Maroon 5 have raised speculation about their controversial Super Bowl performance, indicating they might be performing a SpongeBob Squarepants tribute in the process.

This weekend is set to see Super Bowl LIII take over the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia when the New England Patriots go head-to-head with the Los Angeles Rams to see who will be considered champions of the 2018 season.

However, the upcoming sporting event has been mired in controversy, namely surrounding its iconic Halftime Show, which saw Maroon 5 named as the headliners back in September.

Soon, the band were met with criticism from fans of music, sports, and human rights, urging Maroon 5 to boycott the NFL following their blacklisting of Colin Kaepernick, which in turn was their response to his divisive protest against police brutality.

While the band reportedly couldn’t find anyone else to perform with them at such a controversial event, a more light-hearted protest emerged, with fans asking for the Super Bowl to host a SpongeBob Squarepants tribute instead.

For some backstory, SpongeBob SquarePants creator and marine biologist Stephen Hillenburg sadly passed away back in November. Soon, fans suggested that a performance of ‘Sweet Victory’ should appear at the Super Bowl as tribute to Hillenburg.

For those who aren’t too well-versed in the world of SpongeBob SquarePants, the song ‘Sweet Victory’ comes from the 2001 episode ‘Band Geeks’, which sees the characters forming a marching band. Eventually, these shenanigans result in the band performing at the Bubble Bowl, where David Glen Eisley’s ‘Sweet Victory’ is debuted.

Now, Maroon 5 appear to be teasing their own tribute to the late Stephen Hillenburg.

Earlier this month, Maroon 5 were officially confirmed as appearing at the Super Bowl, with the likes of Big Boi and Hottest 100 bronze medallist Travis Scott also making an appearance.

Around the same time, the ‘Girls Like You’ rockers decided to share their own sneak preview about what fans might expect from their performance.

In addition to backstage footage, the sound of marching bands, and video of the other musicians performing, a brief clip from SpongeBob Squarepants appears 32 seconds in.

Needless to say, this clip has undoubtedly seen supporters of the recent petition (over 1.7m of them!) begin to get rather excited about what might be in the pipeline.

Whether or not Maroon 5 will indeed perform ‘Sweet Victory’ remains to be seen, but if they do, it will be just another strange chapter in the story of the 2019 Super Bowl.

Check out SpongeBob SquarePants’ ‘Sweet Victory’:

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