Since debuting with ‘Songs About Jane’ in 2002, Maroon 5 have transformed from emotional pop-rockers into fully fledged pop superstars.
Their fifth release, the aptly titled V, is nothing if not consistent in the production of radio-friendly hits. Complete with Levine’s standard high-pitched vocals and a slew of successful collaborators including Max Martin, Ryan Tedder and Nate Ruess, V doesn’t slip too far away from the previously tried and tested.
Lead single ‘Maps’ is catchy but unadventurous, a run-of-the-mill Maroon 5 song with not much substance to it. However, as they are in the business of hit-making, ‘Animals’ is a sure fire chart-topper with its pulsing beat and club-friendly chorus. Also a big singles contender is the album’s slowest track ‘My Heart Is Open’. Boasting Gwen Stefani as a featured vocalist and the power team of Sia and Darkchild as writer and producer respectively, this is Maroon 5 at their finest.
Less memorable are mid-tempo tracks ‘Unkiss Me’ and ‘Sugar’ – the latter a saccharine number with a funk-guitar riff and lyrics to match: “I don’t wanna be needing your love, I just wanna be deep in your love.” ‘In Your Pocket’ layers Levine confronting a cheating girlfriend – “If you have nothing to hide, Show me that phone in your pocket” – over a beat driven track with a retro electronica opening. Other notable numbers include ‘Feelings’, which infuses the frontman’s impressive falsetto with an infectious pop rhythm, as well as his emotional solo track, ‘It Was Always You’.
Maroon 5 may not be breaking any boundaries, but as long as they keep bashing out hook-ridden, catchy pop songs, we don’t think they’ll have too much to complain about.

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