Whiskey
by Maroon 5 (featuring A$AP Rocky)

Album: Red Pill Blues (2017)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Here, Adam Levine is reminiscing about a past romance:

    And I was so young
    'Til she kissed me
    Like a whiskey
    Like a whiskey


    For a long time Levine has wished he could forget his former lover but as the years passed, he can now "smile when I remember."
  • A$AP Rocky comes in for a final verse, offering some alcohol-inspired rhymes in which he recalls the "fine wine" who went off with his heart. This is one of several collaborations that Maroon 5 have clocked up with rappers. Past ones include hook-ups with Wiz Khalifa ("Payphone") and Kendrick Lamar ("Don't Wanna Know").
  • Artist Direct asked guitarist James Valentine how blending Maroon 5 with hip hop allows the band to be different. He replied:

    "It's something that we've flirted with in the past and it's worked, and hip hop is one of our big inspirations, even on the earlier records. Even though there might not have been actual guest verses on there or actual rapping on there, instrumentally, musically, sonically we were finding most of the exciting stuff back in the early 2000's was coming from the hip hop world, so it's kind of a natural progression.

    I think it grows out of the fact that I think we've been around for long enough that we've established ourselves to get the opportunity to work with these great artists, and so why not? If we have the chance to work with someone like A$AP Rocky or Kendrick Lamar, we are going to jump on the opportunity."
  • James Valentine told Billboard about the excitement generated among the band members when they collaborate with rappers: "It creates this awesome sort of Christmas-morning dynamic, where you send off the files to Kendrick or A$AP Rocky or something - you get the files back, and you're like, 'Aw, let's listen to it!' Then you listen to it for the first time and of course, from Kendrick or A$AP, it's just brilliant. To hear it is a really cool feeling."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Gary Lewis

Gary LewisSongwriter Interviews

Gary Lewis and the Playboys had seven Top 10 hits despite competition from The Beatles. Gary talks about the hits, his famous father, and getting drafted.

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"They're Playing My Song

When a waitress wouldn't take him home, Jack wrote what would become one of the Eagles most enduring hits.

Keith Reid of Procol Harum

Keith Reid of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

As Procol Harum's lyricist, Keith wrote the words to "A Whiter Shade Of Pale." We delve into that song and find out how you can form a band when you don't sing or play an instrument.

Richie Wise (Kiss producer, Dust)

Richie Wise (Kiss producer, Dust)Songwriter Interviews

Richie talks about producing the first two Kiss albums, recording "Brother Louie," and the newfound appreciation of his rock band, Dust.

Donald Fagen

Donald FagenSongwriter Interviews

Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs.

Don Dokken

Don DokkenSongwriter Interviews

Dokken frontman Don Dokken explains what broke up the band at the height of their success in the late '80s, and talks about the botched surgery that paralyzed his right arm.