Despite calls for an artist boycott and several acts reportedly shying away, Super Bowl LIII has finally nailed down performers for its halftime show.
As rumored, rockers Maroon 5 will be joined by rapper Travis Scott and performer/producer Big Boi as the entertainment for the big game, set for Sunday, Feb. 3 in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. CBS will televise the game and halftime.
Usually one of the most coveted showcases of the year, this year’s Super Bowl halftime was shadowed by politics.
Singer/actress Rihanna started the issue when she allegedly declined an NFL approach on the show because of its treatment of former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has been out of the league and has filed a collusion lawsuit against the NFL, blaming his political stances for not being allowed to play.
Actress Amy Schumer also weighed in, saying that Adam Levine-led Maroon 5 should turn down the gig in solidarity with Rihanna. Schumer also said she would not appear in any commercials that run during the game.
As a consequence of those squabbles, Maroon 5 reportedly was having a tough time finding other artists that would appear. Rapper Cardi B, who appeared on several Maroon 5 cuts, allegedly turned them down, and a few other artists mentioned as possibles were reportedly under pressure from their fellow artists not to appear.
All of that controversy was apparently outweighed for the selected performers by the prestige of headlining the halftime show, annually among the most-watched events of the year. Past performers read like a Who’s Who of the music industry, including Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Missy Elliott, Lenny Kravitz, Bruno Mars, Prince, Bruce Springsteen, and more.
Super Bowl LIII marks Pepsi’s seventh year as title sponsor of the Super Bowl Halftime Show and 17th year as an NFL partner. The halftime show is an NFL Network Production and will be executive produced by Ricky Kirshner and directed by Hamish Hamilton.
Must Read Stories
Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.