Maroon 5 took the stage for the first time at the MTV Video Music Awards with an outdoor performance of its latest hit single.
Surrounded by hordes of its “biggest fans” in front of the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., the band soaked up the spotlight with a performance of “Maps” as darkness fell in Southern California. Underneath a large, red, glowing “M” and a smaller “V,” a play on the band’s name and upcoming album, frontman and The Voice coach Adam Levine crooned the opening verse before kicking it up a notch for the remainder of the song.
The pop outfit, led by Levine (showing his Los Angeles Lakers pride in a faded jersey tee), is readying for the release of its fifth studio album, V, which hits stores Sept. 2. The performance was introduced by presenters Jason Derulo and Demi Lovato, who called Maroon 5 one of “pop music’s enduring artists.”
Later, Levine and his bandmates treated the crowd to a mini concert with performances of their earlier tunes.
Maroon 5 won a Moonman in 2004 for best new artist, though the group has been nominated three other times, most recently in 2012 for best pop video (“Payphone”). In the past, Levine hasn’t been shy about his criticisms of the VMAs, voicing his frustrations in 2011 over MTV’s growing slate of original scripted programming.
The VMAs performance lineup also includes Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Rita Ora, Iggy Azalea, Ariana Grande, Jessie J, Sam Smith and 5 Seconds of Summer. Miley Cyrus, who made headlines for last year’s raunchy VMA performance, Gwen Stefani, Kim Kardashian, Demi Lovato, Lorde and Orange Is the New Black stars are among the presenters.
Beyonce, also the recipient of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, leads this year’s pack with eight nominations, including video of the year and best female video.
Read THR’s complete coverage of the VMAs right here!
Watch the full performance below:
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