Maroon 5’s Jordi is a tribute album, which features names like Stevie Nicks, H.E.R. and Megan Thee Stallion and packs in a whole lot of feel-good vibes. The album is dedicated to and named after their former band manager Jordan Feldstein who passed away in 2017. Back in 2019 the band had also dropped the single Memories which spoke about the personal loss people experience. The Telegraph spoke to a bunch of musicians about the new album...
They said
I’ve never been a “fan” of Maroon 5. Yes, I’ve liked and performed their super hit songs , but that’s where it ends. Apart from having previously released hit singles like Memories, Nobody’s Love and Beautiful Mistakes, this album has eight new tracks. Maroon 5 for me has been that band which just wants to deliver commercially successful hit songs rather than distinguish or hone a particular or unique sound and rightly so, they have done it again. Almost all the songs are catchy, well produced and in adherence with current pop trends. The two tracks which stand out for me which might be commercial successes are Lost and Lovesick. Their choice of guest artistes is pretty unique with Stevie Nicks, H.E.R., blackbear, Megan Thee Stallion, and more as they are all different from each other. The songs are typical 21st century pop tunes, some have the RnB touch while others have the retro vibe with modern production and a lot of vocal synth usage. All in all, it’s a collection of pretty catchy tunes but it just desperately screams of Maroon 5’s attempt to stay commercially as successful as possible without really any unique touch of their own.
— vocalist Subholina Sen
Big respect to the band for dedicating their newest LP to their late manager, Jordan Feldstein. The album has a flavourful choice of collaborations while really diving deep into “the feels” with lyrics and music collectively. Each track definitely has its individual flare, but I was definitely hooked onto a few, like the opener of the LP, Beautiful Mistakes. Maroon 5 sure knows how to make singing about a fated romance catchy and absolutely relatable. Another one is Echo which is a perfect blend of blackbear’s musical talent mixed with the deep reverb vocals of Levine, it transports you! Totally a song to drive through the city and lose yourself in it. Convince Me Otherwise has such a disco-RnB vibe... it forces you into an automatic jig irrespective of where you are. H.E.R.’s vocals add the burst of colour to make the chorus a power- packed composition. A chilling collab is with the late Juice WRLD, Can’t Leave You Alone which speaks of a doomed effort between lovers. POWERFUL! Wish there was more of Juice WRLD but I’ll take what I can get. Yet another beautifully composed album by Maroon 5, a must for your music library. Can’t wait to get down to covering a song or two!
— guitarist Saul Samuel
If I had to summarise this album, I would say it is fun but forgettable. A couple of songs might make it into my workout playlist, but as an album, it all kind of blends together in a neatly packaged mush with a flowery cover on top. A lot of it is energetic and entertaining, but in spite of the recurring themes of loss and departed friends, it’s not really deep or thought provoking. In fact, these themes and tributes to posthumous collaborators were things I found out when I looked it up after listening to it twice. I don’t think it really reflects at all in the music itself, which comes off as slightly shallow and formulaic. Despite the diverse group of guest artistes, none of them really stands out or bring much personality to their songs. Memories feels like the only point in the album with some breathing room. Unfortunately, since the song was released nearly two years ago and I’ve spent all of lockdown teaching it to various students... it’s lost any emotional impact long ago. Although I didn’t mind listening to the album, I really didn’t feel much after it was over. For the powerful topics it deals with, I wish it was more impactful. Perfectly serviceable, fun at times, but nothing special — producer and composer Shireen Ghosh
In Jordi, Maroon 5 makes us question why they are even a band any more. Most of this album sounds like it’s just Adam Levine plus featured artistes plus generic shiny LA music production. The personality of the individual musicians is nigh absent. It also brings up an important question about priority in the pop music industry. Does one make music for music’s sake, or do you put a tick on a list of tropes of the current pop zeitgeist, so that your music has a higher chance of being on a DJ or curator’s set list, or a film or TV show’s credits — ensuring monetisation by virtue of licensing? Because streaming has never made anybody any money. Out of the entire album, however, three songs — One Light, Convince Me Otherwise and Nobody’s Love are the only songs with musical interest in this album. One Light specifically is pretty good example of cubism in a pop format --- minimal drums playing a fraction of a clave, restrained arpeggiated guitars implying harmony instead of being in your face. Convince Me Otherwise has a cool bassline and some good vocal performances — guitarist Rivu.
The seventh album by Maroon 5 is dedicated to and named after the band’s former manager Jordan Feldstein who passed away in 2017 due to a sudden cardiac arrest. Sourced by the Correspondent
Quick reviews
Album Cover
Rolling Stone: A little more escape might’ve been welcome.
Variety: What Jordi lacks in cohesiveness, it makes up for with bangers and much-needed good vibes.
The Guardian: Pop at its most shallow and calculating.
Evening Standard: A superficial journey through the Top 40.
The Independent: In a way it’s representative of Maroon 5 themselves: ubiquitous, but irrelevant.
