Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Blender
Entertainment Weekly	C+
Los Angeles Times
PopMatters	6/10
Robert Christgau
Rolling Stone
Slant Magazine
Spin	5/10
USA Today

Heavier Things is the second studio album by American musician John Mayer, released September 9, 2003 on Columbia Records in the United States. The title of the album itself is a subtle response to certain criticism of Mayer's music.

The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 317,000 copies in its first week. Despite some negative criticism towards Mayer's songwriting, Heavier Things received generally positive reviews from music critics.

There's a certain swing-for-the-fences feel and a hurried nature that I think you have when you're making your first record and have much to prove. Now that I'm in a higher gear, I don't have to press so hard on the gas, and I'm loving it.

Mayer felt he could be more relaxed and focus more on his art while making Heavier Things. With Jack Joseph Puig as producer, loops and horns were more prominently featured. Mayer took greater control of the creative side with this album; much of the album was recorded in his New York City apartment. He also got final approval on all radio-edits.

Columbia Records used a conservative marketing campaign to promote the album. Columbia Records Group president Will Botwin says. "We think we're being smart. It's a long-term project. We understand what we're creating is a career. Effectively, that's the message: Keep the hype at bay." In keeping with that gameplan, the album's first single, "Bigger Than My Body", only went to radio a few weeks before the album's release; promotional broadcasts of the album were limited to MTV.com and Mayer's official site, both of whom began streaming the complete album the September 2 before its release. Scheduled television appearances included Saturday Night Live on Oct. 4 and several late shows.Columbia Records thought it was important to put Mayer in talk show-type scenarios before the album release to help bring focus to his art and to his singer/songwriter career; to steer away from the fame and celebrity hype.

Despite being "delayed" on the radio, the lead single "Bigger Than My Body" gained commercial and critical success. "Clarity" was the second single released from Heavier Things. Although the song usually receives rare radioplay, it is one of Mayer's fan favorites, and is normally performed at Mayer's concerts. The song received very positive reviews from critics, mostly being praised for its relaxing style and beat.

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