Adam Levine posted what he said was his first Throwback Thursday pic to Instagram, and it’s a real doozy. The image showcases the former Voice coach and his Maroon 5 bandmates in a way fans definitely don’t remember but now won’t ever forget.
In the photo, Levine is seated with his bandmates surrounding him in what appears to be a publicity photo for the group, rocking a summer-based theme. The band is dressed in a mashup of styles including a boy scout uniform, Hawaiian shirts, and bright summer colors. However, it’s Levine who is the centerpiece as he is barefoot in a pink shirt, jeans, and holds what appears to be a reflector to get more sunshine on his face.
The undated pic drew hilarious comments from his fans and friends who loved the photo and called it a classic. But perhaps it was Levine’s Maroon 5 bandmate James Valentine who had the most spot-on comment when he called this pic “before we learned to say no,” likely referencing the lengths bands will go when they are new and want to be noticed by the music industry.
Over 20 years ago, Levine and his high school pals formed their first group, naming it Kara’s Flowers after a girl they liked in class. Under that name, the band released its only album titled The Fourth World and a single named “Soap Disco.” After Kara’s Flowers disbanded, the group floundered with several of its members heading off to college before they realized that music was their true calling and they regrouped in 2001, calling themselves Maroon 5.
It was the group’s breakout album under its new name, Songs About Jane , and their first big single, “Harder to Breathe,” that solidified their status as a band to watch. In February 2005, the band beat out Kanye West by winning a Grammy Award in the category of Best New Artist.
Since those early days, Levine and Maroon 5 have recorded the smash albums It Won’t Be Soon Before Long, Hands All Over, Overexposed, V , and Red Pill Blues . Their commercial success would have been enough for the band to stand on its own but coupled with Levine’s side job as a coach on NBC’s The Voice, M aroon 5 and Levine remained in the spotlight for 16 seasons of the series until he quit the reality competition singing series in early 2019.
Levine was an original coach on The Voice along with Blake Shelton, who remains part of the cast. He made his debut in 2012 alongside Shelton, Cee Lo Green, and Christina Aguilera, scoring a win three times as a coach.
“I think for us, we kind of all knew the dynamic,” bandmate Valentine said to Wisconsin 106 of Levine’s role as frontman and unofficial leader of the group. “Adam loves the spotlight, he loves being out in front. And the rest of us are totally, totally fine with that. We’re much happier being in the supporting roles.”
The band headlined the Pepsi Super Bowl LIII halftime show in 2019 and have remained on tour throughout the year. It has not yet been announced when the band will release new music.