Songs About Kate

Maroon 5 was always going to be my first complete vinyl collection.

Shortly after my mom brought me my first record player, Uncle Mocha (aka the husband) completely blindsided me by gifting me every Maroon 5 studio album on vinyl. He knew exactly what he was doing. Most people build a record collection one album at a time. Not him. He bought the entire discography because he knew these weren't just records to me. They were over twenty years of memories.

I was 13 years old when Songs About Jane came out, but honestly, it felt more like Songs About Kate. Up until then I had just gotten off the NSYNC bandwagon. Maroon 5 was different. It had edge. It had attitude. The riffs had this effortless sass that somehow matched the teenage angst I didn't know what to do with yet. I wasn't listening to the lyrics nearly as much as I was listening to the feeling. Those came later. Before long, I had earned the nickname "Mrs. Levine" in my friend group. Everyone understood... at first.

Then It Won't Be Soon Before Long came out, and suddenly I was paying attention to the lyrics. Maybe it leaned a little more pop. Maybe I was just becoming a teenager. Either way, something clicked. The songs were still ridiculously fun, but now they were relatable too. Teenage Kate absolutely ate up the slutty lyrics in Can't Stop. Around the same time Adam Levine was collecting tattoos, finding his own style, and my hormones had absolutely no idea how to process any of it.

Hands All Over felt more mature. The songs traded some of the blatant sexuality for stories about love and relationships, and I ate that up. Misery is still one of the most fun videos they’ve done. The only song that never landed for me from this album was Moves Like Jagger. It wasn't just overplayed. It was the first time I caught myself thinking, "Oh... they're trying to please the masses."

Then came Overexposed. They leaned further into pop, but they hadn't lost me. Not even close! It was still banger after banger. Daylight and Love Somebody are severely underrated, and the album artwork is still my favorite in my entire Maroon 5 collection. Sometimes I pull that record out just because it looks so damn good.

V felt like they were trying to make something memorable instead of just letting it happen... To me, it seemed like they had lost themselves. That doesn't mean I didn't love parts of it. Sugar is the perfect wedding cake-cutting song, and yes, I know everyone used it. It genuinely fit us, so I didn't care. It Was Always You should have been a single. It doesn't even sound like a typical Maroon 5 song, but it f**king works. It has this Phil Collins feel that scratches an itch I can't explain. Animals is a pee song. If you've ever been to a concert, you know exactly what that means.

By the time Red Pill Blues came out, I was finally becoming a real adult. I was already with Mocha, and we were doing the long-distance thing. I spent a lot of weekends driving to see him, and this album became the soundtrack to those trips. Windows down. Music loud. Alone with my thoughts, madly in love in a completely foreign way. I'd play the album on repeat until it stopped sounding like dopamine. Looking back, I don't even know if I can judge that record fairly because it's tangled up with so many memories. But I do know that Wait is still an absolute banger!

JORDI, Jordi, Jordi…This one broke my heart. I still like it. I still listen to every song. It just isn't an album I come back to over and over again. The music started sounding a little ‘sad dad’ pop-rock. Maybe I was evolving too? Honestly, I think me and Adam were just growing apart. Around that time, Uncle Mocha started introducing me to artists and genres I never would have found on my own. I was just discovering another side of myself. These days, my brain wants music that sounds like ADHD in headphones, and straightforward pop doesn't always scratch that itch anymore. Too predictable.

Love Is Like surprised me. It still doesn't sound like the Maroon 5 I grew up with, but that's okay! It feels like they're having fun again. The songs are more layered, the arrangements are more interesting, and the band feels a little sassy again. It doesn't give me the same dopamine hit the early albums did, but it reminds me why I still root for them.

Maroon 5 grew up too. They built families. They lived through fame, criticism, success, and everything that comes with being one of the biggest bands in the world. I grew up right alongside them. I don’t think I’m chasing their old sound… I am chasing the way their old music makes me feel.