Music Review: Maroon 5 "Sugar"

Maroon 5

Sugar

Album: V

Year: 2015

               Adam Levine is in the goofy, honeymoon stage of love in the efferverscent        “Sugar.”

                 Winsome synths open the single, setting an adorable tone. She hasn’t answered any of his texts. He wonders what he did wrong. He taps his shoe on the floor in his office, staring at the clock on his computer. He wants to go home now and try to fix it. (“I'm hurting baby, I'm broken down/I need your loving, loving I need it now/When I'm without you, I'm something weak/You got me begging, begging I'm on my knees.”)

             In the pre-chorus, he isn’t used to the mind-numbing fear of losing her. They leave for work in the morning and he wishes he could go with her. (“I don't wanna be needing your love/I just wanna be deep in your love/And it's killing me when you're away/Oh baby/Cause I really don't care where you are/I just wanna be there where you are/And I gotta get one little taste.”)

                 In the chorus, he returns home, eager to find out what she has to say. She says she was stuck in a meeting and couldn’t get to her phone. He pulls her close to him and whispers that he would like to kiss her. She giggles and says it’s ok. (“Your sugar, yes please/Would you come and put it down on me?/I'm right here, cause I need/Little love, a little sympathy/Yeah you show me good loving, make it alright/Need a little sweetness in my life/Your sugar, yes please/Would you come and put it down on me?”)

                 Before her, he had gone through several bad breakups. He thought it wouldn’t ever find love again. She gave him hope. (“Babe, my broken pieces, you pick them up/Don't leave me hanging, hanging come give me some/When I'm without you, I'm so insecure/You are the one thing, one thing I'm living for.”)

                The pre-chorus and chorus again.

                  In the bridge, he wants to sleep with her. She’s gorgeous, even first thing in the morning. He has no desire to get the upper hand in the relationship. (“I want that red velvet/I want that sugar sweet/Don't let nobody touch it unless that somebody's me/I gotta be a man, there ain't no other way/Cause girl you're hotter than the Southern California Bay/And I wanna play no games, and you don't gotta be be afraid/Don't give me all that shiny shit/No make-up on, that's my sugar.”)

                    Levine’s falsetto vocals finally have been put to good use. Sometimes it can be really awkward (“Never Gonna Leave This Bed” springs to mind) and not sound like it should. He’s an absolute joy for once instead of some creep obsessed with sex all the time.