Maroon 5 released a new song entitled “Cold” on Valentine’s Day of 2017. Although the band released it on a day dedicated to love, the song’s story leans toward tragedy rather than romance.
The pop band has been releasing music since 1994, and have successfully changed their style of music over the past twenty three years. Their debut album contains quaint love songs with effortless guitar chords and lead vocalist Adam Levine’s angelic falsetto. The past couple of years they have proven to stray away from simple guitar strums and gravitate to a modern pop style using electronic beats.
The new song tells a despondent story of a man whose love is leaving him in the dark, and starting to change. The man is so hurt and does not understand how this person, who once loved him so much, could be “cold enough to chill my (his) bones.”
“Cold” is no exception to today’s mainstream pop music. It has a blend of electronic beats, emotional love lyrics, and even a feature from successful rapper Future. This is not the first time Maroon 5 has used this trifecta. On their single “I Don’t Wanna Know”, which was released in October of 2016, they also featured rapper Kendrick Lamar, a similar beat, and of course more heartbreaking lyrics.
The band has been around for over two decades, and it is becoming apparent they are still trying to be relevant in the music industry today.
Even though the band has changed their soft pop style the new song was not a disappointment to fans. The distressed tone with Levine’s emotional voice was successful; “Cold” clinched a number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, and is already number nine on the ITunes chart.
Yes, the band has evolved their style of music over the years, but they have proven they are able to, and they can handle a variety of music. “Cold” showcases Levine’s unique vocals, and incorporates touching lyrics such as “I can’t take the in between, asking me for space here in my house.”
Unless you hate pop music, there is no reason why this song could be unsatisfactory. Maroon 5 auspiciously makes the listener want to cry, and dance simultaneously.
It is understanding a band that has been around longer than a large fraction of their fan base would want to change their style. Most artists who’ve been around far less change their musical style, just look at Taylor Swift who successfully changed genres.
Love “Cold” or not, Maroon 5 has revealed in a few months there will be a release of their sixth studio album, and based on their past two singles, more electronic beats and rappers are expected in the future.
