My love of John Mayer’s music spans over 20 years. I first saw his music video for “No Such Thing” at the wee age of 14, and instantly fell in love; the lyrics spoke to me (what angsty teenager couldn’t relate to lyrics like “I wanna run through the halls of my high school, I wanna scream at the top of my lungs/I just found out there’s no such thing as the real world/Just a lie you got to rise above”?), but I also feel for his soulful voice and beautiful acoustic guitar work. I bought his CD with the money I’d been saving from writing music reviews, and played it nearly non-stop that year. 

Over the years, I’ve continued to follow all of his releases – from his solo albums, to the John Mayer Trio – and have seen him in concert three times across two continents. I’ve always resonated with his heartfelt lyrics that most times seemed to reflect on some thought or feeling I was having at the same time of my life that Mayer’s songs were released.

John Mayer is typically who I’d name as my favourite solo artist, and how can I not after so many years of fandom? I’d be lying if I didn’t say my enthusiasm towards his music has waned in recent years (maybe from 2018-on), but I’d also put that down to the fact that he’s released less music in recent years compared to his heyday. Still, you’ll catch me at any John Mayer concert in Sydney, and his releases are always a day-one listen for me.

Album Reviews