“Animals” by Maroon 5

On “Animals”, Maroon 5’s lead singer utilizes a lot of imagery, particularly referencing the animal kingdom to illustrate his relationship with his partner.

The chorus, which carries the theme of the song, sees the singer claiming to prey on his partner, hunt and eat her alive. Here he likens their sexual encounter to the way a predator catches its prey. He also mentions smelling her scent, likening it to how most animals can track their prey miles apart through scents.

It’s in the verses of the track that the state of said relationship becomes clearer. The singer and his partner are only bonded through the wild sexual encounters they have but afterwards they fight, ignore each other or have other entanglements. Although the writer is aware that the relationship is not thriving, he can’t seem to get over this person because of their intimate affairs. He concludes the song by suggesting to his partner that she can try other fish (men) but shouldn’t deny how wild and thrilling their sensual moments can be.

“Animals” Facts

• Key Artist(s): Maroon 5
• Writing Team: Benny Blanco, Shellback and Adam Levine
• Production: Shellback
• Release: August of 2014
• Album: Maroon 5’s 2014 “V” album

What music genre is “Animals”?

It a dance-pop song.

Chart Glory

“Animals” was a top 5 hit for Maroon 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in America. It actually rose to position 3 on this coveted chart.

In the UK, it was a top-40 hit, actually getting to position 27 on their official singles chart. Furthermore, “Animals” soared to number 1 in Spain, Ukraine and Canada. It achieved this same status on other American Billboard singles charts such as the “Mainstream Top 40” and “Radio Songs” listings.

Do cover versions of “Animals” exist?

Yes. Since Maroon 5 dropped released this banger in 2014, many musical acts have done their own renditions of this song. Some of these musicians include:

• Ice Nine Kills in 2015
• Runaground in 2014
• J.Fla in 2018

In the case of Ice Nine Kills, the song was included in Fearless Records’ compilation album titled “Punk Goes Pop Vol. 6”. Though it wasn’t included in the initial release, it became part of the project when they re-released it in 2015.

Was “Animal” a Maroon 5 single?

Yes. The song was a single release. It was the second single Maroon 5 released from their famous “V” album. Other notable singles from “V” include the likes of:

• “Sugar”
• “Maps”
• “Feelings”

Controversies

The song was severely criticized by some section of the society. And why? Some felt the lyrics of “Animals” was promoting violence against women and degrading them in the process.