Levine, the tenor-to-falsetto Maroon 5 frontman, has let us in on his tattoos by whipping his shirt off at a variety of public events. Read on for insights and details into how his body art evolution through the years and across nearly 30 pieces of ink.
Adam Levine is the quintessential California Bro of the new millennium. After a quick flop with his first band, he formed the band Maroon 5 in 2001 and released the wildly popular Songs About Jane the following year.
Maroon 5 and its lead singer have gone on to earn multiple Grammy’s, American Music Awards, People’s Choice Awards, Teen Choice Awards, Billboard Music Awards and a prestigious Wold Music Award back in 2004.
Levine also headlined the Super Bowl LIII halftime show during 2019. Levine’s shirtless performance with superstar rapper Big Boi leaving critics divided, Twitter on fire, and telephone switchboard across the US lit up, bringing back memories of Janet Jackson’s nipple gate.
How many tattoos does Adam Levine have?
Although several of Adam Levine’s tattoos have developed, morphed or disappeared entirely over the years – more on that later – his current number of tattoo pieces sits somewhere in the high twenties.
1. Cherry Blossoms/Roses/Doves – Left Arm Sleeve
Reported to be Levine’s very first tattoo, the intricately beautiful piece of blackwork adorning his left arm was a memorial piece in reaction to the tragedies of 9/11. The singer wanted something peaceful, and ink doesn’t come more peaceful than doves and flowers! The design extends into a sleeve down to Levine’s wrist from his shoulder.
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2. Sunflower/Tiger/Mom – Right Arm Sleeve
Once an embellished sunflower – called a cabbage by a cynical Twitter user – on Levine’s right shoulder and right chest, this tattoo has morphed and developed over the years into a full sleeve. It now sports an eye in the center, and the area has been extensively added to form an intricately detailed blackwork sleeve.
In constructing the sleeve Levine left his sweet, old-school “Mom” tattoo front and center on his right forearm. The sleeve also encompasses a traditional Tibetan tiger – inspired by a book of Tibetan drawings that caught Levine’s eye – crouching at Levine’s elbow.
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3. Love & Family Tattoos – Various Placements
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Levine has Noah Levine – his middle and last names, inked on his ribcage. His wife Behati Prinsloo, a former Victoria’s Secret model, apparently cured the singer of his “no hands” tattoo rule, for he now sports “True Love” across his knuckles. There’s also a sweet flower etched at the base of his left thumb.
The couple also got matching quotes from cult classic film True Romance. Levine’s quote (they both read “you’re so cool” three times over) is inside his right bicep, while Prinsloo’s is on her left ribcage.
On Levine’s chest and left pec, he sports an old-school gypsy-carnival style hand holding a rose; the hand sports another “true love” declaration. Near the hand is a beautiful winged cherub, and close by are Old English letter which appear to be the initials of his daughter, named Dusty Rose.
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4. Los Angeles/California Tattoos – Abdomen & Shoulder
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Levine has had “Los Angeles” tattooed on his shoulder for many years in homage to his birthplace; rendered in a crisp, classic script. More recently, he added a large, bold traditional arched “California” on his stomach.
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5. Numbers – Left Arm
Levine has the number 222 inked on his left inner bicep. This was the number of the studio in which Maroon 5 first recorded. Higher up, nearly in the singer’s underarm area, is the roman numeral X, commemorating Maroon 5’s tenth anniversary.
6. Sacred Heart & Flower – Neck
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On the right side of Levine’s neck, the Sacred Heart is hard to miss. Done in blackwork like all of the singer’s tattoos, this intricately detailed work represents the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is ringed with a crown of thorns, pierced with a sword, flaming and surrounded by a halo-like spears of light.
A surprisingly delicate flower is inked on the left side of his neck. Although applied in pure blackwork, it fits in beautifully with the rest of his pieces. It’s surmised to be a Golden Poppy – the state flower of California.
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7. Diamonds, Beast & Family – Necklace & Shoulder
One of Levine’s more enigmatic tattoos is a beaded necklace obtained from a tattoo artist in Japan. The singer has alluded to not really having a reason for the ink, further indicating he doesn’t feel the need to put meaning behind all of his body art.
Nearby, a pair of shaded traditional diamonds grace each shoulder, an unnamed beast sits below his necklace, and the word “Family” in delicate script nestles just inside the ring of beads.
8. Sanskrit Script – Collarbone
The short piece of Sanskrit text on Levine’s collarbone translates to tapas. Having a very different meaning in Sanskrit from the delicious ‘small-plates’ Spanish meals, this tattoo represents Levine’s deep love for yoga and the positive changes it has brought to his life.
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9. Guitar – Left Forearm
Not much deep thought required for this one – in addition to being an incredible singer, Levine is also quite talented on the guitar.
10. Shark & Eagle – Torso
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The formidable eagle gracing the bottom of Levine’s ribcage is placed beautifully in proportion to his pecs and defined abs. The shark on his right ribcage is in homage to an animal which Levine finds endearing. Instead of fearing sharks, as some online gossip sites report, Levine is actually quite interested in the animals and finds them fascinating.
11. Woman/Lion/Butterfly – Abdomen
Adam’s tattoos make it clear he’s a huge fan of old-school tattoo design and the simple beauty of blackwork – the super bowl halftime show was evidence of that! These are both evidenced on his lower torso. A mysterious woman who could be described as a carnival fortuneteller, a ferocious lion and a slightly tribal-inspired butterfly march across Levine’s abdomen in a wonderfully random line.
12. Pinup/Dog Paw print Tattoo – Past Back Ink
The most obvious piece of Levine’s ink evolution were once to be found on his back. He had an old-school pinup girl on his left shoulder blade, and a life-size paw print tattoo on his right. The name “Frankie Girl” was inked under the paw print, in memory of a beloved golden retriever. These tats are no longer with us, however, and have been replaced by – we saved the best for last – Levine’s truly massive and hugely intricate backpiece.
13. Mermaid Tattoo – Current Back Piece Cover Up
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Covering up his two previous back tattoo so seamlessly as to render them invisible, Levine’s current back tattpp piece – inked over six months by tattoo artist Bryan Randolph – is truly a work of art. Reportedly requiring over sixty hours of work and teased by the singer in many cheeky online posts before its debut, this bold, black American traditional tattoo style piece is huge.
The main focus of the ink is the mermaid tattoo. Not just any mermaid, of course, but a winged mermaid cradling a skull. At the very top of the design is an embellished ship’s wheel, which was the only previous piece of back art not obliterated by the current design. Within the mermaid scene, an old-fashioned clipper ship is visible, a sun hovers at the horizon and the skies are expertly shaded to add depth and cover previous work.
Levine’s tattoo is framed by an intricate, almost delicate design, then accented at the bottom by a flower. Finishing the tattoo off to sheer perfection is a flock of swallows. These uber old-school birds frame the design are large enough to extend the entirety of the piece almost onto his sides.
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A Curated Collection of Eccentricity
Adam Levine’s tattoo collection ignores trendy styles. The illustrated frontman plays it cool old-school and pure blackwork traditional designs. Of course, old-school style is trendy in and of itself, but the man has a truly vintage vibe without an ounce of hipster pseudo-cool.
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