Review Summary: Songs About Success...
Firstly I’d like to be honest; I don’t normally write reviews in this following structure or manner. I only usually review albums I believe to be enjoyable and would like other people to know about. But the events that have lead up to Maroon 5’s latest album ‘Overexposed’ has done nothing but infuriate me. I am still struggling to understand how a band that crafted 2002’s ‘Songs About Jane’ and reasonable albums after it could come to create this ‘Overexposed’ piece of garbage. Of course this early statement is only my opinion, but everyone is entitled to their own, right? So here I go, attempting to prove my own conclusion that Maroon 5 has lost their touch, complete with help from the band themselves.
Fact One:
Prior to the release of Maroon 5’s third album ‘Hands All Over’ in 2010, lead singer Adam Levine was quoted by Rolling Stone magazine saying “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, like the Rolling Stones.” Levine also stated around this time that he believed the band was reaching its peak and may make only one more album before disbanding and calling it a day...
Fact Two:
Not even four months later after the release of their ‘possibly last’ album ‘Hands All Over’, Maroon 5 guitarist James Valentine stated in an interview that the band was not happy with the way the album had sold compared to their previous efforts. "Of course we could have liked it to have done better so far," Valentine told Billboard. "It hasn't sold at the pace that our previous records did." He went on further to state that another new album might be in the works quicker than they expected, back flipping on the earlier rumours that ‘Hands All Over’ would be their last. In my opinion ‘Hands All Over’ wasn’t even that bad of an album, but it seems that it didn’t make them enough money to be able to top up their pension funds with. Shouldn’t they have been proud of what they had made instead of how much money they had made from it?
Fact Three:
Instead of opting to record a new album straight away Maroon 5 went back in the studio in May 2011 to record the single ‘Moves Like Jagger’ for the ‘Hands All Over’ re-release, which is arguably the bands most successful single to date, but a complete departure from the sound they once had. ‘Moves Like Jagger’ sold 8.5 million copies worldwide and became the twelfth song with the most paid downloads in history. Whether you’re a fan of the song or not it was a huge success.
Fact Four:
Seemingly with no hesitation at all come June 26th 2012, where Maroon 5 released their fourth album ‘Overexposed’ to ride on the back of the success of ‘Moves Like Jagger’. Unlike the long stints of five and three years between their other albums, ‘Overexposed’ seemed to be rushed through the production line to keep feeding the millions of new fans that flocked to their newfound sound.
The result was an album that is the poppiest of their career and by no means reminiscent of what they once were. It almost seems as though ‘Overexposed’ is Adam Levine’s debut solo album, rather than another full band effort. Although I’ve heard worst albums then ‘Overexposed’ over the years, Maroon 5 have lost any form of ‘rock’ they once had coinciding with their name with this overproduced catchy, yet synthetic fourth offering. ‘Overexposed’ has rare moments of sincerity like on the track ‘Love Somebody’ which also features a hooky lyrics, but apart from that this club demographic they are now pushing has completely lost me. I can’t help but shake the feeling they are no longer doing what they love for music, but simply for their pockets and ego.
Conclusion:
Maybe what Adam Levine and co need is to jump on the next plane flight piloted by an Amelia Earhart-esque pilot so they can disappear too some uninhabited island amidst the ocean with only a volleyball named ‘Wilson’ and themselves to talk too. A few years out in this wilderness and away from everything they have come to be could help them rediscover where there best music came from and maybe they could atone for their overexposed sins.
