--- title: Adam Levine Wins at Shirt Removal at the Super Bowl description: Maroon 5's Adam Levine raised eyebrows at the Super Bowl Halftime Show by removing all of his shirts. canonical: https://time.com/5511271/adam-levine-super-bowl-2019/ author: Raisa Bruner article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-02-04T01:51:50.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T01:12:15.000Z og:title: Here Are the Jokes About Adam Levine Taking His Shirt Off og:description: The Maroon 5 singer took off multiple layers during the Super Bowl Halftime Show og:url: https://time.com/5511271/adam-levine-super-bowl-2019/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0e198b13fc722f11/69894474b21a9cc069500084/adam-levine-super-bowl.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4680 og:image:height: 2633 og:image:alt: Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Here Are the Jokes About Adam Levine Taking His Shirt Off twitter:description: The Maroon 5 singer took off multiple layers during the Super Bowl Halftime Show twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0e198b13fc722f11/69894474b21a9cc069500084/adam-levine-super-bowl.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Adam Levine Took His Shirt Off During the 2019 Super Bowl Halftime Show and People Had Thoughts > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=9986815b-60a6-401d-ab82-3a695176655d&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: This Video Is No Longer Available [Watch (HLS stream): This Video Is No Longer Available](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fKodeUO6.m3u8) (0:10)  _Published 2026-06-23. Maroon 5's Adam Levine raised eyebrows at the Super Bowl Halftime Show by removing all of his shirts._  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Updated: Dec 13, 2023 1:12 AM UTCPublished: Feb 4, 2019 1:51 AM UTC  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Updated: Dec 13, 2023 1:12 AM UTCPublished: Feb 4, 2019 1:51 AM UTC During this Sunday’s[ Super Bowl 53](http://time.com/5508298/super-bowl-rams-patriots/) [Maroon 5](http://time.com/4527646/maroon-5-dont-wanna-know-kendrick-lamar/) Halftime Show with performances from the rock band, _Astroworld_ rapper [Travis Scott](http://time.com/5501622/maroon-5-travis-scott-super-bowl-53/) and Outkast rapper Big Boi, singer [Adam Levine grabbed attention](http://time.com/5520111/adam-levine-tattoos/) by removing his tops layer by layer, and ending up shirtless by the end of his set. Levine, who leads the rock band best known for their breakout 2002 album _Songs About Jane_ and recent chart hits including “Girls Like You” with Cardi B and “What Lovers Do” with [SZA](http://time.com/4837889/sza-ctrl-interview/), delivered a polished performance. Levine and his band started with their early hits, kicking off with “Harder to Breathe” before jumping into “This Love.” There was a brief cut to a clip of the cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants song “Sweet Victory,” [following a popular petition](http://time.com/5516450/spongebob-super-bowl/) to get the song performed at the Super Bowl. SpongeBob only had a moment of onscreen glory, however, before rapper Travis Scott appeared to sing accompanied by Levine; Scott finished off his song with some crowdsurfing. Levine also sang a primarily a cappella version of “Girls Like You,” backed up by a gospel choir and a drum line. Big Boi made a splash decked out in a giant fur coat, singing Outkast hit “The Way You Move.” But it was the halftime finale, with Levine singing Christina Aguilera collaboration “Moves Like Jagger,” that got audiences raising their eyebrows. Levine had already discarded an outer black jacket and a colorful bomber jacket, throwing a layer into the crowd. He finished things off by also removing his tank top, revealing a heavily tattooed torso. And viewers had plenty to say about his fashion choices — and ultimate lack thereof. In particular, some pointed out a double standard between the reactions to Levine and [Janet Jackson](http://time.com/4651147/super-bowl-halftime-show-controversial/item/janet-jacksons-wardrobe-memorably-malfunctions/). Jackson’s costume malfunctioned during her Super Bowl Halftime Show performance with Justin Timberlake in 2004, putting the story at the center of a prolonged [moral and legal battle](http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/06/29/wardrobe-malfunction-legal-battle-finally-over/?iid=sr-link2). > [](https://twitter.com/ohheyjenna/status/1092231201799196678) > [](https://twitter.com/BaseballDo/status/1092230982210670592) > [](https://twitter.com/darrenrovell/status/1092230947196620801) > [](https://twitter.com/martinezamanda1/status/1092234709223043072) > [](https://twitter.com/DannyWascou/status/1092231074954960897) > [](https://twitter.com/%5Flindsayblaire%5F/status/1092231018487128064) > [](https://twitter.com/LEGIQN/status/1092232954976313346) > [](https://twitter.com/AmazingAmz13/status/1092232575630888960) > [](https://twitter.com/psychogf%5F/status/1092233475472715776) > [](https://twitter.com/themissjenn/status/1092230967857688576) > [](https://twitter.com/rachsyme/status/1092235046176600065) > [](https://twitter.com/Remy%5FAnne/status/1092240438621159424) > [](https://twitter.com/itsashlyperez/status/1092232520643440645) The halftime show was not without controversy before the show: there was a petition [asking Maroon 5](https://www.change.org/p/maroon-5-drop-out-of-the-super-bowl-halftime-show) to abstain from performing in solidarity with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback [Colin Kaepernick](http://time.com/5386204/colin-kaepernick-nike-keeps-winning/). The band’s reaction? Promise a $500,000 contribution to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, in concert with the NFL and their record label. That’s the same contribution that Travis Scott also [chose to make.](https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/super-bowl/8493267/travis-scott-super-bowl-halftime-show-2019-charity-donation) “Playing the Super Bowl has been a dream of our band for a long time,” lead singer Adam Levine [told PEOPLE](https://people.com/music/super-bowl-2019-maroon-5-nfl-donation/) in a statement prior to the show. “We thank the NFL for the opportunity and also to them, along with Interscope Records, for making this donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters, which will have a major impact for children across the country.”  ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 03: Adam Levine of Maroon 5 performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 3, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic) Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic However, the NFL and Maroon 5 did end up canceling the traditional pre-show press conference for the headliners. “As it is about music, the artists will let their show do the talking as they prepare to take the stage this Sunday,” an NFL representative [told PEOPLE](https://ew.com/music/2019/01/30/the-nfl-maroon-5-super-bowl-halftime-show-press-conference/) about the decision, made earlier in the week. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5511271/adam-levine-super-bowl-2019/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5511271/adam-levine-super-bowl-2019/"},"headline":"Adam Levine Took His Shirt Off During the 2019 Super Bowl Halftime Show and People Had Thoughts","datePublished":"2019-02-04T01:51:50.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-13T01:12:15.000Z","description":"Maroon 5's Adam Levine raised eyebrows at the Super Bowl Halftime Show by removing all of his shirts.","url":"https://time.com/5511271/adam-levine-super-bowl-2019/","keywords":["Newsfeed","onetime","Super Bowl 2019"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0e198b13fc722f11/69894474b21a9cc069500084/adam-levine-super-bowl.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Raisa Bruner","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0e198b13fc722f11/69894474b21a9cc069500084/adam-levine-super-bowl.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show","caption":"Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show","creditText":"Jamie Squire—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5511271/adam-levine-super-bowl-2019/","name":"Adam Levine Took His Shirt Off During the 2019 Super Bowl Halftime Show and People Had Thoughts"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"This Video Is No Longer Available","description":"Maroon 5's Adam Levine raised eyebrows at the Super Bowl Halftime Show by removing all of his shirts.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/fKodeUO6/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2026-06-23T15:00:44.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fKodeUO6.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5511271/adam-levine-super-bowl-2019/","duration":"PT10S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5511271/adam-levine-super-bowl-2019/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```