Lucky Strike (Maroon 5 song) explained

Lucky Strike
Cover:Lucky Strike.jpeg
Type:Promotional single
Artist:Maroon 5
Album:Overexposed
Recorded:Mid 2011–Early 2012
Studio:Conway Recording Studios
Label:A&M Octone
Chronology:Maroon 5 promotional singles
Prev Title:Is Anybody Out There
Prev Year:2011
Next Title:It Was Always You
Next Year:2014

"Lucky Strike" is a song by American pop rock band Maroon 5, and is the fourth track on their fourth studio album Overexposed (2012). The song was released on January 20, 2014, in Belgium, as the album's first and only promotional single.[1] It was written by band frontman Adam Levine with producers Ryan Tedder and Noel Zancanella.

The song received generally positive reviews from critics, and is generally regarded as one of the best tracks on Overexposed. Following the release of the album, the song peaked on many different charts, including number two on the singles chart in South Korea and number nine on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles.

Background

Composition

"Lucky Strike" is a funk song that features dubstep and soul influences.[2] [3] [4] The song's instrumentation consists of piano and guitar accompanied with Levine's vocals.[5] "Lucky Strike" is written in the key of B minor, in common time (4/4), with a tempo of 144 beats per minute.[6] [7] Levine's vocal range spans from the low note of A4 to the high note of B5.[6] According to Robert Copsey of Digital Spy, the song contains the same "bells-and-whistles template" that is present in the band's previous single "Moves Like Jagger".[8] Chuck Arnold of People shared the same opinion as Copsey and described the song as "lightning-paced".[9] Lyrically, the song discovers the theme of sexual intercourse that can be seen through the lines, "Your body rockin', keep me up all night/One in a million, my lucky strike".[10]

Live performances

"Lucky Strike" is the fifteenth most performed song live by Maroon 5,[11] [12] being played 252 times by the band. The song was debuted live on the Overexposed Tour, and was played at many shows on the tour.[13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

The song was played during most (if not all) shows on the band's Maroon V Tour.[18] [19] [20]

It was played very few times on the Red Pill Blues Tour,[21] and has been played only semi-often since then.

Critical reception

Adam Markovitz of Entertainment Weekly labeled "Lucky Strike" and "Payphone" as the best tracks on Overexposed and described the former as "a funk-spiked strut".[3] Suzanne Byrne of RTÉ.ie wrote that "Lucky Strike" alongside "Daylight", "The Man Who Never Lied" and "Love Somebody" are all worthy of a single releases (Daylight and Love Somebody were later released as singles).[22] Digital Spy's Robert Copsey named the track together with "One More Night" and "Ladykiller" as the most worthy for download.[8] Chris Payne of Billboard wrote that on the song "Maroon 5's guitars finally come out to play in the opening bars here. Though not a rock song per se, it still packs the energy of the band's earlier, more band-based material."[23] Cameron Adams of Herald Sun described "Lucky Strike" as "uncharacteristically clubby".[24]

Contact Music's Alex Lai wrote that Levine has exchanged his "angelic vocals for singing in favor of more universal hooks" on the album, pointing out Lucky Strike specifically.[25] Evan Sawdey of PopMatters called the song a "danceable carbon copy" of "Second Chance" (Gimme Some, 2011) by Peter Bjorn and John. According to him, "Lucky Strike" imitates the latter "down to the guitar tone" and replaces the original by also adding additional dance beats.[26] The song was compared to the electronic duo 3OH!3 by a writer from The Triangle.[27]

Commercial performance

Upon the release of Overexposed, due to strong digital downloads "Lucky Strike" debuted on the South Korea Gaon International Chart at number two on June 24, 2012, with sales of 53,090 copies.[28] The next week it fell to number four and sold an additional 39,392 copies.[29] Following the release of the album, the song peaked at number nine on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 singles chart.

The song has received over 100 million streams on Spotify.[30] As of November 2022, the song has 110.5 million streams.[31]

Personnel

Based on the liner notes of Overexposed, A&M Octone Records.[32]

Maroon 5
Production

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (2012 - 14) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Digital Song Sales)[33] 68
South Korea (Gaon Digital Chart)[34] 3
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[35] 9
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[36] 33

Certifications

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Maroon 5 – Lucky Strike. Hit Parade. August 8, 2023.
  2. Web site: Overexposed by Maroon 5. January 2012 . iTunes Store (US). Apple. January 21, 2013.
  3. Overexposed Review. https://web.archive.org/web/20120623222404/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20605733,00.html. dead. June 23, 2012. Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Markovitz. Adam. June 27, 2012. January 23, 2013.
  4. Web site: Maroon 5 - 'Overexposed'. NME. IPC Media. June 22, 2012. January 23, 2013.
  5. Web site: Maroon 5 'Overexposed' Album Review — 5 out of 5 stars. Artistdirect. Peer Media Technologies. Florino. Rick. June 21, 2012. January 23, 2013.
  6. Web site: Maroon 5 - Lucky Strike. 12 September 2012 . Musicnotes.com Universal Music Publishing Group. January 23, 2013.
  7. Web site: LUCKY STRIKE Maroon 5 . Get Song BPM . 20 November 2022.
  8. Web site: Maroon 5: 'Overexposed' - Album review. Digital Spy. Nat Mags. Copsey. Robert. June 25, 2012. January 23, 2013.
  9. News: Maroon 5's New Album Overexposed: Solid, Not Superior. People. Time Inc. Arnold. Chuck. June 26, 2012. January 24, 2012.
  10. Web site: Maroon 5 Overexposed. Plugged In (publication). Focus on the Family. January 23, 2013.
  11. Web site: Lucky Strike performed by Maroon 5 . Setlist.FM . 21 November 2022.
  12. Web site: Songs played total . Setlist.FM . 21 November 2022.
  13. Web site: Adams . Mark . 5 THOUGHTS ON MAROON 5'S DECEMBER 30 MANDALAY BAY SHOW . Las Vegas Weekly . 23 November 2022 . 31 December 2013.
  14. Web site: Serba . John . Maroon 5 live review: Adam Levine's laryngitis prompts short, but mostly sweet, Van Andel Arena show . MLive . 23 November 2022 . 26 February 2013.
  15. Web site: Krewen . Nick . Maroon 5 thrills the ACC: concert review . The Star . 23 November 2022 . 19 February 2013.
  16. Web site: CAÑA . John . Maroon 5: Overexposed and loving it . Rappler . 23 November 2022 . 26 September 2012.
  17. Web site: Ford . Rebecca . Adam Levine Reveals Where Maroon 5's Biggest Hits Came From at Intimate Hometown Show . Hollywood Reporter . 23 November 2022 . 20 October 2012.
  18. Web site: Wendowski . Andrew . Maroon 5 Makes The Crowd Roar Like Animals at The Wells Fargo Center . Music Mayhem Magazine . 23 November 2022 . 13 December 2015.
  19. Web site: Average setlist for tour: Maroon V Tour . Setlist.FM . 23 November 2022.
  20. Web site: Maroon 5 reprises lightweight hits at Sprint Center show. Bill Brownlee. March 22, 2015. March 25, 2015. The Kansas City Star.
  21. Web site: Maroon 5 playing Lucky Strike on tour Red Pill Blues Tour . Guest Spectacular . 23 November 2022.
  22. Web site: Maroon 5 - Overexposed. RTÉ.ie. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Byrne. Suzanne. June 30, 2012. January 23, 2013.
  23. Maroon 5, 'Overexposed': Track-By-Track Review. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Payne. Chris. June 26, 2012. January 23, 2013.
  24. News: Album review: Overexposed by Maroon 5. Herald Sun. The Herald and Weekly Times. Adams. Cameron. June 20, 2012. January 24, 2012.
  25. Web site: Maroon 5 - Overexposed Album Review. Contactmusic.com. Lai. Alex. 17 July 2012 . January 24, 2013.
  26. Web site: Maroon 5: Overexposed. PopMatters. Sawdey. Evan. July 10, 2012. January 23, 2013.
  27. Web site: Nowotnik . Helen . 'Overexposed' lacks familiarity . The Triangle . 23 November 2022 . 6 July 2012.
  28. Web site: South Korea Gaon International Chart (Week, June 24, 2012 to June 30, 2012) . . January 22, 2013 . Korean . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120225185649/http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/online/download/list.gaon?nationGbn=E . February 25, 2012 .
  29. Web site: South Korea Gaon International Chart (Week, July 1, 2012 to July 7, 2012) . Gaon Chart . January 27, 2013 . Korean . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120225185649/http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/online/download/list.gaon?nationGbn=E . February 25, 2012 .
  30. Web site: "Lucky Strike" has now surpassed 100 Million streams on spotify. . Twitter . Maroon 5 On Charts . 23 November 2022 . 20 February 2022.
  31. Web site: Lucky Strike . Spotify . 23 November 2022.
  32. Maroon 5. Overexposed. 2012. inlay cover. A&M/Octone Records.
  33. Canadian Digital Song Sales . Billboard . 1 December 2022.
  34. Web site: Gaon Digital Chart. Gaon Chart. May 11, 2014.
  35. Bubbling Under Hot 100 – Issue Date: 2012-07-14 . Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . July 31, 2012.
  36. Chart Highlights: Cage The Elephant Returns To No. 1 On Rock Airplay, Alternative Songs . Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . November 11, 2013 . November 12, 2013 . Caulfield, Keith . Trust, Gary.

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