Zac Brown Band passed up for Super Bowl halftime cameo

Fans of the Zac Brown Band will be disappointed to learn the group hailing from the host city of Atlanta won't be a surprise guest when Maroon 5, Travis Scott and Big Boi take the stage Sunday night.

But Zac Brown, lead singer of the three-time Grammy-winning group, told CNN that the band was actually in the running to do just that.

"I wish that was true (that we'd be performing)," he said. "It was between us and another band, and they choose the other band. But that's OK, whatever it is. I wish (it was us), I'm pretty sure it's not me," Brown laughed.

There's been some controversy surrounding this year's halftime performance due to former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's ongoing dispute with the NFL over his decision to kneel during the National Anthem in a protest over social injustice and police brutality.

Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine said in an interview Thursday with "Entertainment Tonight" that the decision to perform at Super Bowl LIII was not something he took lightly.

"I spoke to many people," he said, "most importantly though, I silenced all the noise and listened to myself, and made my decision about how I felt."

Maroon 5 letting Super Bowl show speak for itself

Although the Zac Brown Band won't be taking the stage this weekend, the group does have some big things on the horizon, including "The Owl Tour," which kicks off May 25 in Indianapolis and an upcoming album. Tickets for the tour goes on sale February 8 on its website.

Brown said the album, which will be the band's seventh studio release, will touch on some of his recent life changes, including separating from his wife of 12 years.

"Yeah, there's some really personal songs on here," Brown said. "Sometimes life can be challenging in facing things that are hard, and music has always been my therapy. It's been my way to make it through a lot of things so I'm blessed to be able to do that. You always get to hear about our lives in the music that we put out -- lots of diversity on this album."

Even though he won't be on the Super Bowl stage this time, Brown will be at the game Sunday, and he's got a sweet spot for both teams.

"I would love to see the Rams and the young energy as they come to be able to topple the real champions," the singer said, "but I also love to see an undeniable champion that has not been dethroned and performing on that level."