Review
Maroon 5 hit the scene again with their fifth studio release, "V", which dropped on August 29, 2014. They switched labels to Interscope Records and welcomed back Jesse Carmichael after he missed out on the "Overexposed" sessions. The recording vibes were strong at Conway Studios in downtown LA over the course of a year. They even teamed up with Gwen Stefani for “My Heart Is Open”, penned by Sia, which added some extra flair to the mix. The visuals were also on point with a striking cover featuring a neon light piece crafted by photographer Lee Jung, shaped like the Roman numeral five.
The album soared to the top of the US Billboard 200 and spawned some major hits—“Maps”, “Animals”, and “Sugar” crushed it on the charts, each landing in the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100. A bit later, “This Summer’s Gonna Hurt like a Motherfucker” and “Feelings” followed as singles, keeping the album's momentum going. While some critics were on the fence, calling the songwriting a bit plain, fans and many reviewers couldn’t get enough of those catchy hooks and melodies. The album not only scored with audiences but also did well commercially. And for anyone digging deeper, the deluxe version added a few more tracks into the mix, including “Sex and Candy” and “Lost Stars”. - Aiden
