It looks like Spongebob fans have won. After a petition that gained more than 1.2 million signatures, it looks like Maroon 5 is planning on incorporating the iconic song, “Sweet Victory,” into the Super Bowl LIII halftime show in Atlanta.
Millions of people demanded that the song be included in the halftime setlist to honor Spongebob creator Stephen Hillenburg. He died last November from ALS.
“As some of you may or may not know, Stephen Hillenburg—the creator of Spongebob Squarepants—has past away recently,” the petition reads. “As a tribute to his legacy, his contributions to a generation of children, and to truly showcase the greatness of this song, we call for ‘Sweet Victory’ to be performed at the halftime show.”
No one has confirmed whether or not the song will be performed, but there’s some pretty definitive hints that it could be.
Two journalists, who have been covering the Super Bowl over the last few days, captured images and video of Spongebob while Maroon 5 practiced at the stadium. The band isn’t actually heard singing “Sweet Victory,” but the cartoon band ensembles are there. The stadium in Atlanta also tweeted a Spongebob GIF, which further proves all the speculation.
Caught a peek of @SpongeBob while @maroon5 rehearsed for #SBLIII at the @MBStadium #SweetVictory pic.twitter.com/5H09kAfmQ2
— Jamal N. Williams (@JWilliamsWDEF) January 31, 2019
CONFIRMED: @JWilliamsWDEF and I can verify that #SpongeBob WILL BE USED during the Pepsi Halftime Show!
We can hear @maroon5 practicing right now. pic.twitter.com/AedPuhi4Q1
— Angela Moryan (@SidelineStormer) January 30, 2019
The song was first aired in a 2001 episode of “Spongebob Squarepants,” where some of the characters performed a halftime show for The Bubble Bowl. It recently regained popularity and became a meme, after Travis Scott used it in his hit “Sicko Mode.” Scott will also be joining Maroon 5 onstage at the halftime performance. Coincidence? I think not.
According to CBS Sports, Rodger Bumpass, who voiced the character Squidward, said he’ll be recording a small piece for the Super Bowl. He will reportedly be introducing the halftime acts.
A couple weeks ago, Maroon 5 posted on Twitter a video teasing their performance. In the video, there’s a quick flash of some Spongebob footage. It’s not a clip from “Sweet Victory,” but it does include a small feature of the show.
#SBLIII pic.twitter.com/dWKJQDS9ap
— Maroon 5 (@maroon5) January 13, 2019
It seems pretty clear to me that the iconic track is coming at some point during the Super Bowl halftime show. You’ll just have to wait and see.