John Mayer’s return to the game with his sixth studio album Paradise Valley has soared to number one on iTunes. But the singer-songwriter admits he was shocked when Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop” video trounced views for his new single “Paper Doll” last month.
Although the “Paper Doll” video racked up millions of hits just one day after its release, the 35-year-old confesses he was taken aback that “We Can’t Stop” beat his views hand down.
“You think you’re really crushing it and you look at Miley Cyrus’ video and there’s like… 46 million,” Mayer told The Associated Press .
In fact, “We Can’t Stop” went on to score over 149 million views after picking up the VEVO record for most viewed clip in 24 hours following its premiere.
John’s sixth studio album features big name collaborations including Frank Ocean and girlfriend Katy Perry, with whom he recorded “Who You Love.” It’s claimed “Paper Doll” was written about ex-squeeze Taylor Swift.
The Grammy Award winning artist also talked about getting older and suggested the landscape of music business was different now to when he began his career.
“I’m getting older and people seem to be staying the same age… so at any moment if someone says, `It was really nice having you, just if you don’t mind stepping this way?’ I would go, `Oh, I get it. I get it,” Mayer told AP.
Of the frank duet with Perry, he says he hopes fans can listen to the track as simply a great piece of music beyond the tabloid chatter that surrounds their relationship .
“It’s really the much larger, scaled-up version of small-town gossip. “Well, I hear he dated so and so,’ and you have to make these decisions when you get to know somebody,” he explains.
“If the music is framed correctly and quality, and if it’s right and the soul is there, it would be the highest compliment to the record if somebody said or people said, `I don’t even think about it being a relationship, I just hear it as a great song.’”
Take a listen to the duet below!
