Halftime Show Sticks to Music

The Super Bowl halftime show is in the books, without controversy on the stage. Maroon 5 took the stage at Super Bowl LIII, with help from Travis Scott and Big Boi. All three performers kept things politics-free, notes Fox News. "Amid the lights and fire and explosions, the acts seemed laid back, not trying too hard," writes NPR's Steve Inskeep. "Kind of worked. Understated overstatement." Other big-name performers had refused to perform this year in support of Colin Kaepernick.

At USA Today, Maeve McDermott had a withering assessment: "Maroon 5 proved why they were exactly the act the NFL wanted to headline their most controversial halftime show yet, delivering a dialed-in performance with zero surprises and nothing that could add to the headache the league has already endured." For the record, lead singer Adam Levine did pull off his shirt, which had sites including Mashable making Janet Jackson comparisons. (Earlier in the week, Levine spoke about the band's decision to accept the gig.)