One of the biggest music tours doing the rounds this year is Maroon 5's. The big-selling pop group had been playing their hits throughout the US and Latin America before they arrived in the Middle East this week.
Led by singer and former The Voice US mentor Adam Levine, Maroon 5 took to the Etihad Arena stage in Abu Dhabi on Friday as part of their tour, which also included a breathtaking show at the Giza Pyramids in Egypt on Tuesday.
Speaking to The National before their Abu Dhabi gig, keyboardist PJ Morton said the band aimed to please with a set list packed with back-to-back hits.
"We were able to work out a new set list post-pandemic that is very joyful and about having a good time," he said. "I think this is what is needed after being shut down for so long. We all need it.”
With Maroon 5 celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut single, Harder to Breathe, this year, here are 10 songs that encapsulate their journey from unsuccessful musicians to one of the world’s biggest pop acts.
1. ‘Soap Disco’ (1994)
Maroon 5 formed out of the ashes of former group Kara’s Flowers.
Featuring Levine, guitarist Jesse Carmichael, former bassist and drummer Mickey Madden and drummer Ryan Dusick, the group had a bolder and rockier sound more comparable to bands such as Oasis and Weezer.
Soap Disco was one of their earlier singles and despite not registering in the charts, the ebullient melodies and catchy chorus boded well for the band's next incarnation.
2. ‘Harder to Breathe’ (2002)
In 2002, now called Maroon 5, the band released their debut single. It turns 20 years old in July and it remains timeless.
The strident guitar riffs carrying the track also point to the fact that the new outfit didn't totally ditch the sound of Kara's Flowers.
The new feature here is the lighter touch in Levine's voice, which led to the group being compared to successful pop-funk acts Jamiroquai and Stevie Wonder.
3. 'This Love' (2004)
This was the era in which albums had a longer shelf life, meaning singles from the collection could be released as far as two years after the album.
Such was the case with This Love, which was riding high on the back of Maroon 5's 2002 debut album, Songs About Jane, and the group's relentless touring schedule.
The swooning mid-tempo ballad was pure ear candy and became a mainstay on the radio, landing the group with their first US No 1 single.
4. 'Makes Me Wonder' (2007)
The band got their funk on for the lead single from their second album, It Won't be Before Long.
With Maroon 5 branded pop music's newest stars, the group used that success to fund this pristinely produced track full of zippy keyboards and danceable basslines, which is all carried by another dynamic vocal performance by Levine.
The song landed them a Grammy Award the following year for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
5. ‘Hands All Over’ (2010)
Three albums in, and Maroon 5 have, for better and worse, established their sound of commercial radio-friendly pop and RnB.
Hands All Over gave fans what they wanted and shot straight to the top of the US charts.
6. ‘Moves like Jagger’ (2011)
Songs referencing other singers can succumb to cringe — the awful Do it with Madonna by The Androids — but Maroon 5 pulled it off with this blistering summer jam.
Such is Levine's vocal command, from the lascivious crooning in the verses and irresistible falsetto in the chorus, that you almost forget Christina Aguilera’s solid contribution towards the end.
The man referenced, The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger, approved the track.
In an interview with BBC Radio in 2011, he described Moves like Jagger as "very flattering."
7. ‘One More Night’ (2012)
The band freshened things up by adding a looping reggae bassline to this silky pop tune.
This also the year the group's newest member, keyboardist PJ Morton, joined. He demonstrated why he was a shrewd choice by adding some vibrant colour to the sonic mix.
One More Night became an international success and topped the charts in a number of territories in the US and Europe.
8. ‘Animals’ (2014)
By this stage, Maroon 5 were all about chart domination.
To achieve this, the band's chief songwriter Levine expanded his net of collaborators to include EDM DJ Benny Blanco and Swedish producer Shellback.
The trio cooked up this slinky track that came with a creepy music video inspired by the 2000 horror film American Psycho.
9. ‘Sugar’ (2014)
While Maroon 5 have been a mainstay in the upper echelons of the charts for two decades, it is with Sugar that they finally had a track that could be considered a timeless pop classic.
This breezy disco jam has an absolute bullseye of a chorus that will have you singing along immediately.
It is also aided by a brilliant and joyous video of the band cruising around Los Angeles and playing surprise slots at people's weddings.
10. ‘Memories’ (2019)
Despite the band's success, critics never really warmed to Maroon 5's hodgepodge of styles, but the dour reviews thrown at this track are unwarranted. Memories is a tender ballad about cherishing the people we love and the experiences shared.
The track, understandably, has taken on more resonance in the face of the pandemic and has now become a cornerstone of their latest world tour.
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Dh1.8m - Dubai Hurricanes' overall budget for next season
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Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
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Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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• Landfill gas is composed of 50 per cent methane
• Methane is 28 times more harmful than Co2 in terms of global warming
• 11 million total tonnes of waste are being generated annually in Abu Dhabi
• 18,000 tonnes per year of hazardous and medical waste is produced in Abu Dhabi emirate per year
• 20,000 litres of cooking oil produced in Abu Dhabi’s cafeterias and restaurants every day is thrown away
• 50 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s waste is from construction and demolition
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1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
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• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
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