During the Super Bowl, Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine slowly disrobed during the half-time show, ending up topless at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium and flaunting his many, many tattoos to the audience in Atlanta and in homes and bars around the world.
For his part, Levine has no problem walking around topless on stage or off (he once told Cosmo UK that he spends “most of [his] life naked,” adding, “but I live in California, where it’s always warm so, why not?”) However, the full display gave people an opportunity to ogle his ink, which may have left people wondering about his many tattoos, which include a variety pack of words, symbols, and images as well as cherry blossoms covering his arms.
Here’s a breakdown of his tattoo landscape:
It all began with his very first tattoo, which according to People, is the dove that can be spotted on his shoulder, which he got in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, wanting “to say something with this peaceful thing on my body.” His other shoulder features the word Los Angeles, which in addition to the word California scrawled across his torso, Levine claims express his “hometown love”. “Not many people were born and raised in L.A. Gotta wear that badge of pride,” he told People. His torso also features a cherub while his stomach is covered in a lion.
According to Brides, Levine got a series of hand tattoos that read “True Love” as a tribute to his wife, Behati Prinsloo.
Just above his heart is the Sanskrit word for “tapas”, which is not a reference to a love of the Spanish small plates, but a spiritual practice reference. “A few years ago I fell in love with yoga,” he told People. The word ‘tapas’ stands for fire … passion … This keeps me connected to something that changed my life.” The photo also reveals a hand with the words “True love” carrying a rose inked across Levine’s chest.
His back features a massive piece that, according to Levine’s Instagram post, took artist Bryan Randolph of Spider Murphy’s Tattoo shop in San Rafael, California, six months to fully ink on his skin. The mermaid angel cradling a skull is surrounded by swallows.
He also has a permanent beaded necklace embedded in his skin. “I was in Japan and I got this necklace,” he told Inked mag. “I’m not sure why I got it — I think I was bored. But I like it.” His torso also includes a large eagle
The tiger on his forearm was reportedly inspired by by his “love of this amazing book of Tibetan drawings.” His ribs feature a downward-facing shark, which he considers “the most fascinating creatures on Earth,” per People.
Levine’s also sprouts a classic heart with the word “mom” written in it, which he told People was “a last-ditch effort to gain [his] mother’s approval. She hates this one slightly less than the others.” His bicep has the number 10, which The Cut says was “inked for Maroon 5’s tenth anniversary” as well as the number 222, which was the address of his band’s first recording studio.
His forearms also feature a guitar, and birds as can be seen in this picture, where he is once again performing sans shirt.
While Levine told People that he doesn’t “think that you have to necessarily ascribe meaning behind every tattoo,” if you have read this far, why not give it a try.
