Red Pill Blues Explained

Red Pill Blues
Type:studio
Artist:Maroon 5
Cover:Red Pill Blues cover.png
Border:yes
Alt:A series of photos of the band member's faces with cartoonish filters added to them.
Released:November 3, 2017
Recorded:2015–2017
Studio:
  • Chumba Meadows, The Venice, Glenwood Palace (California)
  • Inner Child (London)
  • Conway, Westlake, Henson (Los Angeles)
  • Electric Lady, Matzah Ball, Sterling Sound (New York)
  • (Wolf Cousins (Stockholm, Sweden)
  • MixStar (Virginia Beach)
Genre:
Label:
  • 222
  • Interscope
Producer:
Prev Title:Singles
Prev Year:2015
Next Title:Jordi
Next Year:2021

Red Pill Blues is the sixth studio album by American band Maroon 5. It was released on November 3, 2017, through 222 and Interscope Records. This is the band's first album to feature multi-instrumentalist Sam Farrar as an official member, although he has featured on every Maroon 5 release prior and toured with them since 2012. It is also the final album to feature bassist Mickey Madden as a full member, making this their only album as a 7-piece band. The title of the album refers to the science fiction term of taking the red pill or the blue pill, which originated from the 1999 sci-fi film The Matrix.[5] The album is the follow-up to their fifth studio album V (2014) and features guest appearances from Kendrick Lamar, Julia Michaels, SZA, ASAP Rocky, LunchMoney Lewis, Future and Cardi B.

Red Pill Blues received mixed reviews from music critics upon its release, and peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200. The album includes the singles "Don't Wanna Know", "Cold", "What Lovers Do", "Wait", and "Girls Like You". The first two singles, "Don't Wanna Know" and "Cold", are included on both of the album's deluxe and Japanese editions respectively. The third single "What Lovers Do", peaked within the top ten in twenty-five countries including Australia, Canada and the United States. The album's fourth single "Wait", received moderate success, peaking at number twenty-four in the United States, thirty-five on the Canadian Hot 100, and seventy-nine in the UK Singles. The fifth and final single from the reissued edition of the album "Girls Like You", was released in a new version featuring rapper Cardi B and peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, as well as in the top five in Australia and Canada. The band embarked on the Red Pill Blues Tour (2018–2019) in support of the album.

Background

After touring in support of their fifth studio album V (2014) for over three years, Maroon 5 began planning a follow-up to V. After embarking on a short rescheduled headlining tour in North America in March 2017, the band recording new material for a sixth album at Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California. The band later posted teaser gifs and videos of members in the studio on their social media accounts in late March.[6]

At the 2017 Teen Choice Awards, held on August 13, 2017, Maroon 5 was honored with the Decade Award. In his acceptance speech, frontman Adam Levine confirmed that their sixth album would be released in November.[7] Levine later confirmed this in an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music radio station Beats 1.[8] On October 4, 2017, the band revealed the album's name, Red Pill Blues, and announced the pre-order for the album on October 6.[9] [10] Describing the meaning between this album and the band's first album Songs About Jane (2002), Levine said: "I think this album and the first album are probably the most connected. This album seems to me like a cousin to the first album, there’s a relationship kind of like book-ended all the ones in between."

Artwork

The album cover art for Red Pill Blues was created by American photographer Travis Schneider and is inspired by filters featured on the mobile app Snapchat.[11] The cover depicts all seven members of Maroon 5 pictured on polaroid photographs with a filter on their faces. "We all use Snapchat, and the filters have become a huge part of the culture," frontman Adam Levine told Billboard in an October 2017 interview.[12] "We thought it would be funny to take some more straight-ahead band photos and sprinkle in a little fun." Guitarist James Valentine added by saying: "It's like, a part of the zeitgeist now. Adam [Levine] and his wife, they just love trading photos when we're touring and stuff. They're always doing those filter faces to each other, so I think it rose out of that. Adam always has fun with that."

It also won the bronze award at the 2018 Shorty Awards, with both the album's cover art for Best Use of Snapchat and the wallpaper promotion for Best Influencer and Celebrity Snapchat Campaign.[13]

Singles

Red Pill Blues was preceded by two commercial stand-alone releases, which were later included on both the deluxe and Japanese editions of the album.[14] The first stand-alone single was "Don't Wanna Know" featuring American rapper Kendrick Lamar, was released digital retailers on October 12, 2016,[15] and charted at No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Adult Top 40, Adult Contemporary, and Hot 100 Airplay charts.[16] A music video for the song's original version premiered exclusively on The Today Show on October 14, 2016.[17]

A second stand-alone single, "Cold" featuring American rapper Future, was released on February 14, 2017,[18] and charted at No. 16 on the Hot 100 and No. 5 on the Adult Top 40 chart.[16] The song's music video premiered the day after, February 15.[19]

"What Lovers Do", featuring American R&B singer SZA was released by the band on August 30, 2017, as the third single from the album.[20] A lyric video was uploaded on September 15, 2017,[21] while the music video for the song was released on September 28.[22] The single peaked at number nine on the Hot 100 and became the band's thirteenth top ten hit on the chart.

James Valentine announced on Twitter that "Wait" would be the fourth single from the album.[23] The song was officially released to US contemporary hit radio on January 16, 2018, as the album's fourth single.[24] It peaked at number 24 on the Hot 100.

A remix version of "Girls Like You" featuring Cardi B served as the fifth and final single and was released on May 31, 2018.[25] It was the first single from the re-release of the album and the most successful single. The song peaked at number one on the Hot 100 chart for seven weeks, becoming Maroon 5's fourth and Cardi B's third number-one.[26] It spent 33 weeks in the top 10, tying both with Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" and Post Malone and Swae Lee's "Sunflower" for the longest top 10 run in the chart's archives at the time.[27] [28] It became the first pop song to reach number one since "Havana" by Camila Cabello in January 2018.[29] "Girls Like You" set a record for most weeks at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, remaining atop this chart for 36 consecutive weeks.[30]

Promotional singles

"Help Me Out", featuring American singer-songwriter Julia Michaels, was released on October 6, 2017, as the first promotional single of the album.[31] The second promotional single, "Whiskey" featuring American rapper ASAP Rocky, was released to digital retailers on October 20, 2017.[32] Before becoming the fourth single, "Wait" was initially released as the third promotional single on October 31.[33]

Promotion and touring

See main article: Red Pill Blues Tour.

On November 7, 2017, Maroon 5 played a concert at the iHeartRadio Theater in Burbank, California, to commemorate the release of the album.[34] [35] On October 26, the band announced they would embark on the Red Pill Blues Tour.[36] The tour began on May 30, 2018, in Tacoma, Washington and ended on December 31, 2019, in Las Vegas, Nevada, comprising 65 shows. The took place in North America from May to October 2018, with Michaels as the tour's opening act.[36]

On August 28, 2018, Maroon 5 announced new dates for the tour in 2019 in Australia, Asia and Europe.[37] Artists Cxloe (Australia)[38] and Sigrid (Europe),[39] were announced as the tour's opening acts.

Critical reception

Red Pill Blues received mixed reviews from music critics. On Metacritic, the album has a score of 58 from eight reviews, indicating "generally mixed or average reviews". Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic wrote that after setting aside the album's title and cover, Red Pill Blues can be taken as a "sleek, assured affair, one that sustains a seductive neon-streaked mood from beginning to end." He found their "modern sheen" to contain "strong song foundations" that in turn makes it not "play like a collective rhythmic and melodic hook in search of an ear: each cut unfolds with its own internal logic, with the different textures playing nicely off each other." Entertainment Weeklys Madison Vain described the album as the "best and most cohesive set of the decade" due to the group collaborating with a "murderers’ row of Hot 100 collaborators" that "ensures there's hardly a stale moment." Rolling Stones Jon Dolan found Adam Levine capably nuancing the "Top 40 old soul navigating whatever the pop-music moment throws his way" role as he "works well alongside young talent" to prove himself as a "pliant star of Jacksonian ease and Stingly self-assurance." Taylor Weatherby of Billboard wrote that the record "presents the most electronic production the band has seen to date" in the "classic Maroon 5 fashion" through "supplementing the synthy bass lines with irresistible beats and smooth vocals," while commending the collaborations and the lyrical portrayals of "relationship talk."[40] Ludovic Hunter-Tilney from the Financial Times said that although feminist listeners "may struggle to discern solidarity" in certain suggestive track couplets, the album still "makes its way through the minefield" since its "smooth high vocals and catchy tunes" gives the songs "a degree of charm" while its "deft production lends depth to the slick music."

Jayson Greene of Pitchfork affirmed the group's "shrewd and easy touch with soft rock" in "Best 4 U", but felt that the album's "utter lack of libido" made it "so difficult to even finish" especially since "soft rock and sex have a tricky relationship, and so do sex and Hot 100 pop." Michael Hann from The Guardian noted Maroon 5's continuation of producing "impeccably structured pop songs" with "Help Me Out", but felt that Red Pill Blues was not an R&B album "in any remotely experimental way." Writing for The Times, Will Hodgkinson commented that despite the "vacuity of the music and the words," whose former was "made up of noises from Maroon 5's pop machine" and whose latter was "unconvincing expressions of love and sensuality delivered passionlessly by Levine," the record was nevertheless "unpretentious and actually quite fun." Slant Magazines Zachary Hoskins mentioned that Maroon 5 has "rebranded themselves as Daryl Hall and six John Oates—or at least a watered-down Chromeo" with the record's release whose "retro sound suits them," yet felt that it still has its share of "bland, underachieving grist for suburban shopping centers and rhythmic pop radio" with Levine's "digitally augmented vocal acrobatics" still as likely to "irritate as ingratiate."

Accolades

Year! scope="col"
CeremonyCategoryResult
2018Shorty AwardsBest Use of Snapchat
Best Influencer and Celebrity Snapchat Campaign
2019Juno AwardsInternational Album of the Year[41]

Commercial performance

In the United States, Red Pill Blues debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, with 122,000 album-equivalent units, of which 94,000 were pure album sales, becoming the band's sixth top ten album in the country. The album was kept off the top spot by Sam Smith's The Thrill of It All.[42] By the end of the year, Red Pill Blues had accumulated 596,000 album-equivalent units in the country, with 185,000 being pure sales.[43] On May 17, 2018, Red Pill Blues was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 1,000,000 units in the United States.

It is also Maroon 5's sixth top ten album in Australia, opening at number seven on the ARIA Albums Chart.[44] The album entered the Canadian Albums Chart at number two, becoming their sixth top five entry in Canada.[45] Elsewhere, it debuted at number six on the New Zealand Albums Chart, and at number 12 on the UK Albums Chart.[46]

Track listing

Notes

Sample credits

Credits and personnel

Personnel

All credits are adapted from the Red Pill Blues liner notes.

Maroon 5

Additional personnel

Recording locations

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2017–2018)!scope="col"
Peak
position
Japan Download Albums (Billboard Japan)[48] 2
Japanese Albums (Billboard Japan)[49] 6
Slovak Albums (IFPI)[50] 4

Year-end charts

Chart (2018)! scope="col"
Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[51] 88
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[52] 15
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[53] 31
French Albums (SNEP)[54] 102
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[55] 49
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[56] 40
US Billboard 200[57] 22
Chart (2019)! scope="col"
Position
US Billboard 200[58] 102

Decade-end charts

Chart (2010–2019)! scope="col"
Position
US Billboard 200[59] 153

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Maroon 5 and Kelsea Ballerini embrace pop on new albums. November 8, 2017. August 2, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20171227180357/https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Entertainment/wireStory/review-maroon-absolutely-sparkle-red-pill-blues-50885056. December 27, 2017. live.
  2. News: Maroon 5: Red Pill Blues review – impeccable pop and middling R&B. Michael. Hann. November 2, 2017. The Guardian. November 2, 2017.
  3. Maroon 5 returns with their best LP of the decade: EW Review. Madison. Vain. November 3, 2017. Entertainment Weekly. November 3, 2017.
  4. Web site: Maroon 5: Red Pill Blues. Jayson. Greene. November 8, 2017. Pitchfork. November 9, 2017.
  5. News: Maroon "Matrix"? Maroon 5 announce new album "Red Pill Blues". Full Service 100.1/Real Country Q. October 4, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171007131838/http://www.wjbdradio.com/music-news/2017/10/04/maroon-matrix-maroon-5-announce-new-album-red-pill-blues. October 7, 2017. dead.
  6. Web site: And so it begins....pic. Twitter. March 31, 2017. September 29, 2017.
  7. Web site: Maroon 5 Accepts the Decade Award at the 2017 Teen Choice Awards. E! News. Swertlow. Meg. August 13, 2017. September 29, 2017.
  8. Web site: LISTEN: @adamlevine tells @zanelowe that a new @maroon5 album could be out in November + there's one more collab he's really stoked for.pic. Twitter. August 30, 2017. September 29, 2017.
  9. Web site: Maroon 5's New Album Is Called 'Red Pill Blues'. Idolator. Wass. Mike. October 4, 2017. October 5, 2017.
  10. Maroon 5 Announces New Album 'Red Pill Blues': See the Track List. Billboard. Iasimone. Ashley. October 4, 2017. October 5, 2017.
  11. Web site: Maroon 5 Debuted Their 'Shap-Inspired Cover' for Their New Album on (Where Else) Snapchat. People.com. Quinn. Dave. October 5, 2017. November 2, 2017.
  12. Web site: Maroon 5 Reveal Why New Album Artwork is Snapchat Themed. Billboard.com. Lyndsey Havens and Taylor Weatherby. November 1, 2017. November 2, 2017.
  13. Web site: 10th Annual Shorty Awards Winners. Shorty Awards. December 20, 2019.
  14. Web site: Maroon 5 Reveals Standard & Deluxe Track Lists For "Red Pill Blues" Album. Headline Planet. Cantor. Brian. October 5, 2017. October 5, 2017.
  15. Maroon 5 and Kendrick Lamar Share Collab 'Don't Wanna Know': Listen. Billboard. Brandle. Lars. October 12, 2016. October 12, 2016.
  16. Maroon 5 Chart History. Billboard. June 17, 2018.
  17. See Maroon 5's 'Pokémon Go'-Themed 'Don't Wanna Know' Video. Rolling Stone. September 29, 2017.
  18. Web site: Maroon 5 & Future Drop Icy Break-Up Anthem On Valentine's Day. Idolator. Wass. Mike. February 14, 2017. February 14, 2017.
  19. Web site: Maroon 5's Adam Levine Goes on an Acid Trip in New 'Cold' Video. News.radio.com. September 29, 2017.
  20. Web site: Maroon 5 & SZA Team Up for Perfect End of Summer Song 'What Lovers Do' — Listen. Hollywood Life. Ginsberg. Gabriella. August 30, 2017. August 30, 2017. October 12, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191012120932/https://hollywoodlife.com/2017/08/30/maroon-5-sza-what-lovers-do-new-song/. dead.
  21. Web site: Maroon 5. What Lovers Do - Lyric Video - Out Now. Twitter. September 15, 2017. September 22, 2019.
  22. Watch Maroon 5, SZA's Vibrant 'What Lovers Do' Video. Blistein. Jon. Rolling Stone. September 28, 2017. September 22, 2019.
  23. Web site: James Valentine reveals "Wait" becomes a new single. Maroon 5. Twitter. November 3, 2017. December 5, 2017.
  24. Web site: Top 40/M Future Releases - Mainstream Hit Songs Being Released and Their Release Dates. All Access. January 4, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180104211704/https://www.allaccess.com/top40-mainstream/future-releases. January 4, 2018. January 4, 2018. dead.
  25. Web site: Maroon 5 Confirms Song "Girls Like You" Featuring Cardi B Out Tomorrow!. BroadwayWorld. Tori. Hartshorn. May 30, 2018. January 18, 2024.
  26. Maroon 5 & Cardi B's 'Girls Like You' Leads Billboard Hot 100 For Seventh Week, Halsey & Sheck Wes Hit Top 10. Billboard. Trust. Gary. November 5, 2018. December 18, 2018.
  27. Ariana Grande's '7 Rings' Spends Third Week Atop Billboard Hot 100, Marshmello Makes Fortnite-Fueled Flight to No. 2. Billboard. Trust. Gary. February 11, 2019. February 11, 2019.
  28. Stuck By Ya: Post Malone & Swae Lee's 'Sunflower' Ties Record For Most Weeks Spent in Hot 100's Top 10. Billboard. Trust. Gary. September 20, 2019. September 20, 2019.
  29. 13 Things to Know About the Charts This Week: Maroon 5 & Cardi B Top Hot 100, Carrie Underwood Crowns Billboard 200 & More. Billboard. Trust. Gary. September 29, 2018. May 24, 2019.
  30. Maroon 5 Girls Like You Adult Contemporary Chart History. Billboard. August 13, 2019.
  31. Web site: Maroon 5 Teams Up With Julia Michaels On Moody Bop "Help Me Out". Idolator. Wass. Mike. October 6, 2017. October 6, 2017.
  32. Maroon 5 Take a Big Sip of 'Whiskey' on New Song With A$AP Rocky. Billboard. Isaimore. Ashley. October 20, 2017. December 27, 2020.
  33. Web site: Maroon 5. Facebook.com. October 31, 2017.
  34. Web site: Inside Maroon 5's 'Red Pill Blues' Album Release Party. iHeartRadio. Marquina. Sierra. November 8, 2017. October 10, 2018.
  35. Web site: Star Sightings: Taylor Swift and Maroon 5 Celebrate New Albums, Nick Jonas Has a Luxe Night Out & More!. Entertainment Tonight. Krauser. Emily. December 11, 2017. November 14, 2017.
  36. Maroon 5 Announce New 2018 Tour Dates. Rolling Stone. Leight. Elias. October 26, 2017. March 23, 2018.
  37. Web site: Maroon 5 Take Their 'Red Pill Blues' Tour International. Music Mayhem Magazine. August 28, 2018. November 17, 2018.
  38. Web site: Maroon 5 announce CXLOE as special guest on the Australian leg of their Red Pill Blues World Tour February 2019. Amnplify. September 23, 2018. November 15, 2018.
  39. Web site: Sigrid. Sigrid announces to join Maroon 5's Red Pill Blues Tour. Twitter. September 4, 2018. September 14, 2018.
  40. Album of the Week: Maroon 5's 'Red Pill Blues' . Weatherby . Taylor . November 2, 2017 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20180424040327/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8022329/maroon-5-red-pill-blues-album-review . 2018-04-24 . live . April 28, 2018.
  41. Juno Awards 2019: Shawn Mendes Leads Nominations. Billboard. Bliss. Karen. January 29, 2019. February 16, 2019.
  42. Sam Smith's 'The Thrill of It All' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart. Billboard. Keith. Caulfield. November 12, 2017. November 12, 2017.
  43. News: 2017 U.S. Music Year-End Report. Nielsen SoundScan. January 14, 2018. January 21, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180121213644/http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/reports/2018/2017-music-us-year-end-report.html. dead.
  44. Web site: P!nk's Beautiful Trauma holds #1 for fourth week. Australian Recording Industry Association. November 11, 2017. November 12, 2017.
  45. Web site: Christmas Albums Hot On The Chart, And So Is Sam Smith. FYIMusicNews. November 12, 2017. November 13, 2017.
  46. Web site: Sam Smith's The Thrill Of It All debuts at Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart: "This is a dream come true". Official Charts Company. Rob. Copsey. November 10, 2017. November 12, 2017.
  47. Web site: Red Pill Blues - Maroon 5 Credits . AllMusic. November 3, 2017. June 20, 2020.
  48. Web site: Billboard Japan Download Albums– November 8, 2017. . ja . November 8, 2017.
  49. Web site: Hot Albums. Billboard Japan. November 8, 2017.
  50. Web site: Top 100 Slovak Albums. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. November 4, 2018.
  51. Web site: ARIA End of Year Albums 2018. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 10, 2019.
  52. Canadian Albums – Year-End 2018. Billboard. December 5, 2018.
  53. Web site: Album Top-100 2018. Hitlisten. da. January 16, 2019.
  54. Web site: Top de l'année Top Albums 2018. SNEP. fr. January 8, 2020.
  55. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 2018. Recorded Music NZ. December 14, 2018.
  56. Web site: Årslista Album – År 2018. Sverigetopplistan. sv. January 15, 2019.
  57. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2018. Billboard. December 5, 2018.
  58. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2019. Billboard. December 13, 2019.
  59. Decade-End Charts: Billboard 200. Billboard. November 15, 2019.