How Maroon 5, which make their India debut on December 3, made it big

For those who have followed Maroon 5 for over two decades, this night promises to be a night to remember. This will be the first chance for Indian fans to see Adam Levine and his bandmates perform live, bringing a selection of hits that defined the early 2000s as well as recent singles that keep them relevant today. With Maroon 5’s history of mixing pop, rock, and R&B with clever hooks, their set list is expected to traverse a timeline of their sound evolution — from the soulful resonance of She Will Be Loved to the synth-pop of Girls Like You.

A concert of A-listers

In recent years, India has seen an influx of global artists, marking its place on the international touring circuit. This concert season boasts of big names, who are set to perform in the coming few months. We have all been witness to the madness around Diljit Dosanjh’s blockbuster Delhi show and the euphoria around Coldplay’s concert in January. Towards the end of this month, on November 30, pop heartthrob Dua Lipa would perform at the MMRDA Grounds in Mumbai. If Chris Martin and company will have the Mumbai crowds dance to their tune on January 18, 19 and 21, American dream pop band Cigarettes After Sex, known for their ‘limerent’ style, will take fans on a trip on January 24 (Delhi), 25 (Mumbai), and 28 (Bengaluru).

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A few years ago, concerts of this scale would have seemed unlikely, with only a handful of international acts making the long journey to perform here. Today, however, India’s growing urban youth demographic and an emerging interest in global pop culture have changed the dynamic. For top bands, there is a ready enthusiastic fan base eager to connect with their music. Major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru have become the concert hotspots. And events like Justin Bieber’s 2017 Mumbai concert and U2’s 2019 India tour have paved the way for other top-tier acts to consider India a viable stop.

How Maroon 5 cut their teeth

Born and raised in Brentwood, Los Angeles, Adam Levine, the band’s frontman and lead vocalist, has been passionate about music since childhood. Adam’s uncle Peter Noah and brother Timothy Noah had successful careers in TV and journalism, which influenced his upbringing. Adam’s early love for music, inspired by artists like Simon & Garfunkel, Beatles, Michael Jackson and Green Day, led him to pursue a career in music. Listening to them was good for songwriting, but Adam has said in interviews that he felt he needed to look elsewhere for “vocal inspiration.” He came to realise that it was genres like soul that better suited to his voice than rock music. “At 14 or 15, we were into the Green Days and the Weezers of the world. Eventually [when] we stumbled on soul and R&B, I really latched onto it and felt passionate about it in a way I hadn’t felt about anything since my youth … it was nice to have a reawakening,” he shared with Chloe Govan in Maroon 5: Shooting for the Stars (2013).

Maroon 5 initially came together under a different name. Originally called Kara’s Flowers, the band began with a rock sound that was by and large unrefined; they played around Los Angeles as high school students. Adam Levine, along with bandmates Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden, and Ryan Dusick, were consumed by music. When the band mates came to New York, it opened their ears to new sonic possibilities. “One of the most memorable turning points — besides playing Herbie Hancock’s Hunters album on a loop and discovering Jay-Z — was their introduction to Are You That Somebody?, a collaboration between Aaliyah and Timbaland,” writes Govan.

“That is one of the most revolutionary sounding songs ever recorded. We heard that song and we thought to ourselves, ‘Whoa, there has never been anything like this before.’ We were just so sick of being a typical rock’n’roll band and doing the things a typical rock’n’ roll band does,” Adam later told the LA Times. “So we started to latch onto that … I think there was a lot of audacity about that, just because of the way that we look and what kind of turned us on was we thought, ‘Maybe we’re doing something new!’” The band’s first album, The Fourth World (1997), however, didn’t make much of an impact commercially. In fact, when they toured during this time, they were often booed off stage. Disheartened but undeterred, the band members went their separate ways for a while, with Levine and Carmichael even attending college.

But they couldn’t stay away from music for long. In 2001, they reunited with a fresh perspective and a new sound. With James Valentine joining as lead guitarist, they rebranded themselves as Maroon 5. They were ready to experiment, mixing pop and R&B influences into their rock base. This re-imagined sound would soon propel them to international fame and establish them as one of the most versatile and much-loved bands in modern pop-rock.

Their debut album as Maroon 5, Songs About Jane (2002), was a game-changer. Full of catchy hooks, soulful lyrics, and Levine’s distinct, emotive voice, the album became an instant hit. The band’s fusion of pop and rock, laced with elements of funk and R&B, set them apart from other groups at the time. Hits like This Love, She Will Be Loved, Sunday Morning, and Harder to Breathe turned them into household names, as the album climbed the charts worldwide. Songs About Jane was not just commercially successful, it also won the band a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2005.

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This album defined an era for many fans, including yours truly. Its lyrics, centred on heartbreak, passion, and self-discovery, spoke to music aficionados around the world. This Love and She Will Be Loved, in particular, became anthems for a generation. Even today, these tracks hold a nostalgic charm, reminding listeners of the early 2000s and the feeling of discovering a new sound that was both fresh and relatable.

‘It won't be soon before long’

After the massive success of their debut, the pressure was on Maroon 5 to follow up with another hit album. In 2007, they released It Won't Be Soon Before Long, which showcased a darker, more polished sound. The band experimented with synthesizers and a heavier rock influence, creating a style that kept fans on tenterhooks. The album’s lead single, Makes Me Wonder, topped the Billboard Hot 100 and won them another Grammy.

In songs like Wake Up Call and Won’t Go Home Without You, the band continued their exploration of love and heartbreak, but with a more mature, edgy twist. This album showed Maroon 5’s ability to adapt and evolve, proving they weren’t just a one-hit-wonder. Instead, they were carving out a pride of place in the pop-rock genre with a sound that kept transforming, staying relevant while still holding onto the core elements that made fans fall in love with them — many times over.

By 2010, Maroon 5 had established themselves as a force to reckon with in music, but they weren’t content to rest on their laurels. Their third album, Hands All Over, gave us hits like Misery and Moves Like Jagger — the latter of which became one of their biggest singles to date. Featuring a catchy, danceable beat and a feature by pop icon Christina Aguilera, Moves Like Jagger saw Maroon 5’s style shift toward a more mainstream pop sound. The song was a global success and made them a band capable of crossing the boundaries of genre.

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In 2012, the band released Overexposed, an album bursting with upbeat, catchy tunes that went full throttle with pop. With tracks like Payphone and One More Night, Maroon 5 demonstrated their knack for creating radio-friendly hits with an emotional pull that was hard to resist for those falling in and out of love.

A trip down memory lane

In 2014, Maroon 5 released V, which was steeped in the electronic and pop-infused sound they had developed by now. Tracks like Maps, Animals, and Sugar, which boasted of electronic beats but also harked back to the band’s pop-rock roots, dominated the airwaves, Sugar became a major hit, boosted by a fun music video that captured the band “crashing” real weddings and surprising guests.

Then came Red Pill Blues in 2017, which introduced a more mellow, R&B-inspired sound. Featuring collaborations with artists like SZA, Kendrick Lamar, and Julia Michaels, this album was another step in Maroon 5’s constant evolution. Tracks like What Lovers Do, Girls Like You, and Wait showed the band’s willingness to experiment with new sounds while still staying true to their identity. Girls Like You, featuring rapper Cardi B, became another massive success.

Their seventh and latest album, Jordi (2021), named in honour of their late manager Jordan Feldstein, is imbued with a more introspective tone. The album riffs on love and loss, giving fans a deeper glimpse into the personal experiences that have shaped the band. Tracks like Memories capture a sense of nostalgia and growth, as Maroon 5 pay tribute to the people and moments that have been part of their journey. Memories struck a chord with fans worldwide, as its lyrics touched on the universal feeling of loss and remembrance. If you are counting down to December 3, perhaps it’s time to revisit some of their chartbusters, and take a trip down memory lane.