Revised V

“What the f****, I got nothing to lose” Welcome to the newest installment of Maroon 5. V is risqué and raw. It embodies people’s greatest desires and deepest thoughts. The band does not hold back and puts everything out on the line for their fans. Each song has its own identity dealing with a different emotion – desire, love lust, anger, desperation, excitement, regret. Maroon 5 gets creative in truly showing the emotion by making parallels to beliefs of pop culture to further connect to listeners of any background.

“What the f****, I got nothing to lose” is a line from the song "New Love." The theme is pretty self-explanatory given the title. Nevertheless, it expresses the common occurrence of falling into love too hard, too fast. People tend to jump whole-heartedly into a relationship without even thinking. Adam clearly exhibits similar tendencies, and he is especially reckless because he has “nothing to lose." Thirty years ago such behavior would have been highly frowned upon, but in today's day in age people do not even acknowledge it. However, "New Love" deals with superficial attraction – “I'm a slave to the way that you move; I'm an addict for all that you do; you're the only drug I wanna do yeah." Adam likes the thrill of being with this girl which is portrayed through the strong consistent beat of the drums throughout the entire song. Interestingly, the lyrics never mention and emotional connection, but it makes sense because pop culture makes people first look at people’s appearances instead of who the person is. Everyone is so wrapped up in appearance’s and body image they unfortunately continuously forget that looks aren’t everything. A relationship is built on trust, responsibility, and an emotional connection, but who has time for that?

"Maps" delves into societies desperation for reciprocation of love.  “So I’m following the map that leads to you” explains Adam’s need to find this girl he so desperately needs love from. He feels lost and confused, “When I was at my worst; down on my knees; and you said you had my back; So I wonder where were you?” Left out alone hurt in the dark about where this girl is all he has to go by is his moral compass, which leads to her. Wanting someone to love you as much you love them has become a new obsession in the younger generation due to unrealistic romance movies and media. Popular culture feeds society fantasized outcomes and expectations, such as love at first sight and living happily ever after. The upbeat tempo of the song clearly illustrates these fantasies of happily ever after. Even though he is disappointed, the catchy tune reassures his blind faith in this map to lead him back to his love.

The band channels their wild side while writing "Animals" - “Baby I’m preying on you tonight; hunt you down eat you alive just like animals” starts off this infectious song. The predator-prey relationship has been around since the beginning of time. Predators rely on prey to live and evolve, much like people need each other to fulfill their needs and desires. Predatory animals do whatever is necessary to complete the hunt, whether that be speed, agility, camouflage, smell, hearing, or poison. Regardless, they get the job done. The hard hitting beat reflects the thrill of the hunt and anticipation of the kill or in Adam's case getting the girl. In the song “Animals," Maroon 5 uses this relationship to explain Adam’s hunt for this girl he so desperately needs to survive. The lyrics “Maybe you think that you can hide; I can smell your scent from miles” makes the connection from an animal’s sense of smell to a mans ability to seek out his love. Current culture acknowledges a man’s animalistic tendencies while seeking out a woman.

The song Sex and Candy is the black sheep of the album. The cover shows the most sensual thoughts of person’s mind. Raw and vulnerable are the perfect way to describe the lyrics.  The chorus starts with, “I smell sex and candy here; Who's that lounging in my chair; Who's that casting devious stares in my direction." The slow jazz music makes the lyrics feel more sexual with every word. His insecurity shows as the chorus continues “Mama this surely is a dream; Yeah mama this surely is a dream; Yeah mama this surely is a dream." People see someone that is their “perfect type” and they can use their imagination for what they want to do. However, in reality, they do not think they are good enough to deserve that person’s love. Everything in Adam’s mind and heart is telling him to go for the girl, but he doesn’t feel like he has a shot. The push and pull between sexual wants and doubtful thoughts bring out the pure emotional struggle that many face on a daily basis.

V is a magnifying glass into popular culture. The themes of the songs reflect those most seen in society today. Maroon 5 did so to connect to fans of all ages. They tapped into the uncontrollable tendencies people exhibit without even knowing they do so. This includes animalistic, sexual, mental, and physical tendencies. People are so wrapped up in their own lives in society they love hearing songs that they think apply to them. In reality, what they are experiencing is happening to hundreds of thousands of others. It amazes me how easily people fall into the exaggerations put forth by popular culture, but it works in artist’s favor because they are more likely to enjoy the album and therefore purchase it. Pop culture influences can be over done sometimes in regards to other artists trying to make it in the business or stay current. Being a mainstream band, it is obvious Maroon 5 must keep up with the times, but it is pertinent they stick to the brand they established a decade ago. With that being said, they do a good job crafting V and maintaining a balance between pop culture influences and originality.