What do you think of the Luke written "Sugar" from Maroon 5's New Album

[RoyFan]

  "Sugar" from the new Maroon 5 Album.  Hasn't got much radio airplay yet but it's gonna be the 3rd single possibly.

   My overall opinion on it is that it seems to build up to a song that could have been really really good but then for whatever reason it's not taking me to that "Wow" place overall.
   Anyone having the same experience when listening to it?  Like the 4 melodic sections in and off themselves are very good but somehow not "tied together" optimally.  Either because of
   actual melodic form, or vocal by Adam.
   Keep in mind I'm comparing it to a body of work by Luke which is really strong.

   Starts off really strong both Adam's singing and the mellow soulful melody/lyric which fit together perfectly.
   Then comes the B section - "Don't wanna be needing you love" -  it's not bad, but it seems like in terms of energy it intensifies everything a bit quickly.
   It might be the way Adam sings it, or the actual "speediness" of the melody.  So that's the first part of the song where I think it could have gotten into something
   better.

    The C section:  "Sugar yes please etc"
     Melody here I think is solid and a good change.  But something again in the overall combo of Adam's singing and rise in intensity is off.  It's dancing around the area of a
     really good transition and song, just missing by a bit.  Maybe someone that's reading this is sensing it too and can define it better than me.

   The D section "You showed me good loving, make it alright etc"
    A very good hook.  And one that flows well from C melodically.  Good vocal on this one.  I think this particular hook sounds a little more familiar to me than most of Luke's hooks.
    I get of course, that what makes a song unique is not 1 particular part, but the unique sequence of parts, but I guess I'm just used to him "dressing up" his inspirations better
    so that's the only critique of this part.

   But then where I think the song would have sounded better, is instead of going back to the "sugar yes please" after D , they should have repeated the melody of "you showed me good
   loving etc" , but with a different lyric and resolved it that way.
 
   So the sound quality and groove and instrumentation, as we're used to from Luke is very good.  And 4 solid melodic sections in and off themselves but not strung together/performed
   optimally.

  Anyone being affected by the song in a similar fashion?

[Voodoo]

Luke got a writing credit but no producer credit. How often does that happen?!
So... here's my theory: they took some guitar part he did from another song (probably for Katy) and just wrote a new track to it.
Cause that song is flat and is missing the "Luke" touch in my opinion.

Just my 2 cents

[sweetmelody]

Luke got a writing credit but no producer credit. How often does that happen?!
So... here's my theory: they took some guitar part he did from another song (probably for Katy) and just wrote a new track to it.
Cause that song is flat and is missing the "Luke" touch in my opinion.

Just my 2 cents

Luke is under contract to work with only Sony acts exclusively (he got an exception from Sony to work on the Katy stuff, but that's it). Maroon 5 is UMG. If you look at the credits he did a lot more than play guitar, he also programmed and I think played bass as well. What happened is that he produced the record with Ammo and Cirkut but could not take a credit for legal reasons (he can have a writing credit legally), so the credit was left with them. But don't worry, since Ammo and Cirkut are signed to Luke, he did pretty well on that. ;-) Hope that explains it.

As for the song. I agree with RoyFan. It's ok.

[RoyFan]

sweetmelody - in the notes of the album it says who played organ/keyboard? or did you get that from a site? (which one)

Do you think Adam had anything to do with the topline?  I think not very likely because I read a quote from him saying he was really impressed the first time he heard the song..etc
Yet he is given a credit, probably just a tiny lyrical change here or there....

[sweetmelody]

sweetmelody - in the notes of the album it says who played organ/keyboard? or did you get that from a site? (which one)

Do you think Adam had anything to do with the topline?  I think not very likely because I read a quote from him saying he was really impressed the first time he heard the song..etc
Yet he is given a credit, probably just a tiny lyrical change here or there....

Here are the credits (streamlined a bit), according to the digital booklet:

Written by Adam Levine, Joshua Coleman, Lukasz Gottwald, Jacob Kasher Hindlen, Mike Posner and Henry Walter
Produced by Ammo & Cirkut for Prescription Songs
All Instruments and Programming by Maroon 5, Dr. Luke, Ammo and Cirkut
Guitar by James Valentine and Dr. Luke
Bass by Mickey Madden
Synth Bass by Dr. Luke
Drums and Percussion by Matt Flynn, Dr. Luke, Ammo and Cirkut
Core Percussion by Cirkut
Keyboards by PJ Morton, Jesse Carmichael, Dr. Luke, Ammo and Cirkut

Regarding topline, based on what I know about the writers/producers, I would say the breakdown of the writing is most likely to be:

Topline: Mike Posner and Adam Levine (and possibly some Luke)
Lyrics: Adam Levine, Mike Posner and (mostly) Jacob Kasher Hindlen
Producers getting writing credits: Ammo and Cirkut
Chords: Dr. Luke

[RoyFan]

Thanks for that Melody!   Hmmm.. maybe that's why the top line seems a bit loosely connected or off - cause they gathered
2 or 3 people's parts and put them together - (or 2-3 people in the same room and time came up with stuff and they didn't string it together optimally, figuring the top line parts were all strong, so they must go well together)

[sweetmelody]

Thanks for that Melody!   Hmmm.. maybe that's why the top line seems a bit loosely connected or off - cause they gathered
2 or 3 people's parts and put them together - (or 2-3 people in the same room and time came up with stuff and they didn't string it together optimally, figuring the top line parts were all strong, so they must go well together)

I don't know how they wrote it in terms of who did what, but it's very common for multiple writers to be on one song. I think they probably broke it down by section and the best ideas one, plus there was likely lot's of editing of the original ideas.

[RoyFan]

yes..that does happen in studio situations - Do you work in a team of writers yourself?
Any of your stuff on the net?

[sweetmelody]

yes..that does happen in studio situations - Do you work in a team of writers yourself?
Any of your stuff on the net?

Yes, I do work in music and am very familiar with writing sessions, etc. But I prefer to stay private, hope you understand. :-)

[Voodoo]

Luke is under contract to work with only Sony acts exclusively ...

Aha! Thanks for the info

[j.fco.morales]

Aha! Thanks for the info

Being Katy Perry the only exception.

What happened about that joint venture between Big Machine & Prescription Songs?

[sweetmelody]

Being Katy Perry the only exception.

What happened about that joint venture between Big Machine & Prescription Songs?

It's still around. Far as I know nothing major has happened thus far. You have to remember that companies like that will focus on their flagship artists/writers first and foremost. So for Big Machine, it's Taylor Swift and then everyone else. For Rx, it's all their own writers (which is actually a very big roster now), of which probably 4 or 5 get the bulk of the major work.

[Dr. Fleischman]

Luke is under contract to work with only Sony acts exclusively (he got an exception from Sony to work on the Katy stuff, but that's it). Maroon 5 is UMG. If you look at the credits he did a lot more than play guitar, he also programmed and I think played bass as well. What happened is that he produced the record with Ammo and Cirkut but could not take a credit for legal reasons (he can have a writing credit legally), so the credit was left with them. But don't worry, since Ammo and Cirkut are signed to Luke, he did pretty well on that. ;-) Hope that explains it.

In 2014 and 2013 Dr. Luke produced/wrote songs for Ne-Yo (UMG), Wiz Khalifa (Warner), Robin Thicke (UMG), Nicki Minaj (UMG), Jessie J (UMG), Katy Perry. I'm not shure if his contract with Sony is that restrictive.

[sweetmelody]

You're right, I forgot about that. Seems like he didn't get an exemption with Maroon 5 for whatever reason.

With that said, Sony blocked Luke from being on AI in 2013 because it was UMG. The two companies hate each other. But I guess sometimes money talks. Maybe Maroon 5's side didn't want to pay Luke's fee + whatever it takes to get Sony to agree.

[ihavemorales]

I work for Luke. Katy was given a hefty sum for "Sugar." She usually would be upset because she wants her writing credits (she has plenty, will get one on the new Nicki Minaj album for a song she wrote that went to Grange), but the lump sum was big enough to satisfy her. She was actually the one who came up the verse melody, not the chorus...took a Mariah Carey song, changed a chord, and wrote her lyrics.