Does John Mayer's New Material Mark A Turning Point For This Controversial Figure?

By Rahsheeda Ali

September 17, 2013 / 11:00 AM

[Photo Credit: Getty Images]

When John Mayer first burst on the scene as an extremely talented and tempered singer-songwriter, he was deemed a refreshing change from the pop saturation of the early '00s. Even with his fast rise, he seemingly maintained an authentic modesty and even a self-effacing goofiness.

Fast-forward to early 2010, when Mayer's flirtation with cockiness culminated in an infamous Playboy interview. The rocker dropped n-bombs, admitted to having a racist penis, and referred to ex-girlfriend Jessica Simpson as "sexual napalm." What happened?

We figure that somewhere along the way, the pressures of fame probably led to Mayer's undoing. Though he seemed detached from the boozy nightclub scene in an article published before he signed to a major label, a 2010 Rolling Stone piece offers a view of the rocker shouting empty, sexual-tinged affirmations through Los Angeles' hotspots. And by that point, the rocker had become tabloid fodder with a string of famous flings with Simpson, Jennifer Aniston, Taylor Swift, and others.

These days though, it looks like Mayer is getting back to his roots. He's admitted his past missteps, is back with Katy Perry, and has just released a new album. He's even said that he's done with worrying about how much fame he has, just that he wants to make good music.

We applaud him for finding his way as we look back on his early days in the music business.

[Photo Credit: Getty Images]