- Welcome back to the Deep Discog Dive. It's the best time of the year when I break free of societal confines and talk about music that people hate. When I'm thrown in jail, I hope the crime that
people remember me for is speaking my truth, not the arson. Who am I talking about today? I actually don't know yet. Let's go looking for
inspiration in my Instagram DMs. Oh whoa, Adam Levine
DM'ed me, let's see why. (upbeat music) Well, on the bright side, Adam's next kid is gonna be
named Deep Discog
Dive Levine. Today we're talking about Maroon 5. Let's dive in. (upbeat music) - Jesse just died. - We begin this story
at the Brentwood School in Los Angeles. Four students in the mid
90s decided to start a band, Adam Levine, Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden, and Ryan Dusick. Their first gig was at The
Whisky A Go Go in 1995. After a few more gigs,
they were discovered by producer Tommy Allen and
songwriter John DiNicola. You might know the latter as the guy who wrote "I've
Had The Time of My Li
fe" from "Dirty Dancing." These high school boys
recorded an entire album with the duo, and it got them
signed by Reprise Records. Though they did end up
re-recording this album with a new producer. And so we got their instant classic, the official debut studio
album by Kara's Flowers. (upbeat music) In August 1997, Kara's Flowers
released "The Fourth World." Oh sorry, were you expecting
the first album by Maroon 5? Come on, they couldn't be Maroon 5 yet, there was only four of them! It's not li
ke you'd confuse
them for Maroon 5 either. Kara's Flowers had put out one
self-released album in 1995 called "We Like Digging?" And it's a grunge record of all things! Take a second to ponder
the alternate universe where Adam Levine was Kurt Cobain and then weep for the angel that just died by your impure thoughts. That album's available to listen
to on YouTube if you want, but you don't have to. "The Fourth World," on the other hand, is more standard 90s alternative rock. It was even produced b
y Rob Cavallo, most famous for his work on
Green Day's biggest albums. But "The Fourth World" isn't as rowdy as "Welcome to Paradise" or "Basket Case." It's definitely more
polished and pop-friendly. Adam and Jesse are the only
credited songwriters on here, and already they were showing a good knack for writing catchy tracks. "Future Kid" and "Pantry Queen" deliver great dynamic contrast. "Soap Disco" and "Myself" are lean, mean, Adam Levine machines that could
fit well on 90s rock radio. "My Oc
ean Blue" starts
like a cute acoustic ditty, and ends with a ripping blues solo. ♪ Me, my darling Jane ♪ Huh, wow, a song about Jane. They should do more of those. The band also makes room for
solid string arrangements on "The Never Saga," "To Her With Love," and the grand finale that
is "Captain Splendid." While I did enjoy my
"Fourth World" listens, I would not say this is
some long lost classic. It is a good album, perfunctory even! Any less than positive
feelings I have about it are more due
to ambivalence. I've heard this sound done before and done with more pizzazz. I've even heard it done better by the other bands that
Rob Cavallo's produced for. Though if there's one solid
thing holding back this album, it's Adam's voice. Now Adam Levine's got a good voice on him, which will be made clear in the future, but I don't think his upper register works for this style of music. His voice just sounds
too clean for my taste. Look, it's fine! "The Fourth World" is a
totally fine rock albu
m, but I'm not gonna pretend
like we'd be remembering it if these guys didn't go
on to make "Animals." Had their story ended here,
you would find this album in a record store's 99 cent CD bin, sandwiched between 20
copies of "Be Here Now." And the general public of 1999 agreed because this album flopped. (upbeat music) "The Fourth World" sold only 5,000 copies. Maybe it was due to the
band's sound not doing enough to stand out in the rock world. Or maybe it was the fact
that the lead single was
called "Soap Disco." Oh yeah, the lead single
was called "Soap Disco." Six months after the album, Kara's Flowers got dropped by Reprise. Their last official release was "Yesterday When I Was Handsome." What's interesting about this song is that it was the band's
contribution to a tribute album for the late Mykel and Carli Allen. If those names sound familiar, it's because they were the
heads of the Weezer fan club during the Blue and Pinkerton days. I curse God for creating so
few degrees of se
parations between Maroon 5 and Weezer. The withering of Kara's Flowers happened just as the band was about
to go off to college. Ryan and Mickey went to
UCLA, and Adam and Jesse traveled to Long Island to
study at Five Towns College. While at Five Towns, Adam and
Jessie started to be inspired by the urban sound of the east coast. They would later cite Aaliyah's
"Are You That Somebody" as a guiding influence
on their later music. I don't see it, purely because
they have yet to make a song samplin
g a baby's coo. (upbeat music) The boys reunited on
the west coast in 2001, with the intent of
getting back into music, but moving away from their alt rock past. They recorded demos
with producer Tim Sommer and shopped them around, with
most labels rejecting it. Eventually they hooked
the label Octone Records. They were fans of the demos, one song in particular
that I'll touch on later. Octone execs flew out to
see Kara's Flowers perform, which sealed the deal for them. Kara's Flowers was once a
gain on a label, but not without some changes. For one, they thought Adam
had a lot of potential as a frontman, so they pushed
to bring in a fifth member so Adam could focus solely on vocals. They also recommended a name change to help distance the band
from their alt-rock roots. The band agreed to both changes. James Valentine joined
as the new guitarist, and they settled on the name Maroon 5. No one from the band has ever said exactly where the name came from, with Adam even saying
he would ne
ver reveal it due to how horrendous the origin story is. And here I was thinking it
was Adam's favorite color and the number of guys in the band. Regardless, Maroon 5 was
a five-person band now and there was nothing we can do about it. Maroon 5 set up shop at Rumbo Recorders with producer Matt Wallace, most well known for producing
the big Faith No More records. Adam and Jesse once again did
the bulk of the songwriting, with Adam writing many of the lyrics about an ex-girlfriend named Jane. Oh w
hat, you think you
could pick a better name? In June 2002, Maroon 5 made their debut with "Songs About Jane." And man, when you think of
fondly remembered albums from the 2000s, this one
is definitely up there. So many people speak
so highly of this one. They consider it a 2000s
classic of pop rock and R&B. And allow me to raise
my voice with that crowd and say... really? Okay look, musical opinion is subjective. It is valid if you love this
album, so on and so forth. But like, I can't help but
feel like the retrospective
reappraisal of this album is some kind of Stockholm Syndrome considering what Maroon
5 eventually turned into. Look guys, in the grand scheme of things, Maroon 5 becoming what they
are today is not that bad. When we as a species
are tried for our crimes in the kingdom of heaven, God will probably focus on
the atom bomb and Ticketmaster way before he even gets to Maroon 5. In my opinion, "Songs About
Jane" is not a classic. What it is though is a solid album carried by
some great singles. The chemistry between the band first seen on "The Fourth World" is still here, and they do well adapting that chemistry to this new soulful pop sound. Plus, Adam's voice fits much better here than it did on "The Fourth
World," and his lyrics have grown to fit Maroon 5's early
worldview on relationships, their credo if you will,
which boiled down to... My partner is a vindictive abuser. We are in a deeply unhealthy relationship that makes us both worse as people, but the sex
is just so good! That worldview is best shown on the album's biggest song, "This Love." ♪ This love has taken its toll on me ♪ I don't even know if I can
be unbiased with this song. The amount of times I
heard it on 95.5 The River in the early 2000s is countless. Thankfully though, I'm not
entirely sick of it yet. It's still got a great groove and a hell of an ear worm hook. Speaking of insane airplay,
"She Will Be Loved." It's a song about caring for someone who's trapped in an abusive relation
ship, a meaning that is emphasized
by the music video. Though I don't entirely
get why Adam Levine is cheating on his girlfriend
with her abused mom, and also it's "The
White Lotus" season two? I'm confused there. "Harder to Breathe" is
a great opening track. Still might be the most aggressive thing Maroon 5 has made to this
day, with Adam's sneering, vindictive performance
selling the hell out of it. Same deal with "Not Coming Home," as Adam finally put his foot down and leaves an abusive partn
er. "Not Coming Home" is the
best deep cut on here in my opinion. The rest are fine, with other
highlights being "Shiver," "Must Get Out," and the
closer "Sweetest Goodbye." Also shout out to "The Sun,"
a song where Adam questions the difficulties of life to his mom, and she responds as if the sun
will soon consume them all. ♪ She said the battle's almost won ♪ ♪ And we're only several
miles from the sun ♪ Adam's mom and Gerard Way's
dad would be great together. There's one more song about
Jane
I wanna bring up, "Sunday Morning." I know we're still early
in Maroon 5's life, but this is their best song. ♪ That may be all I need ♪ Remember when I said the Octone executives were really impressed by one
Maroon 5 demo in particular? That was "Sunday Morning." In contrast with most of the record, "Sunday Morning" is
just a really sweet song about wanting to be back
with the person you love. It's a simple idea, with a great composition
and great performances. Love it. "Songs About Jane" may n
ot
be a stone cold classic, in my opinion, but it's still deserving
of a positive reputation. If nothing else, it's
the only Maroon 5 album to have this scrappy,
upstart spirit to it. Maroon 5 was just some band
who made a pretty good album. (upbeat music) "Songs about Jane" was not
a big success at first. Reviews ranged from positive to lukewarm, and sales were modest at best. But it started getting more
attention, thanks to radio play, consistent touring, and
knowing the right people. Around t
his time, a college
friend of James Valentine's was getting his own big break, and he invited Maroon 5 to
join him on tour in 2003. They also joined tours
for tons of other artists, like Michelle Branch,
Sugar Ray, the Hives, Counting Crows, and
even The Rolling Stones. Wow, that Mick Jagger sure
has some moves, doesn't he? The turning point for
Maroon 5 came in 2004. All of their hard work paid off as "Songs About Jane" hit its peak at number six on the Billboard Top 200. It went on to be one o
f the biggest albums of that entire year, netting four songs in the
top half of the Hot 100 and earning the band a
Grammy for Best New Artist. The band's first release in a post "Songs About Jane"
world was in July 2005, a cover of Sly and the Family
Stone's "Everyday People" for a cover/remix album. That same year, Adam Levine
also started doing collabs with other artists on his own. For example... ♪ And I heard 'em say ♪ ♪ Nothing's ever promised tomorrow today ♪ I am still baffled at
how this
song exists, like I'm gonna have to explain
this to my kids one day. Don't get me wrong, "Heard 'Em Say: from Kanye
West's "Late Registration" is a great track. What I always get hung up on
though is I just don't think this song could have happened
at any other point in history. It sure couldn't happen
now with Adam Levine fighting for his life
in the DMs and Kanye... September 2005 saw the release
of their first live album, "Live - Friday the 13th." 2006 saw only one release by the band, a Cub
an rendition of "She Will Be Loved" with Rhythms del Mundo. This is super neat on the
surface, but after listening, I'm almost positive it's
the exact same vocal track with a new arrangement. But somehow that wasn't
the biggest development for the band this year. You see, because of
their constant touring, Ryan Dusick started to have
an old sports injury flare up. And in September 2006, he left the band for the
sake of his own health The remaining members
quickly brought in Matt Flynn as a repla
cement. Don't worry though, Ryan
was given the credit of Musical Director on
the band's second album. Oh right, they've gotta
make a second album! Maroon 5 recorded their sophomore record in multiple California studios,
and with multiple producers like Mark Stent, Mark
Enders, and Mike Elizondo. You might recognize Mike as a producer for Eminem and Dr. Dre. And regular viewers of the
Deep Discog Dive will know him as the producer for Fiona
Apple's "Extraordinary Machine." These degrees of separa
tion
are pissing me off. Maroon 5 released their
second album in May 2007, "It Won't Be Soon Before Long." And there's two sides to
this album-shaped coin. The first side is where Maroon
5 takes the soul of Jane and pushes it further into funk. For example, "Makes Me
Wonder," which okay, maybe this is the best song
Maroon 5 has ever made. ♪ Give me something to believe in ♪ ♪ 'Cause I don't believe in you ♪ I know I said this many minutes
ago that "Sunday Morning" is Maroon 5's best song. And li
ke most statements I
make this many minutes ago, I stand by it. But "Makes Me Wonder" is
not only a close second, but it's more representative
of the band's sound. Adam crooning about his
lost faith in a relationship with one of the best melodies
they've ever written. It also happens to be, and I didn't know this until
doing research into the band, but this song is, and I
am not making this up. I am not reading into it too much, this comes directly from
Adam Levine himself. "Makes Me Wonder" is
apparently a subtle protest of the Iraq War? Apparently Adam wrote it
as he was losing faith in his own country, but frankly, there's no way you're
gonna pick up on that just from the song. It's like if Steve Lacy wrote Bad Habit about Jet Force Gemini
and you could only tell because he says Gemini in it. Other standouts in this same
funky vain include the opener "If I Never See Your
Face Again" and "Kiwi." But on the other side of the coin, Maroon 5 reel back from soul and go into a softer,
bal
lad-focused direction. A lot of these songs seem to be modeled after "She Will Be Loved," so much so that they veer
right into adult contemporary. It's like the band saw
Snow Patrol and Coldplay during the mid 2000s and
decided to mine for gold there. Truth be told, this isn't
really where Maroon 5 is strongest in my opinion. Though not every one of
these softer tracks are bad. I do enjoy "Nothing Lasts Forever," especially its familiar chorus. ♪ The distance between us
makes it so hard to stay
♪ ♪ But nothing lasts forever ♪ ♪ But be honest babe ♪ I also enjoy the single
"Won't Go Home Without You." I think that gets the closest to nailing the appeal
of "She Will Be Loved." I should also mention that
this coin has a third side, which is just a gun. Because we've got, in my opinion, the first all-out clunker
in Maroon 5's catalog, "Wake Up Call." The songwriting is okay, but the performances feel too laid back for a song about shooting a man who's having an affair
with your girlfriend.
♪ Six foot tall ♪ ♪ Came without a warning,
so I had to shoot him dead ♪ Adam's lyrics and delivery
do not help either. Adam Levine as scorned lover, I can buy. Adam as emotionally charged
murderer, absolutely not. "It Won't Be Soon Before
Long" is one step forward, one step back for Maroon 5. There are good songs worth
checking out on here, but this is probably the
weakest early Maroon 5 album. (upbeat music) Despite the album's title, it was not long before this
new album became a success. It
debuted at number one
on the Billboard Top 200, and "Makes Me Wonder" became the band's first number one hit. The year after "Soon Before Long," as Maroon 5 were touring the world, we got a re-recorded version of "If I Never See Your Face
Again" with Rihanna, nice. It was also during this tour that the band started
writing their third album. Maroon 5 shipped out to Vevey, Switzerland for two months of recording. Only one producer this time
though, Robert John Mutt Lange, most well known for
AC/
DC's "Back in Black" and Shania Twain's "Come On Over." In September 2010, we
got "Hands All Over." ♪ I am in misery ♪ Things kick off with lead single "Misery," which is still one of their best songs. It feels like the 2010
pop update of "This Love." "Misery" also has a great video. A tongue-in-cheek romp as Adam Levine gets the crap beaten out
of him by a supermodel. I always get a kick out of this
bit when she stabs his hand and he's just like... - [Speaker] I feel like
thinking about somethi
ng, but I don't know what. - While we're on the topic of good songs, the second track "Give
A Little More" is good. Screw that actually, it's great! Killer groove from the
band, great vocals by Adam. My god, are we in for a great album? There are plenty of highlights here. The aforementioned funk
of "Give A Little More," the sick breakdown on
"Get Back In My Life," ♪ You ignore me cause I'm
always coming back to you. ♪ ♪ Coming back to you ♪ The Motown inspired throwbacks of "Don't Know Nothing"
and "I Can't Lie," the soaring balladry of
"Never Gonna Leave This Bed," the sweet closer "Out
of Goodbyes" with Lady formerly known as Antebellum. If there's any time
when the album falters, it's when it tries its hand at overblown stadium rock on
"Stutter" and the title track. They feel forced to me. Also, what is this comic book effect on "Hands All Over's" music video, weird. Anyway, aside from those two songs, I think "Hands All Over"
is their best album. Sure, "Songs About Jane" made thei
r career and it has the underdog spirit, but Hands feels like the
best possible intersection of Maroon 5's soul and pop at large. But even with the attempts
at updating their sound, "Hands All Over" was the
first Maroon 5 record to commercially underperform. It did debut at number two
on the Billboard Top 200, but with sales equaling a
third of "Soon Before Long." And the singles were not not hits, but nothing got in the
top 10 of the Hot 100. In fact, so far, Maroon 5's journey is
reminding me
of The Strokes. Yeah yeah, hear me out on this. First album establishes a winning sound and catapults the band to major success in their respective genre. Second album retreads that sound while adding enough new
tweaks to stay fresh. Third album tries to modernize their sound and gain a bigger audience
but underperforms. Of course, there is one major difference that is about to come into play. The closest the Strokes
got to any sort of hit song with their third album was "Juicebox," and even the
n it only
got to 98 on the Hot 100. Maroon 5, on the other
hand, took a different path. (upbeat music) Like I said, "Hands All Over" didn't sell as well as "Soon Before Long." And reports suggested
that this underperformance spooked the band. They had big expectations
for the third album and those expectations were just not met. - The third is when
it's like, not a fluke. The third record does really well and the third record, you know, people want your songs on the
radio and they want, you know
, you're part of the culture still. I think your third record makes
it officially not a fluke. You know, we've had a really good run and hopefully it'll continue
forever, but you know, the third record does
kinda permanently mark you in a weird way. At least that's how I feel. - It really seemed like
they were considering calling it quits after
this, but they didn't. They did something else. Now, I am about to commit
a truly heinous act. I am going to play devil's advocate for Maroon 5 selling o
ut. First off, selling out is a dumb phrase and I don't like using it. I don't fault any artist for recognizing they have something good on their hands and wanting to get that out
to as many people as possible. But I also get concerns
about how an artist might start valuing numerical
or financial metrics over artistic integrity. Following "Hands All Over,"
Maroon 5 wanted a hit. They just wanted a hit. And in order to make it happen, for the first time in their career, they brought in two outsid
e songwriters, Benny Blanco and Shellback. Now, I think bringing
in outside songwriters has a negative stigma. Many times when people
complain about a pop song they don't like, they point
to how many writers it had. There's this idea that an
artist's vision is purest when unencumbered by any other force, and bringing in more people to realize it is a sign of corruption. And sure, there are examples
that support that viewpoint like Weezer's "Raditude," But there are also times
when it works well.
Taylor Swift would soon
be doing it in a few years and that record is one of her best. Granted, Maroon 5 could've
stuck to their guns and continued to release
soul and funk-influenced pop. But like, let's be real with
the benefit of hindsight, Maroon 5 circa 2010 was not
long for this world, ya know? Consider what pop music sounded like at the turn of the decade. It was club anthems, EDM, songs about partying
like there's no tomorrow. Maroon 5 didn't make music like that. Were we expecting them
to
keep doing the same thing with rapidly diminishing results? By the end of the 2010s, they
would've either broken up or been relegated to the realm of bands like The Fray or Daughtry
or Plain White Ts. And sure, we may have
plenty of negative things to say about Maroon 5 today, but when's the last time you
had anything at all to say about The Fray or Daughtry
or Plain White Ts? My point is, on the surface,
Maroon 5 did something that many great bands did before them. They adapted with the tim
es. So what did they make? On June 21, 2011, Maroon 5
released "Moves Like Jagger." ♪ Take me by the tongue
and I'll know you ♪ The big narrative about this song is how much of a turning
point it was for Maroon 5. When most bands change their sound, it usually takes a few
albums, a long break, a major member leaving or joining. But Maroon 5 were one thing,
"Moves Like Jagger" came out, and then they were something else. When it comes to its overall production, yeah, I can see where people
are co
ming from with that. But the more I thought about
it, the more I realized, it's not actually that far out from what the band was
doing around this time. What's really different here? The percussion sounds more forceful, the whistle hook is a
new touch for the band, the overall production
comes off as more synthetic. Oh wait a second, it's the filter effect. Aw, that's why everyone
thought they sold out. But considering we just came off of songs like "Hands All Over" and
"Get Back in My Life," I
don't think this sticks out too much. However, I think the area that has seen the most visible shift is the lyrics. Now, older Maroon 5 lyrics
were not gonna win Pulitzers, but they had a singular energy to them as defined by the Maroon 5 credo. "Moves Like Jagger" has
some very dumb lyrics that do not actually make
sense if you stop to listen. At best, it doesn't matter and you can just have fun
singing along to them. At worst, they make you
feel like the writers are trying to just put
in words
to meet a quota. This phenomenon actually
makes a bit of sense though. Shellback happens to be a protege of songwriter supreme Max Martin, who also has a noted history
of lyrics that are fun to sing, but questionably nonsensical. Why are the first words- ♪ Just shoot for the stars ♪ ♪ If it feels right,
then aim for my heart ♪ What is Adam Levine
implying about the location of his heart in relation to outer space? There's also the fact that this came out during that one time in history when eve
ry songwriter just
needed to mention Mick Jagger. ♪ All these girls, they like my swagger ♪ ♪ They call me Mick Jagger ♪ ♪ Swagger Jagger, Swagger Jagger ♪ ♪ Now the dudes are lining up ♪ ♪ 'Cause they hear we've got swagger ♪ ♪ But we kick 'em to the curb ♪ ♪ Unless they look like Mick Jagger ♪ Bonus points to Maroon
5 for not rhyming Jagger with swagger though. Oh, also Christina Aguilar is on here. She's fine, but she also gets her own
questionably dumb lyrics. ♪ But if I share my secret,
you
're gonna have to keep it ♪ What is the secret that you
have to hide, Christina? Is it that you two have
the Moves like Jagger? At this rate, the Moves like Jagger will infect the entire country. Jokes aside though, "Moves like Jagger" is a
perfectly fine pop song. Adam would later say
that "Moves Like Jagger" revived Maroon 5. I suppose we'll find out
soon if that's a good thing. ♪ Moves like jagger ♪ (audience applauding) (upbeat music) Following "Moves Like
Jagger's" immediate success, July 2
011 saw a re-release
of "Hands All Over" with MLJ added on. This alone got "Hands All Over" back to the top of the charts. Maroon 5 was popular yet again, but at a heightened level
never seen before by the band. It was good timing too. Their profile also rose that
year due to Adam Levine's guest spot on Gym Class
Heroes' "Stereo Hearts." ♪ Now you're changing my mind ♪ ♪ My heart's a stereo ♪ And on top of that, Adam became a judge on the all-new singing
competition show, The Voice. I know it's
a bit of a meme these days, but 2011 really was the turning point when Adam Levine became a
separate entity from Maroon 5. In January 2012, James
Valentine released an album with JJAMZ, a collection
of session musicians from other bands. He would later leave, and the band would
rename itself as Phases. Speaking of band members
leaving, in March 2012, Jesse Carmichael announced
a break from the band. In his place, PJ Morton got promoted from touring keys player
to full time member. Also let me ta
ke a second to say, PJ Morton has a whole bunch
of records to his name outside of Maroon 5, and they're packed with
great soul and gospel music. Seriously, if you only take away one thing from this entire video, let it be that PJ Morton's solo
stuff is worth checking out. Jesse's absence meant that
Maroon 5's fourth album would be the first not to feature him. But fret not, because along with PJ, the band got help from every big producer and songwriter in 2012. Max Martin as executive producer,
Shellback, Benny Blanco, Ryan Tedder, JR Rotem, Damon Albarn. Wait, Damon Albarn wrote a Maroon 5 song? Why? (upbeat music) Okay so there is a bonus
track called "Wipe Your Eyes." It samples a song by a Malian
duo named Amadou & Mariam, and that song was
co-written by Damon Albarn. So yes, the man who made Feel
Good Inc and Clint Eastwood is technically a writer
on a Maroon 5 song. The leading mantra for
this album seemed to be let's try to make "Moves Like
Jagger" 10 times in a row. The band ex
posed themselves
to new collaborators, though one might say
they became overexposed. - [Narrator] The missile
knows what it is at all times. - In June 2012, Maroon 5
released "Overexposed." The songs this time are of course coated with early 2010s pop production, but I'm willing to say
that some of these songs still have that maroon shade. "Payphone," fox example,
was the lead single and it continues the
trend of Maroon 5 songs about failing relationships. I even like how it uses
the metaphor of
a payphone to signify how this relationship
has become antiquated. Wiz Khalifa, what do you
think of this situation? ♪ Man, (beep) that (beep) ♪ Thank you Wiz, I love you. "One More Night" is another reflection of the Maroon 5 credo. It's also the biggest song on the record, getting to number one on the Hot 100. I also get to bring up a
favorite bit of trivia. "One More Night" being number
one in late summer 2012 meant that it kept Psy's "Gangnam Style" from reaching number one. That's right, t
his one Maroon
5 song you haven't heard in years technically
made more of an impact on popular culture than "Gangnam Style." "Daylight" is fine. Okay, inoffensive even. "Love Somebody" is... Okay, I can't do it for this one. I don't like this song. Maybe there are worse songs
in Maroon 5's catalog, but god, none of them annoy
me as much as this one. I swear every lyrical cliche
possible is in here somewhere. There is not a single original line. Oh, this girl takes you
all the way there, Adam? Wh
ere does she take you,
an In & Out off of Route 1? The deep cuts are a mixed bag, "Lucky Strike" and "The
Man Who Never Lied" with their millennial whoop chorus. God, remember when people thought wordless chorus
hooks were ruining pop music? "Ladykiller" and "Doin'
Dirt" are the closest things production-wise to past
Maroon 5's soul-pop. "Sad" is just sad. Man, this thing is all over the place. Any semblance of
coherency from past albums is sacrificed for the
goal of chart domination. Some good
songs for sure, but not worth a front-to-back listen. (upbeat music) So did Maroon 5 get 10
more "Moves Like Jaggers?" No, but 4 out of 10 isn't terrible. All four of the singles off "Overexposed" landed in the top 10 of the Hot 100. And the album as a whole sold damn well. Reviews were mixed for sure though, with several critics lambasting this blatant attempt to go pop. Bit still, Maroon 5 were
on top of the world. In October 2012, Adam
scored his first TV role in "American Horror Story: Asylu
m." This was your chance to see
Adam get brutally murdered. That same month, Jesse
announced he would return after the tour for "Overexposed." And with PJ staying, that meant Maroon 5 were
no longer five guys. It's okay, it's fine, I'm already over it. In April 2013, Adam wrote a
song with Ludwig Gorranson for the puppet episode of Community. This doesn't really have any
bearing on anything to come, I just think it's very
funny that Adam Levine had anything to do with Community. About a year lat
er, Maroon 5 left Octone
and joined Interscope. The puppet song must've been
the last straw for somebody. In June 2014, Adam Levine
landed another big acting role, this time in the film "Begin Again." And look, I know we all
like to rag on Adam Levine, but being real here, he is
pretty good in this movie. He plays this hot-shot musician who cheats on Keira Knightly. The movie itself is good too. It's a nice uplifting story about finding yourself through music. Adam even sang a song for
it called
"Lost Stars." And I have no issue
calling this a great song. And if you don't feel
comfortable saying that about a song sung by Adam
Levine, you should also know that it was written by the
frontman of the New Radicals. So you can focus on that bit. It's also Adam's first
song as a solo artist, unless you count his past collabs or the duets from The Voice. We got Maroon 5's fifth
album, "V," in August 2014. According to the band, the aim this time was to make an album, a real album's album. One
that wasn't afraid to go darker and to revisit the band's roots. "Maps" was the first single, and honestly, I don't think this one is half bad. A decent attempt at classic
Maroon 5 subject matter. I like that lil drum line bit right before the second
half of the chorus. ♪ So I'm following the
map that leads to you ♪ That said, I find it very
jarring how on the chorus, Adam says following like this. ♪ Following, following, following ♪ The emphasis on following is so annoying. I also don't get how
the music video is supposed to relate to the song. The song is about a partner who doesn't do enough in the relationship. The video is Adam kissing
a girl at a party, his girlfriend seeing it and getting mad, her running out and getting hit by a car, and Adam seeing her die in a hospital. Also it's structured like Memento. As I am editing this, I am now
realizing that in the video, Adam is the partner
who isn't doing enough. Is Maroon 5 being self critical right now? That feels like a big deal.
"Sugar" was the third single
and the album's biggest hit. I can't hate on it too much. It's basic, it's fun. It'll be on wedding playlists
for the foreseeable future. No harm, no foul. Shoutout to the music video, which is structured like
a YouTube challenge video. It even inspired a YouTube original series that was itself a set of
public challenge videos. I also do like "This Summer." It's dumb synth pop, but I
think it knows that it's dumb, and I'm down for that. I also think Adam uses his fa
lsetto well, especially on the pre-chorus. ♪ She really thinks that she can move ♪ ♪ But it's just nasty ♪ Where Adam doesn't use his
falsetto well is "Feelings." The production sounds like an
underrated Jamiroquai track, and then Adam shoots his
falsetto straight into you like a giant spike. ♪ I've got these feelings for you ♪ And while we're holding that
particular note, "Animals." ♪ Baby, I'm playing on you tonight ♪ ♪ Hunt you down, eat
you alive, just like ♪ The gumption, the audacity, the
tenacity. God is dead and Adam Levine's
auto tuned howl killed him. Listen guys, we don't
have to talk about it if you don't want to. I just hope that whatever
you were going through at this time that was causing you pain isn't hurting you anymore. "V" is definitely more
cohesive than "Overexposed," but I think it also loses some of that album's
more memorable moments. There's a bunch of deep cuts on "V" that I haven't mentioned,
but that's really because I don't have a lot to say about them. Th
e highs this time aren't as high, and the lows are actually quite high. (upbeat music) Maroon 5 were once again, as
the stock brokers would say, very successful. "V" debuted at number one on
the Billboard album charts, their first album to do so since 2007. Though once again, critical
reception was very mixed. Only a few minor things
between albums this time. Adam sang the chorus for R City's "Locked Away" in June 2015. September of that same year
saw the release of "Singles," their first greate
st hits album. An admirable collection, but an invalid one since
"Sunday Morning" isn't on it. Catch me with the boys Sunday MOURNING if you know what I mean. In 2016, good friend of the
band and Phantom Planet bassist Sam Farrar was confirmed
as an official member, meaning Maroon 5 was now a seven piece. (speaker groans) The new era of Maroon 5
kicked off in October 2016 with their single Don't Wanna Know. ♪ I don't wanna know, know, know ♪ ♪ Who's taking you home, home, home ♪ Wow, this song s
tinks. I've tried to see the positive
in all things Maroon 5 so far, but man, this is
probably their worst lead single. A tropical house track with
an uninterested performance by Adam all wrapped up in
a Pokémon Go parody video. Adam blows a guy up with
his psychic bug powers, what the hell. Not even a verse by
Kendrick Lamar can save it. The man who made the "Bad
Blood" remix passable couldn't escape Adam Levine! The second single "Cold"
dropped in February 2017. This one's better, but
I wouldn
't call it good. Future's on it, he's fine. But surprisingly slash thankfully, neither of those songs were included on the standard version
of their next album. In November 2017, Maroon 5
dropped "Red Pill Blues." You envy Adam Levine
for his rockstar life. I envy Adam Levine for
not knowing why red pills were relevant in 2017,
we are not the same. You might also notice the
Snapchat filters on the cover. The band said it was their fun little way of tapping into the zeitgeist. And their tapping d
oesn't
just end at Snapchat filters. "Red Pill Blues" sees the band venture into trap-influenced pop. This record has features from
ASAP Rocky, Lunchmoney Lewis, Cardi B, Kendrick and Future if you count the extra lead singles. I know this is a very low bar to clear, but could you imagine if Adam Levine was the one rapping on these songs? Instead, despite everything
leading up to it, I didn't hate this. I know, maybe I have a soft spot for this period of pop music, or maybe there just
aren't as
many low points as past albums. Don't get me wrong though,
there are still low points. Why in God's name you would release a song like "Lips On You" in 2017
of all years in beyond me, but then I remembered that God is dead. I also didn't care for "Whiskey," ASAP Rocky feature and all. But the rest of the album is acceptable and in some instances, okay. You ever complement something, but it still feels like an insult? "What Lovers Do" was
the first real single, and it's totally fine. Though I alw
ays mishear
the chorus like this. ♪ Been wishin' for you ♪ Please don't, Adam. SZA's on here, and I am always in favor
of SZA being on things. ♪ You gon' make me hit you
with that lay down, baby ♪ Yes SZA, please hit me
with that lay down baby. "Wait's" production is
by no means original, but it's certainly competent. It's also kinda nice
to hear a Maroon 5 song that doesn't bemoan a failed relationship, but actively wishes to
prevent it from failing. Again, not saying the
lyrics will win awards
, but it's a step forward. It also has an interesting,
if overactive music video that jumps between 16
different visual metaphors. Fellas, rule number one of relationships. When you wake up shirtless in a church, don't put the scorpion
on Alexandra D'Addario. "Who I Am" has a genuinely
enjoyable beat behind it. "Help Me Out" is bolstered by a decent Julia Michaels feature. The real big song, the
giganto moneymaker on here, is "Girls Like You." While the original album
includes this song, it was
the version with Cardi
B that became a massive hit. ♪ I need a girl like ♪ And it's fine! Look, the song is basic. It might be the most basic song Maroon 5 has made in a while. But basic things often work for a reason, a one to five, six four
progression in C Major works. Adam Levine singing with the
vaguest emotion possible works. The subtle rhythmic dexterity
in the chorus works. That said, at no point do I understand what makes a girl like
you a girl like you. The only qualifiers given are ro
lling around with guys
like Adam and having fun. You could apply that title to
nearly any living organism. In fact, I had never paid much
attention to the lyrics here, and some of them are just- ♪ But now it's all good, babe ♪ ♪ Roll that Backwood, babe ♪ ♪ And play me close ♪ What the hell does that mean? Okay, a Backwood is a brand of cigar that's often used to roll joints, so the rolling part makes sense. But play me close is an
expression meaning either to trick someone or
watch them attenti
vely. So is Adam telling you to
trick him out of his weed, or to watch him as he rolls it? Maybe he ignored the actual meaning and he's talking about
playing his music close, like get high and listen to Maroon 5? Maybe it's a euphemism for sex? It's probably a euphemism
for sex, let's move on. The guest verse by Cardi B is fine, but the part that always
gets me cracking up is this. ♪ I don't play when it comes to my heart ♪ ♪ Let's get it though ♪ It's such a random interjection that I can't hel
p but laugh at it. As you can see, earnings for Q4 are
slightly below projections due to unexpected shifts
in consumer behavior. Let's get it though. Also in the music video, why is Cardi B edited
with a bunch of jump cuts, but the background
footage stays consistent? It looks like she's breaking
out of the simulation. But beyond all of that, the
song on "Red Pill Blues" that is most worthy of
attention is actually "Closure," an 11 1/2 minute song, with two thirds of it
being an instrumental jam
. Honestly, best song on the whole record. Okay, maybe I'm just starved
for anything unexpected at this point, but this was
a genuinely nice surprise. It's also nice to be
reminded that Maroon 5 still fits the legal definition of a band. What I'm realizing at
this point in my dive is that Maroon 5 were doing this thing where they were using
the sounds of the time too late to be trailblazers, but not too late to come
off as totally embarrassing. In another universe, they'd be commended for bringi
ng in new sounds
and refusing to stay stagnant. Maybe that's also the
universe where Adam raps. (upbeat music) For the first time in their career, shortly after "Red Pill Blues," Maroon 5 was hit with a genuine tragedy. Their longtime manager
Jordan Feldstein passed away. This would not only shake
the band to its core, but it would also
influence their next album. Before that album though, in early 2019, Maroon 5 played the
Super Bowl halftime show with Travis Scott & Big Boi. My expectations ar
e not high
for halftime shows these days, and Maroon 5's was as middle
of the road as they come. God bless the gospel choir
that tried their darndest to put actual meaning
into "Girls Like You." Travis Scott was fine doing "Sicko Mode." Big Boi was fine doing "The Way You Move." Hell, you probably don't
even remember any of that. You probably just remember this show because they did "Sweet
Victory" for all of five seconds because the creator of
SpongeBob passed away and the internet wanted a tri
bute to him. Later in 2019, Adam popped up on Lil Dicky's climate
change anthem "Earth." He also appeared on a Joe Pesci album. I'll let you decide which one of these did more for climate change. The only big news in 2020
that wasn't they can't tour because everyone collectively
stubbed their toe was Mickey Madden
leaving the band in June. Oh, did he decide to take
a break like Jesse did? What the actual hell. In his place, we got Sam Farrar taking
over official bass duties. The final Maroon 5 s
ingle to
feature Mickey was "Memories." This one is pretty clearly a
tribute to their late manager, and regardless of the song's quality, it's a very nice gesture. The song itself is okay if confusing. I still don't fully get the
Pachabel's Canon interpolation, and the song never really
builds to anything. Frankly, I just prefer the
version sung by Peter Griffin. ♪ Here's to the ones that we've got ♪ ♪ Cheers to the wish you
were here, but you're not ♪ In May 2021, Maroon 5 released
their most r
ecent album as of this video, "JORDI." Again, the name is clearly
in reference to Jordan, and it gives the
impression that this album will reckon with the loss of
a dear partner and friend. Does that make it a step
above their past albums? Nah, this thing is rough. I'm sorry guys. I know this was named after a dead friend, but that's no reason to make
an album that's so lifeless. The trap-pop of the last
album is still here, but everything sounds like it's taken an ambien or two or 23. The opene
r "Beautiful Mistakes" Is basically their version
of 24kGoldn's "Mood." ♪ Why you always in a mood ♪ ♪ Messing around, acting brand now ♪ ♪ I ain't tryna tell you what to do ♪ I mean it, they are the same song. Megan Thee Stallion is on this, but honestly I would
much rather hear Megan call me a bitch and push me off a cliff. In fact, I was starting
to really think about this trend of big rappers
doing verses for Maroon 5. What is it about this band that makes them a weird rite
of passage for an
y big rapper? My only educated guess is that since Maroon 5 still
gets major radio airplay, folks like Kendrick and
Megan see their songs as a way of expanding their audience. The rest of the album varies
between weak and confusing. "Lost" is a middling retread of "Wait." "Remedy" wastes a Stevie Nicks feature. "Nobody's Love" came out back in 2020, which was a surprise to me
because I completely missed it. Also the last track on the deluxe version is a Jason Derulo song. Not a Maroon 5 song wit
h Jason Derulo, a Jason Derulo song
featuring Adam Levine, good. Despite all my negative
feelings about "JORDI," I do need to mention the positives. Or rather, the positive. There's a song on here called
"Convince Me Otherwise." It's a collab with H.E.R. It's a blatant ripoff of
Tame Impala, and it's good. It's not mind-blowing, it's
not some new brilliant sound, but it's good to a distressing level. If this inspires Maroon 5 to continue in that sonic direction, or even to collab with Kevin Park
er... I'm sorry in advance for
willing that into existence. "JORDI" is not great. I don't recommend its stagnant
blend of trap-pop to anyone. At this point, you could
probably chart the history and trajectory of pop
music from 2010 to now solely through Maroon 5, and I'm not sure if that's a compliment. Now, usually I would wrap
up this dive by explaining what the band's been up to
since their most recent record and then recommend albums
for you to check out. But I'm not satisfied yet. I want an
swers. I want to definitively
figure out why Maroon 5 is still a thing, even though
all possible evidence suggests that people don't like them anymore. I'd like to start by bringing
up a 2021 quote from Adam that got him into some controversy. He said, "Something unique to this band is that we have always
looked to hip-hop, R&B, all rhythmic forms of music, from back when we were writing
our first album to now. Rock music is nowhere, really. I don't know where it is. If it's around, no one's
inv
ited me to the party. All of the innovation
and the incredible things happening in music are in hip-hop. It's better than everything else. Hip-hop is weird and
avant-garde and flawed and real, and that's why people love it." Now there's two things I'd like to discuss when it comes to this statement. The first thing is that
Adam is kinda right. I'm sorry, had the general
public not spent the decade prior bashing the state of rock music? Plus, when he said how the
most exciting things in music wer
e coming from hip-hop, I'm
not gonna disagree with that. Of course, that doesn't mean
that rock music as a whole has been nowhere, it just
wasn't the most popular genre. But when Adam made this statement, I think he was mainly referring to what was right on the surface. Like, one of the biggest
people to clap back at Adam was Corey Taylor from Slipknot. And I get his frustration but honestly, do you think Adam Levine
pays attention to Slipknot? An even better question, do you think Adam Levine
k
nows what Slipknot is? And and I don't mean that as like some pretentious
music snob or anything. Genuinely, when in Adam Levine's life would he need to know what Slipknot is? I really can't think of a time. In my opinion, we weren't
mad that he said this. We were mad that he said this, the front man of one of the last big quote unquote rock bands. And even then, calling Maroon
5 a rock band at this point was a huge stretch. But here's the second thing. Maroon 5 is not a rock band. You might say
, well, yeah,
nowadays they're not. They've totally betrayed
their rock beginnings, but no, no, no, no, no, no. That's the thing. Maroon 5 has never been a rock band. Adam Levine's first collabs were with Kanye West
and the Ying Yang Twins. Adam's main vocal inspiration
was Stevie Wonder. Their inspirations starting
out were R&B artists. Whenever they do covers, it's
usually covers of R&B artists. Just because Maroon 5 is a
bunch of dudes with guitars doesn't necessarily make them a rock band, a
nd I think it's that misconception that has embroiled them in so much hate. Though let's be clear, Maroon 5 have not been
free of sin themselves. Aside from that one quote,
there was another one Adam made about bands not being a thing anymore, a rough performance in Chile with Adam acting very rude to the crowd, the recent tabloid news about Adam. Wow, these all have to
do with Adam, don't they? In fact, allow me to make a statement that should be no surprise. When people hate on Maroon 5, they'
re really just hating on Adam Levine. It's the monkey's paw unfurling from the success of "Moves Like Jagger" and the individualization of Adam Levine. When's the last time any Maroon 5 member that wasn't Adam did
something worthy of hate? Bad question, never mind. This leads into reason number one why I think Maroon 5 is still around, they are really good at being scapegoats. In a world when stan culture dominates, I think Maroon 5's value to some is just being a guilt-free punching bag. Like,
imagine directing
the same level of hate for Maroon 5 towards anyone else. You hate on Kendrick or Beyoncé, you risk coming off as
ignorant or even racist. You hate on Taylor Swift, you open yourself up to
destructively targeted mockery not felt since middle school. You hate on BTS and you die. You hate on Maroon 5, I mean, you might get a few people mad, but you're not getting doxxed for it. Sometimes, people just
need to hate on something. And Maroon 5 is a pretty safe target. And I mean, we a
ll know now
that you can make a career off of being hated in the
age of the internet, right? Like we've all seen it happen
enough times now, right? Please tell me we all get this. The second reason, Maroon 5 have been at it for long enough to establish themselves
as a recognizable brand. Not only does that mean
they've claimed a stable stake in popular culture, for better or worse, but remember what I said
earlier about radio airplay? Which is, believe it or not,
still a big player in music. Mar
oon 5 hits are consistent
enough in the right places that A, people can invest
knowing they'll earn it back, and then some. And B, other artists can use
them to boost their profile. Sure, no one's gonna make their career off of a Maroon 5 verse, but if hearing Megan's
verse on Beautiful Mistakes gets someone to check out "Traumazine," then I think that's a win. The final reason, and this
one might piss you off, is that people still
actually like Maroon 5. Throughout this video, I've
found good f
rom each album. Not every album in total
is a winner for sure, and not much will blow your mind if you're a nerd for music like me, but there are still songs to enjoy. And plenty of people seem to agree. The chart placements, the tour revenue, all that has to be coming from someone. The silent majority if you will. So maybe that's it. Lots of people still like the band. The world is bigger than the
loudest voices on the internet and there is usually good to
be found, even in bad bands. (upbeat m
usic) ♪ Here's to the ones that we've got ♪ ♪ Cheers to the wish that you
were here, but you're not ♪ Maroon 5 will soon be wrapping up their 2020 tour in Asia. Then next year, they'll be kicking off a Las Vegas residency. For Adam Levine though, the news as of late has
been very unfortunate, Adam was caught in 1080x1920 soliciting a year long affair
with an Instagram model. Who could have seen this coming? Cheating on his girlfriend, cheats on Keira Knightley,
kissing a girl at a party, cheatin
g on Alexandra Daddario. For real though, that's crummy behavior and I feel bad for his wife and kid. I hope he is able to see
the error of his ways, and I send as many well
wishes to him and his wife as I can muster, considering
they are two people whom I've never met and
their personal relationship has no tangible impact on my life. I'd like to end this
dive with a prediction, if you will, and I'm gonna
need help from someone. - Hi, I'm Garth Brooks. - Hi Garth! This is Garth Brooks. He was a
massive country
star throughout the 1990s. Everything he produced,
songs, albums, concert tours, was lucrative to an unprecedented level. By some metrics, he is the most successful
recording artist in US history. When's the last time you heard his music? When's the last time you heard
it played in a supermarket or out in public? When's the last time a song of
his became an internet meme? When is the last time any of his music has made any kind of impact
outside of the 1990s? Now some of that lac
k of
continued relevance is by choice. For example, did you
know Garth kept his music off streaming for years, and today it is only
available on Amazon Music? And of course, I'm sure some
of you may be going down to comment the songs you've enjoyed and still enjoy by Garth. But there's this inexplicable phenomenon where Garth was shattering
records for a decade straight, and then just disappeared. I bring this up because, as time goes on, I think two things will happen to Maroon 5 as it pertains
to their catalog. Everything up to "Moves Like Jagger" will still be fondly remembered, if contained to its time period. The same way we think about all of those mid 2000s rock-adjacent acts. Everything post-Jagger will
still get played here and there, but come that day when Maroon
5 call it quits and retire, I think it's gonna mostly
disappear just like Garth's music. Remembered faintly by
those who were there, loved by a good handful, but nearly forgotten by
all future generations. If you wan
na get into Maroon 5, check out the first three albums. As for the band post "Moves
like Jagger," I don't know. I wouldn't really recommend
any of the albums in full. I would say just check out the songs that I've mentioned in this video, which are in a playlist that's
linked in the description. And if you have a favorite Maroon 5 song, album, related thing, I would love to know what
it is in the comments.
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