Maroon 5 is today’s top seller

Is there hope for a continuously rosy future for Maroon 5? One cannot help but think about this while watching Adam Levine polish his sheen as a TV star in The Voice, which he has been doing for seven seasons now. Does the band’s frontman now prepare the easy existence of being in a hit show instead of the backbreaking task of writing songs, recording, touring and then performing those songs live, all the while wondering if they will be hits?

Also, aside from coaching contestants in The Voice, Levine has also ventured into the movies and television as an actor. He was recently seen on the big screen in Begin Again with Keira Knightley. He also did several episodes in the acclaimed drama series American Horror Story. He did okay both times.

Well, it recently turned out that the answer is, yes, there is a great future for the Grammy-winning Maroon 5 with Levine. Because although Levine is once again a coach in the new season of The Voice, Maroon 5 also has a new album out. It is titled V and is now the No. 1 selling album in the US. Maroon 5, composed of  Levine on vocals, lead and rhythm guitars; Jesse Carmichael on keyboards and backing vocals; Mickey Madden on bass; James Valentine on lead and rhythm guitars all worked on the project and have announced that they are going on a world tour next year.

And the next question is what sort of album is V. Again, one cannot help but wonder about this after the band went totally, unabashedly pop in Overexposed two years ago. Other bands get into the more serious stuff as they get older but not Maroon 5. The sound that these guys make just keeps getting younger. This has been the case since This Love 10 years ago on to Misery and down to Never Gonna Leave This Bed.

And back then, being youthful was all for the good. Overexposed was the album that produced Payphone with Wiz Khalifa, One More Night and Daylight. But then, not to forget there was a time when Maroon 5 detoured and went all clubby with Moves Like Jagger featuring Christina Aguilera and it became a huge, huge hit. So I thought, would they be tempted to go club in the next album?

And the answer is no, they didn’t. The album is simply titled V (pronounce that Five) because it is Maroon 5’s fifth studio album. It was made in the tradition of early Maroon 5 with songs about heartbreak sporting funky rhythms and crisp commercial hooks. Mostly co-written with the other members by Levine, the songs, admittedly, are in want of substance.

But admittedly again, nobody really cares about this part. It is just obvious that these guys are not yet ready to be serious in their compositions, so they have fun, stay cute, sing of inanities and cater to fans of a similar mindset. Both young and old will find what they have done in V thoroughly simple and enjoyable.

Initial single releases from V were Maps and Animals. My favorite track though is Unkiss Me which has Levine in excellent voice. He should sing like this more often. Also very important is My Heart Is Open featuring Gwen Stefani. Given how earlier collaborations by Maroon 5 have resulted in enormous sellers, many are now wondering if Stefani will be added to that list.

Also included are It Was Always You, Sugar, Leaving California, In Your Pocket, New Love, Coming Back For You, Feelings, plus bonus songs Shoot Love, Sex And Candy and Lost Stars.

And now here are the hit albums of the moment in the US of A as per Billboard Magazine’s Top 200 albums listing. V is this week’s No. 1 album. Here goes: V by Maroon 5; Seen It All: The Autobiography by Jeezy; Guardians Of The Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 by Various Artists; My Everything by Ariana Grande; Legend: The Best of Bob Marley And The Wailers; Somewhere Under Wonderland by Counting Crows; Frozen the movie soundtrack by Various Artists; In The Lonely Hour by Sam Smith; Now 51 by Various Artists; Blacc Hollywood by Wiz Khalifa.

Promise To Love: Album IV by Kem; 5 Seconds Of Summer by 5 Seconds Of Summer; Platinum by Miranda Lambert; Moonshine In The Trunk by Brad Paisley; X by Ed Sheeran; Crash My Party by Luke Bryan; Step Back by Johnny Winter; The New Classic by Iggy Azalea; Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey; and AM by Arctic Monkeys.

The Top 20 singles from the Hot 100 are: All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor; Shake It Off by Taylor Swift; Anaconda by Nicki Minaj; Bang Bang by Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj; Black Widow by Iggy Azalea featuring Rita Ora; Stay With Me by Sam Smith; Rude by MAGIC!; Break Free by Ariana Grande featuring Zedd; Maps by Maroon 5; Chandelier by Sia.

Boom Clap by Charli XCX; Rather Be by Clean Bandit featuring Jess Glynne; Don’t Tell ‘Em by Jeremih featuring YG; Am I Wrong by Nico & Vinz; Bailando by Enrique Iglesias featuring Descemer Bueno & Gente de Zona; Fancy by Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX; Problem by Ariana Grande featuring Iggy Azalea; Habits (Stay High) by Tove Lo; Hot Boy by Bobby Shmurda; and Burnin’ It Down by Jason Aldean.