Born and Raised is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter John Mayer, released on May 22, 2012, by Columbia Records. It marked yet another change in Mayer's musical style, incorporating elements of folk and Americana, as well as influences from Bob Dylan, Neil Young, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash. Its cover, as well as that of the single "Queen of California", was designed by David Adrian Smith.
Born and Raised received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Mayer's technical skills as well as Don Was' production work. The first single "Shadow Days" was released on Mayer's blog on February 27, 2012, and was made available for purchase as a digital download on March 6, 2012. The second single "Queen of California" impacted Hot AC radio on August 13, 2012, and the third single "Something Like Olivia" impacted Triple A radio on November 5, 2012.
Background
Mayer has stated that he began to gravitate towards new "musical ideals" during the Winter leg of the Battle Studies World Tour, and he credits listening to records by Bob Dylan and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (namely, the Neil Young album After the Gold Rush), as well as other Americana, as influential for this. He has expressed minor frustration at not being able to begin new musical pursuits as soon as he would have liked, due to commitments to complete the touring for Battle Studies.
Upon finishing the tour, and experiencing a backlash for controversial comments made in a Playboy interview, Mayer decided to step away from the media and out of the public eye for a while.
Early reports indicated that the follow-up to Battle Studies would be called Born and Raised and would be released in October 2011.
On September 16, 2011, Mayer posted on his blog that his new record, Born and Raised, was being delayed due to granulomas discovered in his throat. The granulomas were found next to the vocal chords and were treatable. Mayer described this as a "temporary setback" and that recording and mixing of Born and Raised was entirely finished except for a few remaining vocal tracks. He expected the album to be out in early 2012. He told, "I did a lot of therapy, like anti-acid reflux, and it didn’t work, then I went on vocal rest. No alcohol. No spicy food. No talking. Most of September I wasn’t talking at all. I’d have a Bluetooth keyboard, and someone would have an iPad to read what I type. I had to point to menus at restaurants. People look at me like I’m crazy."
On October 20, 2011, Mayer updated his fans about the treatment of his throat granuloma, announcing that he "had surgery this afternoon to remove it and am now on complete vocal rest for a month or more", during which he plans to "travel the country, look, and listen." Recovering from surgery, and after taking a road trip with friends through Middle America, Mayer moved to Bozeman, Montana.
On February 27, 2012, the first single from Born and Raised, "Shadow Days", was released. On February 28, 2012, Mayer released the track listing for the album and announced that Born and Raised would be released on May 22, 2012.
Artwork
The album cover and artwork for single "Queen of California" were designed in a turn-of-the-century, trade-card style by British traditional signwriter and designer David Adrian Smith. Known for his expertise in high-quality ornamental hand-crafted reverse glass signs and decorative silvered and gilded mirrors, Smith was commissioned by Columbia Records to collaborate with Mayer on the artwork, which took approximately one month to complete.
On August 8, 2022, during a Rise For The River Benefit concert aimed at supporting those affected by damaging floods in Montana, Mayer revealed the hidden meaning behind the clock featured on the album cover. Mayer shared that the clock, set to 10:38, holds personal significance to him due to his "obsession with time" and contemplation of his place in life. Mayer explained that if the average male life expectancy was a 24-hour day, then at the time he released the album, it was 10:38 AM in the entire day of his life. He further expressed that as he stood there on stage, it was metaphorically "about lunch time" in his life and encouraged others to reflect on the time of day in their own lives as a source of inspiration.