Singer-songwriter John Mayer released the light, care-free song “Love on the Weekend” on Nov. 19, 2016. The track is one of four songs in Wave One of his new album, “The Search for Everything.” According to Mayer, four songs will be released from the album each month, although he did not specify for how many months.
In the first song of Wave One, “Moving on and Getting Over” sounds like Mayer’s usual soft rock with R&B influenced rhythms. It’s an honest song about getting over a breakup. He sings “for all my running, I can understand I’m one text away from being back again” while continuously repeating “I’m getting over I got to get over.”
As a whole, these songs lyrically reveal a deeper understanding of the musician’s love-life while instrumentally highlighting the guitarist’s undeniable talent with solos just as raw as the lyrics.
“Changing” is the most simplistic song in this wave. Describing the ever-going changes he faces as a person and an artist, Mayer repeats the word “changing” 24 times. Mayer’s hopeful outlook for the future can be heard in the tone of this song as well in the lyrics “I may be old and I may be young, but I am not done changing.”
The tune “Love on the Weekend” has a light and carefree vibe to it as Mayer says, “you be the DJ, I’ll be the driver you put your feet up in the getaway car.” The musician self-harmonizes throughout this song adding to the light melodies that can be heard along with acoustic as well as electric guitar.
The song “You’re Gonna Live Forever in Me” begins with whistling and piano playing — which sounds oddly reminiscent of the music from “Toy Story” movies. Despite the similarities to an animated children’s movie, this song is the most gut-wrenching of this first wave as Mayer sings, “and when the pastor asks the pews for reasons he can’t marry you I’ll keep my word in my seat.”
The lyrics are heartbreakingly honest and do well to humanize the singer who has often been criticized because of his comments about past relationships.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Mayer says, “this is the first time in my life as a singer that I’m in a state of emotion, not just intellectualizing how to sing a song.”
You can listen to "The Search for Everything – Wave One" via Spotify below:
