Maroon 5 has released its latest music video directed by RSA and Black Dog Films’ director David Dobkin. 'Middle Ground' premieres today on MTV, and features Adam Levine, the band and their families recording the reflective acoustic song at a country house and adjacent barn. Filmed in Los Angeles’ Topanga Canyon, the beautiful community set in the hills, cliffs and national parks of the Santa Monica Mountains, David’s filmed in a softly lit, observational style to convey the kinship of the day.
“When Adam first sent me the song, I told him we couldn’t put imagery to it. The lyrics are too good,” David recounted. “But then we kept talking and borrowed a page from Exile On Main Street, and decided to take a documentary-like approach and film the song being recorded at a house in the country… including the families hanging out. I’ve known Adam for over 20 years and the work together is always special to me. It’s been a great run!”
'Middle Ground' is David’s sixth video for Maroon 5. He also directed the viral smash 'Sugar,' the video featuring the band crashing weddings all over the city as the wedding band, which amassed over 3.8 billion views. More recently, David’s directed 'Girls Like You' ft. Cardi B and packed with female celebs, everyone from Ellen to Millie Bobby Brown, Tiffany Haddish, Sarah Silverman, Behati Prinsloo and many more. You can see more of his work here.
Maroon 5 will perform 'Middle Ground' tonight on The Voice, which Levine appeared on as a popular coach for 16 seasons before leaving the show in 2019. The performance also marks the departure of Levine’s coaching spar partner Blake Shelton from the show at the end of the season.
Middle Ground’s release follows Maroon 5’s recent successful first run of Las Vegas Residency shows, M5LV, to rave reviews from fans and critics alike. The band will be back to Dolby Live! at Park MGM in July 2023.