The Longevity of John Mayer's Appeal

By GRACIE DENNEEN ‘21

John Mayer is an artist who has withstood the test of time. From his first release of “Your Body is a Wonderland” in 2001 to the release of “New Light” a whopping 17 years later, he is a very beloved artist. Both young and old music lovers can listen to John Mayer’s soulful music. Though not the flashiest, he is a laid back artist that can be appreciated across the board. How has John Mayer kept his music career alive through all of this time? How did he manage to be on the top of the charts in the early 2000s and then again in 2018?

According to biography.com, John Mayer was born in 1977 as the son of two teachers. After seeing Michael J. Fox’s character in Back to the Future, Mayer was inspired to pick up the guitar. After high school, he attended Berklee College of Music for only two semesters, after which he dropped out to go to Atlanta to begin the pursuit of his musical career. He got signed to Aware Records in 2000, marking the beginning of his career and ensuing success.

John Mayer began appearing at the top of the charts almost instantly. He released the hit “Your Body is a Wonderland” in 2001, which ended up in the 15th spot on the top charts in 2003, according to Billboard. He then released the song “Waiting on the World to Change” in 2006, which also ended up in the 15th spot on the top charts. John Mayer became a household name, and one that many teens remember from the music of their childhoods.

Now at 40 years old, John Mayer could be thought of as an older artist to most teens, he broke that stereotype of himself recently with the release of “New Light” in May of this year. Because of his likeable persona, “New Light” landed in the top 3 of the iTunes sales chart over the course of this year according to Headline Planet. How has Mayer been so successful for so long, defying the constraints of his age?

John Mayer stays true to himself. He’s a talented musician and uses his talent to express himself through music. He has an authenticity that helps his popularity. He sings with leisure, and the tone of his voice is so easy to listen to. He also uses small riffs on a guitar or synthesizer to tie the verses and choruses together into a seamless three minutes of music. Another factor that adds to his success is his ability to adapt. Though he stays true to his own personal style, he also includes elements of new musical styles into his songs. In “New Light” he uses an electronic beat, in contrast with his usual manual drum kits. His ability to weave new styles into his original and personal style also greatly helps his popularity.

John Mayer is a phenomenon of music. His musical ability combined with his ability to adapt and appeal to people of all ages is what makes him so special. He is the epitome of keeping up with the times. I’m excited to see what he comes up with next, because knowing him, it will ride the balance of new and old perfectly.