Who says he can't top the charts again?

The recent release of John Mayer’s hit single “Who Says” left fans and critics curious about the content of John Mayer’s latest album, “Battle Studies.” It served as an introduction to an album that reveals much more of Mayer’s quirky personality and honest life struggles.
“Battle Studies” was released on Nov. 17 by Columbia Records, over three years after the release of his previous album “Continuum.”
Most fans would agree that it was worth the wait, as the album quickly rose to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Through his romantic escapades with various celebrities and attempts at stand up comedy, John Mayer has shown himself as more than just a singer/songwriter in recent years. In an interview on Fuse with host Steven Smith, Mayer explains that the life of a celebrity is what you make of it. He is proud that he has been able to pursue various areas of interest while still remaining a respected musician.
Mayer says that through the release of this album, “I’m really returning to my primary element.” In “Battle Studies” he proves that his life as a celebrity has not gotten in the way of his melodic voice and phenomenal guitar skills.
“Battle Studies” is an honest album. Mayer isn’t necessarily playing it safe as he sings “Who says I can’t get stoned/ Call up a girl that I used to know/ Fake love for an hour or so/ Who says I can’t get stoned,” in his single “Who Says”. He says that while “Continuum” was an attempt at the perfect record, “‘Battle Studies’
is a lot more endearing in the sense that it really feels like me, not on stage playing for you for some of these songs, but in your house playing for you.”
In many tracks he is quite candid and puts his beliefs bluntly. In “Half of My Heart,” an almost-duet with Taylor Swift, he confesses to holding back in a relationship.
He sings “Half of my heart’s got a real good imagination/ Half of my heart’s got you/ Half of my heart’s got a right mind to tell you/ That half of my heart won’t do.” In “Friends, Lovers or Nothing,” he explains the harsh reality that friends and lovers don’t go hand in hand.
Taylor Swift’s cameo in the album is something to note, as Mayer rarely collaborates with other artists. In one interview on ROVE, he explains that he wants his albums to be around forever. He cannot control what another artist will do with their future so it is a risky move to put someone else on his album. This shows the respect he must have for Swift as an artist.
At the same time, Swift barely sings three lines in “Half of My Heart” and then simply sings backup for Mayer. It seems that this skepticism may just take away from the song itself. Throughout “Battle Studies,” Mayer ties in repeated battlefield references to easy-going Southern Californian melodies as well as some tracks that resemble the sound of bands like U2.
John Mayer’s upcoming San Diego show on Dec. 29 at Copley Symphony Hall is sold out. He will also be playing in Las Vegas on Dec. 1 at The Joint.