Super Bowl Lineup Announced

The NFL officially announced Maroon 5 will headline the Super Bowl LIII halftime show, joined by Travis Scott and Atlanta-based rapper Big Boi, a previous member of Outkast.

Though rumors of Maroon 5’s performance have circulated since September, the lineup remained unconfirmed until Sunday.

The news ended months of speculation, as widespread protesting of the NFL led multiple acts to turn down the invitation to perform. Although the event frequently ranks as the most watched television broadcast in America each year, artists like Rihanna and Cardi B have reportedly declined in a show of solidarity with Colin Kaepernick and other football players who have protested racial injustice.

Perhaps in an attempt to mitigate anticipated backlash for his participation, Travis Scott, who performed at Ireland's Longitude Festival last year, only agreed to the gig after the NFL made a joint donation of $500,000 to the social justice organisation Dream Corps.

Disappointment has already surfaced as music and football fans alike call the lineup weak. The Super Bowl has a history of hosting iconic musicians — in the past two decades alone, the halftime shows have included U2, Prince, The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars.

On the heels of productions by such legendary artists, Maroon 5, Travis Scott and Big Boi have high standards to meet, and it is already expected that they will fall short.  

This year’s Super Bowl is set to take place on Feb. 3 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.