Pilar Olivares/Reuters
Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine has addressed the controversy surrounding his band's upcoming Super Bowl LIII performance, telling Entertainment Tonight that an “urge to hate” is always part of being a chosen half time performance act. “When you look back on every single Super Bowl half time show... it's this like insatiable urge to hate a little bit. I'm not in the right profession if I can't handle a little bit of controversy,” Levine said. “It's what it is. We expected it. We'd like to move on from it, and like I said earlier, speak through the music." Levine also spoke highly of rapper Travis Scott, who he said will be part of the “biggest hip-hop presence” the Super Bowl has ever hosted. “He's it. He's the man right now, and he comes in hot,” Levine said. While Maroon 5 is largely considered a “safe” choice for the NFL, the band received backlash for accepting the gig despite the league's kneeling controversy and taking a spot that could have gone to a hip-hop artist.