The Five Best Songs From Maroon 5's 'V'

Whether on the television or in your speakerbox, Adam Levine is pretty much everywhere. He’s been a coach on the singing competition show The Voice for years, and his band Maroon 5 only seems to be getting bigger - but with their new album, V, does it give them the firepower needed in order to create another ‘Moves Like Jagger’?

‘Jagger,’ released in 2011, is far and away Maroon 5’s biggest hit to date, and it’s clear that the group has been trying to find the magic to make an equally successful part two ever since. For the most part, they’ve gotten close, but it just hasn’t been enough. ‘Jagger’ reached number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 and the Mainstream Top 40, with sales that have accumulated over six million units. Who wouldn’t want to re-create those numbers?! Maroon 5’s 2012 record, Overexposed, took the band into a brand new pop-heavy realm that relied strictly on those ‘Jagger’ like tunes, but they always fell short. ‘Payphone’ was the album’s lead single and peaked at number two, while ‘One More Night’ only lasted a little while at number one.

More: Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo tie the knot

On Maroon 5’s newest record, V, the band has once again worked with a powerhouse production team featuring the likes of Shellback, Ammar Malik, and Benny Blanco, and they’ve expanded even more on their pop sound - but this time, making it a little darker than before. “There was a first batch of songs that seemed like they were darker and maybe a little more organic-sounding,” guitarist James Valentine told Billboard back in July 2013. In the final product, it seems as if Valentine and Levine got back to their darker ways, as some of the tracks on V stray far away from the bubbly upbeat Maroon 5 that we’re used to knowing. As a result, the songwriting and musicianship on V makes it arguably the band’s greatest record to date, and while it may not have a ‘Moves Like Jagger’ on board, it’s worth going over the album’s best tracks.

‘Maps’ ‘Maps’ was oddly received when it was released as the first single for V, and the general consensus was that people either loved it or hated it. Of course, ‘Maps’ adds some new elements to the Maroon 5 arsenal, and it’s frantic chorus and Police-like vibes make it obvious as to why it was the first single. Also, a co-write from OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder probably doesn’t hurt either. The song holds a cool ‘Counting Stars’ vibe, and Tedder’s influence has certainly helped the song rise to number six on the charts.

Next Page: Additional 'V' tracks that are worth the listen

'It Was Always You'
Released as the second promo single for V, 'It Was Always You' is delightfully haunting and explores a brand new electronic vibe for the band. It was produced by a production duo by the name of The Monsters and The Strangerz, and you may recognize them as they've done tracks like Carly Rae Jepsen's 'Tonight I'm Getting Over You' and Big Sean's 'Beware.' What they bring to Maroon 5's V is refreshing and much desired, and they also produced another V track, 'Coming Back For You.'

'Animals'
It's not a Maroon 5 record without some risque lyrics, and 'Animals' is chock full of'em. Talking about being inside of people and preying on them, it's a track that would be creepy if anyone else sung it. Overall, it all gets pretty intense - but that's the kind of Maroon 5 that strives the best. 'Animals' is one of the standout songs on V and Levine's vocals are out of this world in the chorus - and the insanely pop chorus just happens to be one of their strongest in a long time. It's produced by Shellback and proof that Maroon 5 can stick to their regular formula and still churn out quality songs.

More: Watch the lyric video for Maroon 5's 'Animals'

'New Love'
'New Love' should have been codenamed 'Next Big Hit' in the studio, because that's exactly what it sounds like. Ryan Tedder is back running things when it comes to writing and production, because heck, why not? Only this time, 'New Love' blows 'Maps' out of the water. Even better: it doesn't have much OneRepublic influence - it sounds like a true Maroon 5 track through and through, and it's simply a fantastic pop track with amazing hooks. If any song on V is going to be the next 'Jagger,' it will absolutely be 'New Love.'

'My Heart Is Open'
Okay, this one is kind of a big deal. Adam Levine links up with Gwen Stefani on 'My Heart Is Open' - a beautiful, piano driven ballad, and both Levine and Stefani sound like they were made to sing together. The vocals complement each other with ease, and it brings V to an end on what acts as the band's best closer yet. What 'My Heart Is Open' proves is that whether V brings them another massive hit or not, they've still got what it takes to remain relevant in the mainstream for a very long time.