Falling in and out of love the secret to Maroon 5's long spell at the top
Female fans are a major part of the megaband's global success, writes Kate Whitehead
Maroon 5 are one of the hottest bands on the planet. So hot, in fact, that when tickets for their Hong Kong gig went on sale in May, all tickets to the massive show at AsiaWorld-Arena on September 4 sold out in less than two hours.
The Hong Kong appearance is part of the band's 13-month world tour which has also taken in London's Wembley Arena in May and will visit Las Vegas at the end of the year before wrapping up next March in South America.
The story of the band, led by frontman Adam Levine, is a classic high school to high life one. Their first incarnation was in 1994 as a grunge band named Kara's Flowers. The group broke up, but came back in 2001 and renamed themselves Maroon 5. In 2002, they released Songs About Jane and everything changed.
"It opened us up to so many experiences. I remember waking up every day and feeling totally stoked. I think it resonated with people because it did reflect the times. It combined stuff no one was putting together," guitarist James Valentine said in a recent interview.
Songs About Jane was a slow-burning success. Five singles ended up hitting the charts, including Harder to Breathe, This Love and She Will Be Loved. It was re-released in 2003 and by the end of the following year the album, packed with relatable break-up lyrics, was in the top 10 of the US Billboard charts.
"Lyrics have been a big part of why people have stuck around, but it's also that Adam is super cute," guitarist Jesse Carmichael told Mashable.