirling, adding: “He don’t need that he on fire already! Stay strong in this s—!” Mill said, before later adding, “And don’t get it twisted I f— wit Travis too!”
In a new interview withEntertainment Tonight, Maroon 5 frontmanAdam Levineresponded to the backlash.
“I’m not in the right profession if I can’t handle a little bit of controversy. It’s what it is. We expected it. We’d like to move on from it and speak through the music,” Levine said. “I silenced all the noise and listened to myself and made my decision based upon how I felt.”
In a January interview with PEOPLE, the band’skeyboardist PJ Mortonopened up about the controversy.
Maroon 5.Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Airbnb
“I think there are plenty of people — a lot of the players, to be honest — who support Kap and also do their job for the NFL,” Morton said. “I think we’re doing the same thing. We can support being against police brutality against black and brown people and be in support of being able to peacefully protest and still do our jobs. We just want to have a good time and entertain people while understanding the important issues that are at hand.”
He added: “There was a lot to go into that decision.”
The 2019 Super Bowl LIII Pepsi Halftime Show airs live from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Feb. 3 on CBS.
source: people.com
