Red Pill Blues

Growing up is hard to do, but Maroon 5 heed adulthood’s call on their sixth album. Sort of. The wildly successful pop-rock band still focus on songs about love and longing, but their vantage point has started to shift. Vocalist Adam Levine sounds tired of endless games on the songs “What Lovers Do,” “Plastic Rose,” and “Don’t Wanna Know,” but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to throw away every good time (“Girls Like You”). Levine and crew bolster their cadence-driven style with moodier, synth-heavy moments and dancehall tempos. Thanks to co-signs from SZA, A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, Future, and more, the result moves the band closer to Drake, the Weeknd, and even Major Lazer’s territory.