Adam Levine and James Valentine of Maroon 5 at One Voice: Soma Live! A Concert for Disaster Relief on October 14, 2017. (Photo by Jordan Althaus/NBC)
Travis Scott at the Maxim Super Bowl Party in Houston on February 5, 2017. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Maxim)
Gladys Knight at the 2018 American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, on Octobt 9, 2018. (Photo courtesy of ABC/Image Group LA)
The NFL and CBS have now officially announced that rock band Maroon 5 and rappers Travis Scott and Big Boi will perform at the Super Bowl LIII, which will take place at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 3, 2019. In addition, Gladys Knight will perform the National Anthem at the beginning of the game. CBS will have the U.S. telecast of Super Bowl LIII.
The news that Maroon 5 (whose lead singer is “The Voice” coach Adam Levine) would be headlining the 2019 Super Bowl halftime show leaked out in September 2018, but the official announcement didn’t come until months later. The news resulted in considerable controversy, as critics said that anyone performing at the Super Bowl this year essentially agreed with the NFL’s policy against NFL players taking one knee to kneel during the National Anthem as a sign of protest of police brutality against black and brown people. Former NFL player Colin Kaepernick, who many say was ousted from the NFL because of his Black Lives Matter activism, has been named as a poster child for the “take a knee” movement. Several black and brown artists, such as Jay-Z, Rihanna and Cardi B said they turned down offers to perform at the 2019 Super Bowl because they want to stand in solidarity with Kaepernick, who has since signed a lucrative spokesperson deal with Nike. Entertainers such as Jay-Z, Amy Schumer and Rihanna also publicly urged artists to boycott the Super Bowl halftime performance until the NFL changed its policy to allow NFL players to “take a knee” during the National Anthem.
Before it was announced that Scott and Big Boi would be performing, the NFL received immense backlash for choosing Los Angeles-based Maroon 5 (a band whose members are all white except for a black keyboard player) to headline the Super Bowl halftime show instead of choosing a black artist or an artist from Atlanta. However, it seems many of the major black artists who were approached to perform at Super Bowl LII turned down the gig. Jay-Z, Rihanna and Cardi B are just the ones who went public with their rejection of the Super Bowl halftime show. Many more could have been asked and said no to the gig, but have not gone public about it. Big Boi, a former member of OutKast, is a native of Atlanta, and so is Knight.
The following is a press release from NBCUniversal:
Long before a rock star can bring a crowd to its feet or have an album go platinum, a songwriter infuses their melody and lyrics with emotion, passion and heart.
Aiming to find the next generation of hit songwriters, NBC and Universal Television Alternative Studio are bringing powerhouse producer Audrey Morrissey of “The Voice,” Eurythmics co-founder and producer Dave Stewart, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine and OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder together to produce “Songland.” The series will provide a one-of-a-kind opportunity for talented up-and-coming songwriters to be exposed to and mentored by three music producers per episode who are responsible for today’s biggest hits.
The 11-episode original competition series creates a unique platform for new voices to be heard.
The first edge-of-your-seat episode features three-time Grammy nominee, Billboard chart topper and songwriter Charlie Puth as the mega-recording artist along with a panel of producer-songwriters that includes Grammy winner Tedder, singer and Grammy-nominated songwriter Ester Dean and Grammy-winning country singer-songwriter Shane McAnally.
“Songwriters shape the anthems and tell the stories of each generation, and now we’re pulling back the curtain on the collaborative process and opening the door for new talent to emerge,” said Meredith Ahr, President, Universal Television Alternative Studio. “While filming our first episode, the excitement was palpable as we witnessed the creative direction of our panelists transform and elevate the music right before our eyes. Without a doubt, ‘Songland’ will inspire music lovers and give us all a greater appreciation for the songs we love.”
“Music touches people’s lives daily, but few understand how the songs they love are made,” said Morrissey. “Songwriters are the unseen creative force of the music industry. Their lyrics and melodies affect us in deep and meaningful ways, and I’m excited to be part of a show that puts a spotlight on the creators of songs.”
“Songwriters, whether you are aware of it or not, compose the theme songs to our lives. A song can be the pillar on which our dreams are made of or the shoulder on which we cry,” said Stewart. “I’ve been writing songs with and for other people for 40 years and it’s always a thrill to hear those songs interpreted and recorded by all kinds of artists. I’m excited for the viewers to see and hear that magic being created between unknown songwriters and our panel of hit-making mentors.”
“‘Songland’ has been an ongoing passion project for both myself as well as my team at 222,” said Levine. “As a songwriter, I am all too familiar with the challenges that face the music community today. With this new series, we are excited to provide opportunities that will not only impact these songwriters’ careers but also give them a platform to truly showcase their talent to a global audience.”
The series takes an inside look at the creative process and provides one talented winner per episode the priceless opportunity to have their song recorded for a global audience by the chart-topping artists featured in their show.
In each episode five songwriters will perform their original tracks in front of three top music producers and a major recording artist on an intimate soundstage. Each song’s lyrics, arrangements, beats, melody and story will be considered by the panel as producers engage in a lively discussion about ways to creatively adapt them to better fit the style and sensibility of the recording artist of the week.
After the performances, the mega-recording artist will choose three songwriters to move forward to the studio and pair them each with the producer best suited to perfect their song. In the studio, the songs will take shape in unexpected ways as the songwriter and producer duos work together to win over the recording artist. In the end, a winner will be chosen and their song will be recorded and released as the top artist’s next single.
“Songland” is a show that gives songwriters the opportunity to showcase their talents regardless of where they come from or what their day job might be. The series is looking for submissions from people of all walks of life from up-and-coming songwriters and music students, to stay at home moms, bartenders and school teachers. For those interested in appearing on “Songland,” please go to https://www.songlandcasting.com/coming-soon.php.
“Songland” will be executive produced by Stewart, Morrissey, Levine and director Ivan Dudynsky. Josh Gummersall will serve as producer along with Ryan Tedder who is represented by Ron Laffitte, Dana Salant for Patriot Management. The concept was devised by Stewart, Morrissey and Dudynsky.
“Songland” will be produced by Live Animals in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio, Dave Stewart Entertainment and 222 Productions. Levine and 222 Productions are represented by Irving Azoff, Adam Harrison for management and WME for film and television.
ABOUT UNIVERSAL TELEVISION ALTERNATIVE STUDIO
Launched in 2016, Universal Television Alternative Studio is a leading supplier of hit unscripted content and alternative formats, and creates, develops and produces a diverse slate of original series domestically and internationally. The studio’s most recent breakout hit is “Making It,” from executive producers Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman, and the #1 new series of 2017, “World of Dance,” starring and executive produced by Jennifer Lopez. Additionally, the studio is responsible for the high-stakes game show “The Wall,” which has been sold into 27 territories internationally and has become the highest-rated game show in multiple territories around the world. The hit series “Better Late Than Never” ranked as the #1 new summer series of 2016 and returned this year for season two with more fun, comedy and adventure. Hosted by Emmy Award winner Jane Lynch, “Hollywood Game Night” has been sold internationally in 17 territories and will begin production on its sixth season in 2018. This year the studio debuted “In Search Of” with Zachary Quinto for History. Upcoming series will include NBC’s athletic competition show “The Titan Games,” starring and executive produced by Dwayne Johnson. Universal Television Alternative Studio is a division of NBCUniversal.
