Maroon 5 are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their celebrated album V with a new vinyl release and a special website that highlights the seminal era of the band.
The new edition, which is set to ship on Friday, August 31, features hit singles like “Animals,” “Sugar,” and more.
The website features five unique BTS videos, the first of which is available now. The clip features cover artist Jung Lee discussing the inspiration for the cover art, which was shot in South Korea.
Check out the video below.
Maroon 5’s fifth studio album featured the group reintroducing elements of the sound that had made the group successful in the first place.
Though still open to collaboration and following the pop direction that had yielded such success (Sia and Gwen Stefani would feature on the record), V marked something of a return to a rockier vibe, as guitarist James Valentine was keen to make clear when he spoke to MTV in late 2013. “It definitely has gone maybe a little darker in its sound, maybe back a little bit more to what we kind of did on our debut,” he said.
What emerged wasn’t perhaps quite as pronounced as that, but V was infused with a renewed experimentation. Another move towards earlier dynamics was the welcome return of rhythm guitarist Jesse Carmichael, who had sat out the past two years to concentrate on his own material. The results would mark a significant change for the band, who, a decade after first breaking through, were now established industry veterans. Strong chart placings had become the norm for Maroon 5 and, following its release, on August 29, 2014, V emerged confidently atop the Billboard charts.
The album’s recording sessions had taken slightly longer than usual, spread across a year as band members juggled promotional commitments, touring dates and other work. The V campaign had begun that June, with the release of “Maps.” With its striking and controversial video, the song wrapped an insistent pop melody in a decidedly stark narrative that played to the more adult themes that appeared on the band’s debut, Songs About Jane. “Maps” made a respectable No.6 in the US and an impressive No.2 in the UK.
“Animals,” released at the same time as its parent album, did even better, making No.3 in the US and doing great business globally. Written with pop hitmakers Benny Blanco and Shellback, Adam Levine’s composition was another solid song that carried with it another controversial video treatment. In part set in a slaughterhouse, the “Animals” promo clip made for unsettling viewing and, thanks to its striking imagery, received a daytime ban on some stations. But the fuss couldn’t slow such a strong song for long.
Order the 10th anniversary edition of V.
