Why You Don't Hear Much From John Mayer Anymore

John Mayer broke into the pop music scene with "No Such Thing" in 2002. With his smooth voice, impressive guitar work, and good looks, it wasn't long before he solidified his position as a giant figure in the industry. Since then, he's had a string of hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including "Say," "Daughters," and "Waiting on the World to Change." And while the musician's still releasing records and selling out arenas, he's been pretty quiet lately. Let's answer the question on everyone's minds: Why don't we hear much from Mayer anymore?

Mayer infamously came under fire for a cringe-worthy pair of interviews in 2010. Following a string of outlandish remarks, the "Bigger Than My Body" singer came off looking like an egotistical, racially insensitive, womanizing — well, jerk. Needless to say, he ticked off a lot of people.

In January of that year, he humiliated ex-girlfriend Jessica Simpson when he called her "sexual napalm" and shared risqué details about their relationship with Playboy (via E! News). In the same interview, he dissed Aniston, said the N-word, and stated, "My d**k is sort of like a white supremacist." Yikes.

Mayer unfortunately failed to learn his lesson after sparking outrage the first time around, and got even more crass about his sex life during his Rolling Stone interview that June. "All I want to do now is f**k the girls I've already f**ked, because I can't fathom explaining myself to somebody who can't believe I'd be interested in them," he told the magazine. "I'm too freaked out to meet anybody else." During this interview, the guitarist went on to share TMI details about his masturbation, porn, and bathroom habits, and even coined the phrase, "the Joshua Tree of vaginas." Wow.

Mayer extended his hiatus from public life after he developed a granuloma on his vocal chords in 2011. His harrowing journey to recovery included multiple surgeries, several months of strict dieting and vocal rest, and having his vocal chords paralyzed via Botox injections. The "Who Says" hit-maker's severe vocal problems not only delayed the release of Born and Raised and resulted in a canceled tour, but also jeopardized the future of his career.

"There was not a lot of hope. They said cancer would have been easier to get rid of," Mayer told Rolling Stone in 2013. "Everything changed about my voice. I don't have the projection.... I've found new ways around everything — new ways to talk, new ways to laugh. Now I wonder if I can go right back to the shape of my voice that I had when I was singing once I can do what I want to do with it."

With an estimated net worth of $40 million, Mayer doesn't necessarily need to crank out music for financial stability or relevance anymore. As evidenced by Forbes in 2017, the guitarist had no problem filling 17,000 seats at the L.A. Forum without the support of a new hit song.

At that point in his career, Mayer had just released the follow-up to 2013's Paradise Valley, an understated turn to country-folk that was well-received, but not as commercially successful as his previous output. Still, the "Something Like Olivia" singer remained confident about his career trajectory, telling the sold-out arena, "[Thank you for] giving me the freedom to make music that doesn't compete with anybody."

As Mayer later told USA Today, his new output, The Search for Everything, actually "began with this idea of, 'I don't need to put out another [record] and I'm not going to until it proved the reason for its existence.' It had to transcend anything I had done before."

Mayer reached a major milestone in his life in September 2017 — one year of sobriety. "One year ago today, I decided to give drinking a break. A very personal thing for everyone. For me, a constant return on investment," he tweeted at the time, adding, "I post this because I want people to know that 'that's enough for now' is on the menu, so to speak."

Earlier that year, the "Gravity" singer spoke candidly about his resolve to stay sober, telling The New York Times that he went to therapy to work through his "attachment style" and dependence on alcohol.

"Drinking is a f***ing con. How much is enough?" the "Queen of California" singer later rhetorically asked Rolling Stone. "Every time I drank, I was looking for some sort of regulated amount. It always feels wrong for me. I always feel like I went overboard." Although he explained that he "never had a serious issue" with drinking, Mayer admitted, "There's never an amount that felt like I was succeeding at life. It always felt wrong." He later added, "I put [smoking weed] where drinking used to go, and the quality of life has gone up considerably."

Mayer may be known as a notorious bachelor due to his string of high-profile relationships, but the guitarist has admitted that he finally feels ready to settle down and start a family.

"I'm ready to roll, I'm more mature than I've ever been," the "XO" singer told Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live in 2016 (via Page Six). "The stage is set but I'm excited for a meet cute at some point. I'm single and I'm excited about the future."

The following year, Mayer revealed that he yearned for the stability of a home. "I wish there was somebody to throw me the 40th," Mayer told The New York Times. "I want the baby with the protective earphones [by the side of the stage]. I want to say, 'We'll take it,'" he continued, adding, "I'm right on time for my career, and I'm running late for my life."