In the uneventful Super Bowl LIII Feb. 3, the New England Patriots topped the Los Angeles Rams with a score of 13-3 to win their sixth Lombardi trophy in Atlanta, GA. After a lackluster first half, where no touchdowns were scored by either team, football fans and casual spectators alike were looking for excitement in the form of the halftime show. Unfortunately, Maroon 5 failed to deliver, even with the guest appearances of rappers Travis Scott and Atlanta-local Big Boi.

The Pepsi Halftime Show started off with lead singer Adam Levine signing a few of Maroon 5’s lesser-known songs, from their popular album, “Songs about Jane.” Levine’s lack of dance ability and performance charm became painfully apparent in these first few minutes.

The highlight of the show was clearly Scott’s performance. He appeared in a ring of fire, after a SpongeBob SquarePants tribute. Even though half his performance was muted to those of us watching at home due to the curse words, he at least attempted to match the adrenaline and high stakes of the Super Bowl. As an extra bonus, watching Levine awkwardly try to match Scott’s swagger while he was dancing next to him, added some much needed comic relief.

Once Scott made his exit, Maroon 5 finally pulled out a popular song, “Girls Like You.” Which was followed with one of their older hits, “She is Loved.” This song featured the most special-effects out of the whole concert with drones disguised to look like lanterns, arranging in the skies to spell out words such as “one” and “love.” These two songs showcased what Maroon 5 does best, popular songs, sung well.

Next, Maroon 5 was joined on stage by Big Boi. Big Boi’s entrance was another hot spot of the performance as he rode in on a vintage convertible while wearing a floor-length fur coat. His rap song was another interesting juxtaposition to Maroon 5’s style but appeased Georgia’s desire for some local flair.

A decent performance of “Sugar” came next. While the song wasn’t bad, the performance would have been much more interesting if someone in the crowd would have booped Levine on the head with one of the beach balls they were throwing around.

Finally, Maroon 5 played one of their hottest hits, “Moves Like Jagger,” to close off the performance, which featured Levine stripping off his shirt in the middle of the song. While it may have added some performance value, this did seem like a cruel joke to those of us who have been bundling up in multiple layers while battling sub-zero temperatures this past week.

The concert ended before it even really got started. The rap and Maroon 5’s pop-rock style mixed together about as well as oil and water. The lack of special effects and background dancers just further hurt the show’s chances of being a hit.

Overall, it wasn’t terrible. There were no fumbles or interceptions, but, just like the Rams’ game, there also weren’t any touchdowns. The show was fine, but this is the Super Bowl. This isn’t the place for mediocrity. The crowd was there to watch the best of the best battle it out, and Maroon 5 just could not match this energy. It would have been better to have some other popular artist or band performing. Then again, the Chiefs versus the Saints would have been a better Super Bowl too.