Adam Levine got his fair share of flack after making an off-handed comment about how he "hates" America during a taping of The Voice this week, but the singer says his poor word choice wasn't really a one-off: He knows that he can be "impulsive."
"I'm very much okay with who I am and comfortable in my skin enough to embrace that even though I don't say everything the right way and you know, tend to be a bit impulsive with some of the words that I select," he says in an interview for CBS Sunday Morning, set to air on Sunday, June 2.
In the conversation, which was taped prior to his controversial comments on The Voice, Levine also opens up about being "embarrassed" to be interested in music as a kid in high school.
"I thought it was stupid," he says of his pre-fame way of thinking. "I'm telling you, it was really because I wanted to be an athlete. All my friends were jocks, you know, so I was so un-cool I hid it from everybody."
On Tuesday, May 28, the Maroon 5 frontman stirred up controversy online after he muttered, "I hate this country," following the elimination of two of his top contestants — Judith Hill and Sarah Simmons. Fans of the show immediately took to Twitter to blast Levine, 34, for his comments.
"Someone is gonna get fired for leaving @adamlevine's mic on," one fan wrote. "Does @adamlevine get deported?" another wondered.
Levine, however, took the gaffe in stride, issuing a series of tweets that hopefully clarified his stance on the United States.
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"Joke – noun 1. something said or done to provoke laughter or cause amusement, as a witticism, a short and amusing anecdote, or prankish act," he wrote later on that evening. "hu·mor·less (hymr-ls) adj. 1. Lacking a sense of humor. 2. Said or done without humor."
The pop singer issued a statement the next day to make sure he had gotten his point across.
"I obviously love my country very much and my comments last night were made purely out of frustration," he told Us Weekly. "Being a part of The Voice, I am passionately invested in my team and want to see my artists succeed. Last night's elimination of Judith and Sarah was confusing and downright emotional for me and my comments were made based on my personal dissatisfaction with the results."
Levine's final contestant in the competition, country singer-turned-rocker Amber Carrington, will face off against the remaining finalists from Team Usher, Team Shakira and Team Blake in the coming weeks.
