Adam Levine Named Variety’s Hitmaker of the Year
Guy Aroch for Variety Reading Time: 3 minutes
A familiar face is on the cover of Variety this week! The Voice coach Adam Levine is featured in a fur-lined hood, announcing him as Hitmaker of the Year. He will be honored at Variety‘s second annual Hitmakers brunch this Saturday. In his cover story interview, Adam discussed dealing with the loss of Maroon 5’s manager and how he’s taken control of his career.
Let’s see what Adam had to say after his successful, hit-making year!
Adam has had quite the year! Two of his collaborations, “What Lovers Do” featuring SZA and “Girls Like You” with Cardi B were both chart-topping hits. Maroon 5 was also invited to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show in February! That sounds like an epic Hitmaker year to me. And this is all after the band’s manager suddenly passed away at the end of 2017. Jordan Feldstein, Marron 5’s manager, Adam’s childhood friend and Jonah Hill’s brother, died unexpectedly in his home in Beverly Hills last December. After his untimely death, the future of the band was in question. But Adam kept his circle tight and familial. Despite having his choice of managers, bringing aboard a mentor and business partner to Feldstein.
Time and time again though, Adam Levine has shown his thoughtfulness and pure talent and musical ability. When he worked on the music video for “Girls Like You,” Adam personally reached out to each of the women on his wishlist to appear in it. He ended up landing basically everyone, from Gal Gadot to Ellen DeGeneres to Aly Raisman to Tiffany Haddish. The song spent seven weeks at the #1 spot on the charts, making it one of Maroon 5’s biggest hits. That is quite an accomplishment! It helps that the song is timely and deals with hot button issues we face today.
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Then came the Super Bowl Halftime Show invitation, which is a huge honor. And probably part of the reason Adam was named Hitmaker of the Year! But when Maroon 5 agreed to perform, many celebrities spoke out against the band because of recent tension in the NFL. Rihanna and Amy Schumer have urged Maroon 5 to bail in solidarity for those who knelt on the field during the national anthem to protest racial inequality.
When Variety asked about his controversial decision to sign on to the Super Bowl, Levine would only say, “I’m still formulating a lot of things.”
Even with that up in the air, Adam Levine is staying busy! Not only is he on The Voice two seasons every year, but he also runs a production company and is a father to two young daughters. On top of all that, Adam has a new show he will be the EP of on the horizon, Songland. The new show is set to launch in 2019.
If you’re interested in hearing more from the Hitmaker of the Year, you can read the full Variety interview here.
