Though many popular artists and bands release music on a regular basis these days – and many of them top the charts every time – only one band sticks out for continuously having new, genuinely good and different music.
Maroon 5’s latest album, “Overexposed,” has proven to be a worthy contender on top 40 countdowns nationwide, despite the fact that it’s the band’s fourth studio album. Some bands don’t get old easily, and this one has definitely proven itself among the greats.
Somehow lead singer Adam Levine and his bandmates have managed to come up with the perfect formula for making albums that people like, but that all sound different from each other. Experience tells many people that this is a feat that can’t be overlooked.
Although the album was released on June 26, singles from “Overexposed” are still topping the U.S. charts. “One More Night,” for example, is currently No. 3 on the iTunes charts.
The album also reached No. 2 nationwide soon after its release.
Some critics have said that Maroon 5 tried too hard to become “mainstream” with this album, but their goal was actually achieved quite nicely. Levine told various reporters around the country that the album is the band’s most diverse and “poppiest” album yet. And they did it on purpose.
Many of the songs on the album are unusually “poppy,” though, to use Levine’s term. The first hit, “Payphone,” features Wiz Khalifa, which is a first for Maroon 5. Even the strictest supporters of the band can’t deny that the rap segment was included for one purpose only: to take the song to No. 1.
It peaked at No. 2.
Although “Payphone” is a good example of the album’s success on the charts, other songs represent Maroon 5’s ability to compose a genuinely good tune.
First, there’s “Ladykiller.” Something has to be said for Levine’s unique falsetto – listeners can just never get enough, and this song shows it off at its best. Say what you want about the band as a whole, but the guy’s got pipes.
He’s definitely not on “The Voice” for nothing.
Another favorite on the album, though it’s not a chart-topper, is “Tickets.” Musically, this song is average for Maroon 5, which still makes it pretty great. But the real shine to this gem lies in the story it tells, about the girl who has practically no valuable characteristics, and yet she’s made it in the world.
Basically, it’s the person we all simultaneously hate and want to be. Give it a listen, if you haven’t already.
“Tickets” brings up another potential downfall of the album, however.
“Overexposed” marks the first of Maroon 5’s albums to contain a parental advisory sticker for explicit content. It’s always kind of exciting when bands graduate to explicit language, but listeners were left wanting with this one.
Only two songs on the album are actually marked as explicit. What’s more, the entire thing only contains three questionable words; or three instances of the same questionable word. Apparently three F-bombs is enough to slap that sticker on there.
While it may not be the band’s greatest – a spot that will forever be held by “Songs About Jane,” the band’s premier album – “Overexposed” is not only a good listen, but a valuable purchase.
