Red Pill Blues

by Maroon 5

Overview

Set aside the unforced error of the title Red Pill Blues, an allusion to The Matrix that has also been co-opted by Men's Right Activists -- a group whose combative sensibility is the polar opposite of the perpetually smooth Maroon 5. Set aside, too, the album cover, where the group -- who now number seven -- are all decked out with Snapchat filters, a gambit that suggests the group is a bit too sensitive about their veteran status. Taken on its own musical terms, Red Pill Blues is a sleek, assured affair, one that sustains a seductive neon-streaked mood from beginning to end. Embracing their essential identity as a blue-eyed soul band, Maroon 5 update their sound through a bevy of producers, spearheaded by executive producer J Kash. Unlike its 2014 predecessor V, a generally fine album undercut by a slight brittleness in the Max Martin production and a desperation highlighted by the vulgarity of added single "This Summer," Red Pill Blues glides easily -- so easily that the extent of its EDM-inspired digital collage production isn't immediately apparent. One of the reasons the modern sheen doesn't blind is that every track pushes the groove front and center, but behind the rhythm there are strong song foundations. As such, Red Pill Blues doesn't 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. Everything comes to a head on "Closure," an extended 11-minute smooth-funk jam that throws all the album's strict structure out the window. Its presence not only draws attention to how Maroon 5 can vamp, it also highlights the discipline behind the rest of Red Pill Blues. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/03/2017
Label:	222 Records / Interscope
UPC:	0602557618099

Tracks

1. Best 4 You
2. What Lovers Do
3. Wait
4. Lips on You
5. Bet My Heart
6. Help Me Out
7. Who I Am
8. Whiskey
9. Girls Like You
10. Closure

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Maroon 5   Primary Artist
Future   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
SZA   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
LunchMoney Lewis   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
A$AP Rocky   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Kendrick Lamar   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Julia Michaels   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Cardi B   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Matt Farrar   Drums,Percussion,Handclapping
Charlie Puth   Vocals
Victoria Evigan   Vocals
Gian Stone   Vocals
Noah Passovoy   Vocals,Keyboards,Percussion,Drums
Shawn Tellez   Percussion
Cirkut   Keyboards
Phil Shaouy   Vocals
Ben Billions   Keyboards
Ricky Reed   Guitar
Matt Flynn   Drums,Vocals,Percussion
Jesse Carmichael   Guitar,Keyboards
Sam Farrar   Bass,Vocals,Keyboards,Percussion,Handclapping
King Henry   Guitar
Mickey Madden   Bass
James Valentine   Drums,Guitar,Percussion
Adam Levine   Guitar,Vocals
PJ Morton   Vocals,Keyboards
John Ryan   Vocals
Jacob Kasher   Vocals
Jason Evigan   Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards
Julian Bunetta   Keyboards

Technical Credits

Kurtis McKenzie   Composer
Benny Blanco   Composer
Diplo   Composer,Producer,Programming
Solana Rowe   Composer
Charlie Puth   Composer,Producer,Programming,Vocal Producer
Henry Walter   Composer
Derrick Stockwell   Assistant
James Alan Ghaleb   Composer
Starrah   Composer
Brittany Hazzard   Composer
Alex Ben-Abdullah   Composer
Gian Stone   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming,Vocal Producer
Bianca Minniti   Production Coordination
Hector Delgado   Engineer,Vocal Engineer,Additional Production
Noah Passovoy   Engineer,Producer,Programming,Vocal Producer,Digital Editing,Additional Production,Production Coordination
John Armstrong   Assistant
Travis Schneider   Design,Art Direction
Randy Merrill   Mastering
Jon Mills   Composer
Andrew Haas   Composer
Eric Frederic   Composer
Oscar Goerres   Composer
Julia Michaels   Composer
Thomas Wesley Pentz   Composer
Peter Kelleher   Composer
Kendrick Lamar   Composer
Ammar Malik   Composer
Cirkut   Producer,Programming,Vocal Producer
Alexander Izquierdo   Composer
Victor Radstroem   Composer
Phil Shaouy   Composer
Ian Franzino   Composer
Oladayo Olatunji   Composer
John Ryan   Composer,Composer,Producer,Programming,Vocal Producer
Ben Billions   Producer,Programming
Ricky Reed   Producer,Programming,Vocal Producer
Ben Sedano   Assistant
Tinashe Sibanda   Composer,Cover Art,Photography
Gamal Lewis   Composer
Elina Stridh   Composer
Jesse Carmichael   Vocal Producer
Sam Farrar   Mixing,Producer,Digital Editing,Additional Production
Noel Fisher   Composer
King Henry   Composer,Producer,Programming
Tom Barnes   Composer
Ben Kohn   Composer
James Valentine   Vocal Producer
Adam Levine   Composer,Executive Producer
Ben Diehl   Composer
Serban Ghenea   Mixing
John Hanes   Mixing Engineer
Justin Tranter   Composer
Teddy Geiger   Composer
Eric Eylands   Engineer,Assistant
Jacob Kasher   Composer,Executive Producer
Jason Evigan   Composer,Producer,Programming,Vocal Producer
Julian Bunetta   Composer,Producer,Programming
Phil Paul   Producer,Programming,Vocal Producer
Henry Allen   Composer