Adam Noah Levine (/ləˈviːn/lə-VEEN; born March 18, 1979) is an American singer, musician and television personality who is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist and sole continuous member of thepop bandMaroon 5.[4]
Levine began his musical career in 1994 with the band Kara's Flowers, for which he served as lead vocalist and lead guitarist. After the commercial failure of their only album,The Fourth World, the group was reformed in 2001 as Maroon 5 – withJames Valentine replacing him as lead guitarist. In 2002, they released their first album,Songs About Jane, which went multi-platinum in the US; since then, they have released seven more albums:It Won't Be Soon Before Long (2007),Hands All Over (2010),Overexposed (2012),V (pronounced: "five"; 2014),Red Pill Blues (2017),Jordi (2021), andLove Is Like (2025). As part of Maroon 5, Levine has receivedmultiple accolades, including threeGrammy Awards. As a solo artist, he achieved concurrent commercial success with his guest appearance onGym Class Heroes' 2011 single "Stereo Hearts", which peaked within the top five of theBillboard Hot 100.
From 2011 to 2019, and again in 2025 and 2026, Levine has been featured for eighteen seasons as a coach onNBC's reality talent showThe Voice. The winners of multiple seasons (1,5, and9) belonged to his team. In 2012, Levine made his acting debut as the recurring character Leo Morrison in the second season of the television seriesAmerican Horror Story. He also appeared in the filmsBegin Again (2013),Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016),Fun Mom Dinner andThe Clapper (both 2017). Levine launched his eponymous fragrance line in 2013. The same year, he collaborated withKmart and ShopYourWay.com to develop his menswear collection. He also owns a record label,222 Records, and a production company, 222 Productions, which produced television showsSugar andSongland. In 2013,The Hollywood Reporter reported that "sources familiar with his many business dealings" estimated Levine would earn more than $35 million that year.[5]
Adam Noah Levine was born on March 18, 1979, inLos Angeles[6] to Fredric Levine, the founder of retail chain M. Fredric, and Patsy (née Noah) Levine, an admissions counselor.[5][7] They divorced when he was seven and Levine underwent therapy.[8] Growing up, he spent weekdays with his mother and weekends with his father.[9] He has a younger brother.[10] Levine's father and maternal grandfather wereJewish, while his maternal grandmother was aProtestant.[11] Levine is Jewish;[12] however, according toThe Jewish Chronicle, he isspiritual but not religious. He chose not to have aBar Mitzvah as a child because of the custom of receivingBar Mitzvah gifts, explaining: "I felt as though a lot of kids were trying to cash in ... I just don't think it's the most respectful way to deal with God and beliefs and years and years and years of cultural heritage."[9] Levine is a nephew of journalist and authorTimothy Noah, and television producer and writerPeter Noah.[13][14]
Levine describes his family as "very musical"[15] and credits his mother with "start[ing] me out on the path."[16] He also attributes his mother's idols –Simon & Garfunkel,Fleetwood Mac, andThe Beatles – to shaping his musical style, calling them "a huge part of my upbringing".[9] Levine attendedBrentwood School, where he metJesse Carmichael andMickey Madden, his future bandmates.[17] He carried his musical interests to high school, where he states he was "a little rebellious. I didn't want to do the things they were teaching me ... [music] consumed my every thought."[15]
In February 1994, Levine, along with friendsJesse Carmichael,Mickey Madden, and Ryan Dusick formed garage band Kara's Flowers.[18][19] In 1995, the group played their first gig at theWhisky a Go Go, a nightclub inWest Hollywood, California, with Levine performing vocals and guitar.[20] The band was discovered while they were performing inMalibu by independent producer Tommy Allen, who along with his partnerJohn DeNicola, had them record an 11-track album.[20] Owing to a string of industry showcases in Los Angeles, they were signed on toReprise Records through producerRob Cavallo.[21]
In August 1997, the band released their first album, titledThe Fourth World[22] and also appeared on an episode of the drama seriesBeverly Hills, 90210.[5] Despite high expectations,[20] it had little success, selling about 5,000 copies.[23] Reprise decided to drop the band after Cavallo's exit from the label.[20][24] Disappointed with the results of their album, the band broke up.[25][26] Later, Levine would say of the experience: "Kara's Flowers was just floating up the wall beneath the sticks. Make a record quickly, put it out. No touring base, no nothing. Just try to make it happen right out of the gate and it just doesn't work".[27]
After the break up of Kara's Flowers, Levine, along with Carmichael, left Los Angeles to pursue higher studies atFive Towns College in New York.[20][28] On MTV News, in 2002, he said: "That's when I started waking up to the whole hip-hop, R&B thing. We had friends named Chaos and Shit. It wasnot Brentwood High".[29] They dropped out after a semester,[30] and reunited with Madden and Dusick to form a band once more.[30] They experimented with several styles, includingcountry andfolk, before deciding groove-based music would become their genre.[17] Levine explained the need for a makeover for the band: "We were just so sick of being a typical rock 'n' roll band ... I felt like I needed to look elsewhere for vocal inspiration."[20] The band put together a demo that was rejected by several labels, before it caught the attention ofOctone Records executivesJames Diener, Ben Berkman, and David Boxenbaum.[26] Following Berkman's advice, the band added a fifth member,James Valentine, and was renamed Maroon 5. In an interview withHitQuarters, Berkman explained that Levine "seemed to be a very shy, shoe-gazing type ... a fifth member could play the guitar to free up the singer [Levine], so he could be the star I perceived him to be".[23]
Around this time, Levine had been working as a writer's assistant on theCBS television showJudging Amy; the program's producerBarbara Hall was his family friend.[5] While on the show, he would spend time writing songs about his ex-girlfriend. These songs were put into Maroon 5's debut albumSongs About Jane, which was released in June 2002. The album slowly gained airplay, and eventually became asleeper hit, selling an estimated 10 million copies[31] and becoming the tenth best-selling album of 2004, two years after its release.[32] In 2005, Maroon 5 won their firstGrammy Award, forBest New Artist.[33] The next year, they won theGrammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for the secondSongs About Jane single "This Love".[34]
Levine performing with Maroon 5 in 2007
By 2006, the band began recording again, and in May 2007, Maroon 5's second albumIt Won't Be Soon Before Long was released. Levine described the album as "a vast improvement", explaining: "I think this record is a little more self-confident and powerful lyrically".[35] To support the album, the band performed on a ten-date club tour which visited small venues in Europe and the United States from April to June 2007.[36][37] The album and its lead, third and penultimate singles ("Makes Me Wonder", "Won't Go Home Without You" and "If I Never See Your Face Again", respectively) each received Grammy nominations, although only "Makes Me Wonder" secured a win.[38][39]
After winding down from aworld tour in support ofIt Won't Be Soon Before Long, the band began recording in Switzerland in 2009, in collaboration with record producer and songwriterRobert John "Mutt" Lange. Levine said Lange "worked me harder than anyone ever has".[40] In 2010, Maroon 5 released their third studio album,Hands All Over. The album did not initially meet expectations. In an interview withLos Angeles Times, Levine explained that the album suffered from being "all these disparate ideas and songs that didn't make any sense together".[41] After the moderate success of the album's first three singles, the band released "Moves like Jagger" (featuringChristina Aguilera) which Levine classified as "one of those songs that was definitely a risk; it's a bold statement".[42] The single became a worldwide success; it was the ninth-best-selling digital single of 2011 with sales of 8.5 million copies and, as of 2012[update], theeighth-best-selling digital single of all time. Levine later credited the song with "totally reviving the band".[41]
Levine performing at the opening night of the Honda Civic Tour 2013
Since "Moves Like Jagger" was the first time Maroon 5 had collaborated with an outside writer, the band decided to attempt it again on their next album, entitledOverexposed.[43] Its title is supposedly an allusion to Levine's public ubiquity. In an interview withRolling Stone, he opined that is their most dance-driven album ever, commenting: "It's very much an old-fashioned disco tune. I have a love/hate relationship with it – but mostly I love it".[44] The album and its lead single "Payphone" gave Maroon 5 their secondGrammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album andBest Pop Duo/Group Performance nominations.[39] In support ofOverexposed, the band conducted theOverexposed Tour from 2012 to 2013 (with the European leg extending to 2014 due to scheduling conflicts),[45] and also headlined the2013 Honda Civic Tour, which includedThe Voice contestant Tony Lucca.[46]
In 2014, Maroon 5 continued their collaboration withRyan Tedder,Max Martin and others to release their fifth studio albumV (pronounced: "five"). Levine acknowledged that they followed the same song-writing process that they tried withOverexposed, saying: "We developed a really nice system on the last record — we found songs we were passionate about, developed them and put our stamp on them ... this time we kept it going but looked for different types of songs."[47] Five singles were released from it. In support of the album, the band undertook theMaroon V Tour, which kicked off with a show inDallas in February 2015.[48]
In 2007, Levine had stated that he believed Maroon 5 was reaching its peak and might make one more album before disbanding.[49] He was quoted explaining: "Eventually I want to focus on being a completely different person because I don't know if I want to do this into my 40s and 50s and beyond". But in 2010, he dispelled any rumors of the band breaking up, saying:"I love what I do and think that, yes, it might be tiring and complicated at times [but] we don't have any plans on disbanding any time soon".[50] He has also turned down the idea of having a solo career, stating that "there will never be a solo record. I would sooner have another band".[51] On February 10, 2017, Levine received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the recording industry.[52]
Levine has collaborated with several musical artists. In 2005, he was featured on the song "Live Again" by hip-hop duoYing Yang Twins.[53] The same year, he appeared onKanye West's albumLate Registration, on the third single "Heard 'Em Say",[54] a collaboration Levine called "very pure and very easy". The song was created during an airplane flight that he and West shared,[55] and its refrain was later used for the Maroon 5 song "Nothing Lasts Forever" fromIt Won't Be Soon Before Long. He also appeared onAlicia Keys' third albumAlicia Keys: MTV Unplugged, as part of the cover of The Rolling Stones song "Wild Horses".[56] Around the same time, he featured on fellow Octone Records singerK'naan's single "Bang Bang".
In 2009, he recorded "Gotten", a song forSlash's first solo albumSlash (2010).[57] In February 2010, he was among approximately 80 musicians who sang on the charity-single remake of "We Are the World", called "We Are the World 25 for Haiti".[58] In 2011, he appeared on theGym Class Heroes song, "Stereo Hearts". Levine also worked with hip-hop artist50 Cent on his song "My Life", recording the vocals almost two years before it was released as a single in 2012, which included rapperEminem.[59] In 2013, Levine wrote a song called "My Most Terrible Secret" performed by the cast ofCommunity, in the episode "Intro to Felt Surrogacy".[60]
From 2011 to 2019, Levine served as a contestant judge/coach on the reality talent television show,The Voice.[72] The contestants of his team who won in the series areJavier Colon (season 1),Tessanne Chin (season 5)[73] andJordan Smith (season 9).The Voice has been credited with reviving Maroon 5's "faltering" career after the sub-par sales ofHands All Over as well as increasing Levine's popularity. According to polling firm E-Poll Market Research, awareness of Levine has nearly tripled since he joined the show. He has also been described as the "breakout" star of the series, with #TeamAdam and @AdamLevine scoring a respective 203,000 and 2.14 million Twitter mentions in the show's third season, higher than all the other coaches. In 2013,The Hollywood Reporter estimated that Levine was paid $10–12 million for each season ofThe Voice.[5] In May 2019, Levine left the series after sixteen seasons and eight years.[74] In June 2024, it was revealed that Levine would return toThe Voice for the27th season which aired in the spring of 2025.[75] Levine will return for the 29th season, dubbed the "Battle of Champions", set to air in the spring of 2026.
In 2012, Levine appeared as a recurring character inAmerican Horror Story: Asylum, the second season of the television seriesAmerican Horror Story.[76] He plays Leo Morrison, a newly-wed photographer visiting modern-day Briarcliff Manor, an insane asylum, on honeymoon with his wife, played byJenna Dewan. The scenes were shot around his band's summer touring schedule. In an interview withE!, he said of his role: "It sounded like so much fun and that's why I wanted to do it ... this sounds, like, hysterical, funny, dark and cool and right up my alley".[77][78] However, he admitted to not being a fan of the show nor horror genre in general, stating he didn't watch the episodes because "it's just so weird and disturbing".[79]
In June 2012, Levine was cast in the musical romance-drama filmBegin Again (originally titledCan a Song Save Your Life?). The film was directed byJohn Carney andKeira Knightley andMark Ruffalo acted in the lead roles. In it, he plays Dave Kohl, Knightley's songwriting partner and former boyfriend of five years, who leaves her behind on finding success in the music industry.[80][81][82] The film premiered at the2013 Toronto International Film Festival to generally favorable reviews from critics.[83]
In November 2013, Levine was namedPeople magazine's Sexiest Man Alive, becoming the first singer and the second non-actor (afterJohn F. Kennedy Jr.) to claim the title.[84] He was ranked No. 41 onGlamour's "Sexiest Men of 2012" list.[85] In 2008, he appeared onPeople's "Single and Sexy Men" list.[86] He was elected TV's Most Crushworthy Male Reality Host/Judge in a poll held byZap2it.[87] In April 2012,Shalom Life ranked him Number 7 on its list of "Top 50 Hottest Jewish men in the world".[88] Levine stripped naked fortesticular cancer awareness for a centerfold inCosmopolitan UK's February 2011 issue.[89]
In 2013, Levine started a production company 222 Productions and the first project wasSugar (2018), aYouTube Premium web television series which was inspired by the music video for theMaroon 5 song of the same name. It follows music artists to crash events for unsuspecting fans.[90] The company produced a reality competition seriesSongland, which premiered onNBC on May 28, 2019, where Levine served as executive producer. The company signed a deal with Wheelhouse Entertainment.[91]
Levine playing the First Act 222 Guitar, which he helped design
In October 2008, Levine collaborated withFirst Act to create the First Act 222 Guitar, which was fashioned to his specifications. The guitar was sold viaTarget stores.[92] Two years later he launched his own fashion line, entitled "222", at the Project Trade Show inLas Vegas. The collection features jeans, basic T-shirts and leather jackets. The venture was organized in partnership with his father, Fred Levine (who operates a chain of specialty boutiques), and his cousin, Sami Cooper.[93][94]
In June 2011, Levine took part in an educational campaign to raise awareness ofattention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The project, titled "Own It", was created byShire and organized in collaboration with the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA), Children and Adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (CHADHD). The project targets people who were previously diagnosed with the disorder, focusing on how it may continue into adulthood. Levine, who himself was diagnosed with ADHD as a teenager, said: "This campaign is important to me because it can help young adults and adults realize that there's a chance they may still have ADHD if they had it as a kid".[95][96] In connection to this, he wrote an article inADDitude Magazine about his personal experience with it.[97]
Levine founded his own record label,222 Records in February 2012. He stated that he was inspired to start the label to sign onRozzi Crane, anUSC music student he discovered through a mutual friend.[98] She became the first singer signed on to the label, followed byGlee actorMatthew Morrison, Mexican artistDiego Boneta, andThe Voiceseason 2 contestant and part of Team Adam, the singerTony Lucca. It was reported that he was negotiating further with potential distributors, as well as organizing staff, to operate as a full-fledged record company with departments such as marketing, radio and publicity.[99][100]
In September 2012, Levine was in thePhilippines to collaborate with the clothing companyBench; they launched the menswear collection.[101] In January 2013, Levine announced he would be enter a partnership withSears Holdings to launch a multi-department lifestyle brand of apparel and accessories collections.[102] The company ownsKmart and ShopYourWay, a shopping social platform; it also includes rapperNicki Minaj in the same contract. The menswear collection was launched on October 1 that year and conducts business via 500 Kmart stores across the US, as well as online.[103] In an official statement, Levine said: "Partnering with ShopYourWay to develop this line was an exciting opportunity for me and I am really looking forward to diving into the process of designing an apparel and accessory collection".[104] In an interview withPeople, he commented further, "it was cool that they really promoted creative control. I like to be involved with process rather than just phoning it in".[105] Later, Levine became a celebrity spokesperson forProactiv. In the commercial, Levine shares details about his acne experiences in high school, and promotes Proactiv Plus.[106]
Levine collaborated with ID Perfumes to create his debuteponymous scent.[107] The line was launched at the Premiere Fragrance Installation in Los Angeles in February 2013.[108] The fragrance range, consisting of scents for both for men and women, is sold throughMacy's department stores in microphone-shaped bottles. Speaking at its launch, Levine said: "The task was to make something that I would wear. So that was a process and we finally came to a great conclusion and it smells great"[109][110] The fragrance garnered media attention for contradicting his tweet the previous year, in which he said that he wanted to "put an official ban on celebrity fragrances. Punishable by death from this point forward".[111] In January 2020, Levine announced that he is the new Ambassador of the brandShure for the wireless earphones and headphones, the Aonic 215 and 50, is available on electronic stores on April 2, 2020.[112][113][114]
In 2021, Levine and his wife Prinsloo founded a tequila company called Calirosa. The brand's tequila bottles were made available from December 2021.[115][116]
Levine's interest in music started at around ten years of age, when he first started playing the guitar. He found music as an outlet for his feelings, stating: "I picked up a guitar and that was it. I fell so madly in love with it, it's all I did".[15] He performed his first professional gig atThe Troubadour when he was twelve, but he was so nervous that he played with his back to the audience.[5][117] Throughout his childhood, he had a wide range of musical influences, includingThe Beatles,Fleetwood Mac,The Who,Pearl Jam,Soundgarden,Alice in Chains, andNirvana, and, in high school,Bob Marley,Bill Withers,Al Green,Stevie Wonder,Marvin Gaye,[118]Phish[119] andMichael Jackson.[120] He has also incorporated elements ofThe Police andPrince into his music.[121] In an interview withBillboard, he explained the diversity of his influences: "I love every single kind of music ... even the most saccharine, sugary pop song can be the greatest thing ever. But so can a 25-minute crazy avant-garde fusion gnarlyHerbie Hancock jam from the '70s".[122]
Levine remembers that listening to "Are You That Somebody?" byAaliyah convinced him to pursue a more soulful sound than that of the band he was performing with at the time, Kara's Flowers.[22] His move to New York introduced him to a new music scene that involvedhip-hop,R&B,gospel andsoul music.[29] He took to changing his musical style, extensively emulating Stevie Wonder.[121] Subsequently,Songs About Jane was released, deemed "bluesy funk"[123] and similar to the sound of Englishpop rock bandBusted.[124] Critics also drew comparisons between Levine andJamiroquai singerJay Kay.[125]
While earlier work was deemed "vaguely funky white-soul"[125] and "rock", recent ones have been judged to have a more reggae, anthemic pop sound,[126] evoking comparisons toColdplay.[127] Levine refuses to fit his music into a genre, saying: "There's so much variety in music, it's silly to belong to a specific club and try to sound a certain way".[121] He considers himself an orthodox lyricist sticking to conventional themes, acknowledging: "Romance, love, the lack thereof are still very big themes. I haven't figured out a way to use everything yet. As a songwriter, I'm still limited to that one thing."[22] He also claims he does not like mincing words, stating in aRolling Stone interview: "I was so sick of typical lyrics like 'Ooh, baby' and 'I love you' and all this vague shit. I thought the more explicit I got without being totally explicit was a nice approach".[29]
Levine performing in Sydney, Australia in February 2019
Levine is acountertenor andtenor, with a 4 octave vocal range[128][129] and has been noted for hisfalsettos.[130]Salon wrote: "When he's crooning come-ons, his voice lends the music a satisfying lewdness, a sense of sticky physicality that gives his snaky hooks a pheromonal urgency."[131] In a review ofIt Won't Be Soon Before Long,Entertainment Weekly described his vocals as "smug, R&B-slick deadpan ... there's a twisted logic to his dispassionate delivery".[132] In another review,Allmusic wrote "he knows that he's a pop guy, somewhat in the tradition ofHall & Oates, but he isn't trying to be retro, he's ... making records that are melodic, stylish, and soulful".[133] In a review of the 2013 Honda Civic Tour,The Boston Globe also commented positively on his on-stage presence, which "exude[s] a sense of up-for-anything playfulness ... combined with a rock solid work ethic and a clear love for their audiences and performing".[134]
Levine's popularity outside of his musical work has seen him tagged as a "stand-alone star,"[135] which critics say have pushed other members of Maroon 5 to the backseat, even in their music.[136] Their guitarist Valentine noted that his vocals were a central aspect around which their music revolved.[137] Conversely, others opine that Levine's fame has been a boost to the band, withPaper writing: "Maroon 5 has managed to ebb and flow with the times ... thanks in no small part to their frontman's uncanny ability to be extremely entertaining".[138]Delta Sky described him as "a natural, if slightly neurotic, leading man".[139] He claims that the image was consciously cultivated, explaining: "We talked about it a long time ago and decided I would step out, for us, not for me or my own ego ... We wanted there to be a frontman."[51]
In early 2010, while performing at theSports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue release party in Las Vegas, Levine met RussianSports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue modelAnne Vyalitsyna and they soon began a relationship.[140] They ended the relationship in April 2012 in an "amicable and supportive manner".[141]
In May 2012, Levine began datingBehati Prinsloo, a NamibianVictoria's Secret model.[142][143] The couple married on July 19, 2014, withJonah Hill officiating the wedding.[144][145] Levine and Prinsloo have two daughters, Dusty Rose (b. September 21, 2016)[146] and Gio Grace (b. February 15, 2018).[147][148] On January 28, 2023, Levine and Prinsloo had a third child, who is their first son.[149][150]
Levine and Hill have been friends since early childhood, having met in grade school.[151] Hill's brother, Jordan Feldstein, managed Maroon 5 until Feldstein's death.[152] Despite attending different high schools, Levine has been friends with American actressKate Hudson since they were teenagers.[153]
Levine is supportive of gay rights. In 2011, Levine made a video[154] on Maroon 5's official YouTube account in support of theIt Gets Better Project. In January 2012, he announced that Maroon 5 had changed the location of their post-Grammy Awards show because of the "unnamed Los Angeles restaurant's backing ofProposition 8".[155] He has a gay brother.[155]
In 2013, Levine was mentioned in ahostile work environment lawsuit filed inLos Angeles Superior Court by an unnamed security guard who claimed thatUniversal Music Publishing Group's Santa Monica location was "infiltrated with pervasive drug use where you could smell marijuana seeping from various offices and openly used in common areas, and lounges". The guard claimed that when she complained about the cannabis smoke coming from one of the studios, she was told that "it's Adam Levine—if he wants to come to the lobby and do a line of cocaine on the floor, it's OK". In an official statement toThe Hollywood Reporter, UMPG (Universal Music Publishing group) described the allegations as "absurd".[157][158]
In September 2022, Levine was accused by at least four women ofcheating on Prinsloo with them. DMs, texts, andTikTok videos were presented as evidence.[159][160] Levine denied having an affair, but has admitted to "crossing" the line and has "addressed ... and taken proactive steps to remedy this with my family".[161]
^ab"Bio". Archive of early band biography on Maroon 5 official site. September 28, 2008. Archived fromthe original on September 28, 2008. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2015.
Kimpel, Dan (2006),How They Made It: True Stories of How Music's Biggest Stars Went from Start to Stardom!. Location unknown:Hal Leonard Corporation.ISBN0-634-07642-6
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