The updated comparison
The polls still pop up. Usually John wins, because he's the most famous and got the most fans. So, how would the results be if it was entirely up to me?
Points can be earned in 3 categories:
· Talents: Playing & Singing (1 point);
· Their Songs (2 points; each sub category 1 point):
- Musical;
- Lyrics;
· Personality & Publicity (2 points; each sub category 1 point):
- Personality;
- Publicity.
There's a total of 5 points to be earned. The one earning the most points out of 5 wins.
Talents
Playing & SingingJohn Mayer is amazing on guitar, but tends to suck at singing. He tries and sometimes he surprises me, but usually not so much.
Jason Mraz is an amazing vocalist, but his guitar playing is not impressive. I usually got the feeling the guitar really only is a tool to back his vocals up, so he doesn't try too hard to evolve in that area.
Still, I have to reward 1 point to Jason, cause Jason's guitar playing is bearable where John's singing sometimes really isn't.
Jason 1 versus John 0.
Their Songs
Musical
John Mayer is more developed in a greater variety of sounds. He also tends to be edgier, but usually it only lasts for a few songs per period. He has written a few songs which are incredibly good in quality; I dare to say these are timeless. Unfortunately, he also writes quite a few songs which disappear easily.
Jason Mraz tries on a great variety of musical styles, but tends to get stuck at the simple (sounding) love songs and happy tunes. Especially a lot of his new songs sound alike. Jason can be a really fun songwriter and takes you to a party, but the songs don't last. Sometimes he's edgy, but usually the edginess of it is superficial and underneath lies another happy (love) tune.
I have to chose quality over quantity; John gets this point.
Jason 1 versus John 1.
Lyrics
John wrote some of my all time favourite lyrics; really clever ones in which just anyone could find something they understand and love.
Jason wrote some clever lyrics. The difference lies in where the lyrics are clever; where John writes stuff anyone can relate too, Jason can describe one situation in 100 different ways, making it sound poetic. He even manages to give double meanings to sentences or make seemingly meaningless sentences mean something really grand.
Still I'm going to have to give John the point, because I find myself relating more to his lyrics than to Jason's. Tough choice though, because I really admire the way Jason can play tricks with words and make his message come across.
Jason 1 versus John 2.
Personality and Publicity
Publicity
John Mayer dated Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Aniston; all ladies in brighter spotlights than he is. His tendency to date those women gives the suspicion he dates them for the benefit of his career; for the attention. Obviously, that's a big No-No.
John is able to deal with the press well, but regularly fails, because the press takes the liberty to misunderstand. I'm pretty sure John hates certain aspects of the image the press made of him.
Jason Mraz hardly is in the publicity. Whenever he is, it's because he released an album, a single or a book of pictures, or he gives a concert. There's no news, not even gossip about who his new love interest might be. He's only seen in briefs and with a big ass knife, because he posted it himself on his blog. So tongue in cheek, it was obvious this was worth a buzz, not a rumour. Jason handles everything he puts out into the open, and especially to the press, so well and smart, there's nothing that could be turned and twisted into a rumour. Jason already took the edge off for you or handed it to you edgier than you can pass it on to anyone else.
Obviously, one point to Jason for knowing how to deal with people and especially with the press.
Jason 2 versus John 2.
Personality
John is a weird guy with a wicked kind of sense of humour. He's often misunderstood, because he tends to express himself a little too strong or chooses the wrong words. John is an attention seeking guy, somehow. Even though he makes a lot of social mistakes, he's not dumb; on the contrary, I believe he's actually pretty smart. John understands his own choices and he's aware of his social awkwardness. John doesn't follow without understanding, but thinks for himself.
Jason is a bit of a follower; he's an eternal victim of fashion. But because he is, he understands completely why people do certain things and what they're trying to do, and he's smart enough to tap in on it. Beside that, Jason is very passionate about his latest choice of fashion and other people see and feel that and want to feel the same way as Jason does. Even though I hate how he follows without completely understanding, I love how passionate he is about it and how he brings that passion on to others even though it leads others into doing stupid things. His not completely understanding, however, is a big No-No.
Half a point to John Mayer for being nothing but himself and the other half to Jason Mraz for inspiring people to do the right things and being passionate about it.
Jason 2 1/2 versus John 2 1/2.
So, who wins?
I don't know.
In my opinion, neither is better than the other. They both got their talents and use them well. They both got their personality issues, but who doesn't? I love them both for doing what they do in their own way. I love how they believe in their ways and how passionate they are about it. And of course, I love their music; I am a fan after all.
