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Review: Maroon 5 - Payphone (feat. Wiz Khalifa) [Single]

"The radio edit is a better listen, and the version without the ‘Black And Yellow’ rapper is even better"

by Huw Hopkins, June 25th, 2012 and has been Read 2110 times.
Last Edited by: Ffion Davies June 25th, 2012.

It’s hardly a surprise that the dweeby members of Maroon 5 have continued to create such popular music. Their early success and ability to play more than one style meant they were able to cement their longevity with high profile collaborations from Kanye West, Christina Aguilera and now Wiz Khalifa.

The radio edit of ‘Payphone’ is a good song. Despite Adam Levine’s vocal melody being complicated in comparison to the easy sing-along-ability of ‘Moves like Jagger’ or ‘This Love’, it’s not so intimidating that a festival audience wouldn’t give it a go and sound pretty good doing so.

WATCH // 'Payphone' (feat. Wiz Khalifa)

Musically it’s simple, the way Maroon 5 have always played, with romantic instrumentation and a straightforward beat based around the snare and bass drum. This discipline has also helped the band to remain popular.

The original song features Wiz Khalifa and some completely pointless curse words from Levine, as if making himself appear tough, instead it sounds corny and unrealistic. For the prudish listeners, the radio edit is a better listen, and the version without the ‘Black And Yellow’ rapper is even better.

‘Payphone’ certainly won’t be the song Maroon 5 will be remembered for, but it may make their greatest hits in 5 years time. What lets it down is the unnecessary bravado, which distracts from it being an enjoyable tune and turns it in to nothing more than a white man frontin’.