Colin Kaepernick's kneeling protest spawned millions of conversations across the nation, which is exactly what needed to be done. The topic of police brutality and institutionalized racism was discussed on every major news station for over a year as Kaep's protests became a national highlight. When Kaep lost his job and was blackballed by the NFL, the culture as a whole stood behind him. He is currently tied up in a lawsuit against the NFL, so artists such as Rihanna and Jay-Z have spoken out about distancing themselves from the Superbowl. When Maroon 5 accepted the offer to perform during the Superbowl Halftime Show, petitions were signed and fans were outraged.
Adam Levine responded to the criticism on Entertainment Tonight, stating, “No one put more thought and love into this than I did...I spoke to many people. Most importantly, though, I silenced all the noise and listened to myself, and made my decision about how I felt." Colin Kaepernick’s attorney, Mark Geragos, stopped by Good Morning America to call Levine's response a "cop-out." “If you’re going to cross this ideological or intellectual picket line, then own it, and Adam Levine certainly isn’t owning it,” Geragos said. “It’s a cop out when you start talking about, ‘I’m not a politician; I’m just doing the music,’ ” he continued. “Most of the musicians who have any kind of consciousness whatsoever understand what’s going on here.”