John Mayer Returns After Five Years With 'Tom and Jerry'

John Mayer has released "Tom and Jerry," his first single as a lead artist in five years, and he has credited a hand-picked lineup of session musicians for carrying it across the finish line.

The singer-songwriter announced the track on Instagram, writing: "From that moment on, the adventure began in bringing that feeling to life." He described the record's origin as a voice note and "an urge to follow a new idea to the end of the road."

The song's emotional core, according to Mayer, is a single lyric: "And if you ever come through, which I doubt you'll do, I'll run away with you."

Who played on the track?

Mayer insisted his listeners know the personnel. "It's important that you know who contributed to this track," he wrote when announcing the single. The full credits list:

• Blake Slatkin – co-writer and co-producer
• Pino Palladino – bass
• Aaron Sterling – drums and percussion
• Lenny Castro – percussion
• Larry Goldings – organ
• John Mayer – vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, synths, programming

Mayer also addressed his collaborators directly in the announcement: "I've said it before, but it bears repeating every time – I get to work with a group of incredibly talented and deeply dedicated artists who will stop at nothing until the sound comes into focus and becomes a picture."

That is a strong claim, and the roster backs it up. Palladino and Goldings in particular carry decades of session work with major artists. What Mayer does not say is how the song performed commercially or whether critics have weighed in; the announcement is entirely his own framing.

What did the teasers reveal?

Mayer previewed "Tom and Jerry" through brief Instagram snippets before the release. One carried the lines: "Admit that if you met me/Tonight for the first time/You'd never forget me/We'd be livin' on the same dime."

The same snippet continued: "It's not too late/It's easy if you try/Whatever his name is/Just tell him goodbye/And if you never come through/Well then you showed me why/You should never make a good girl cry."

Another teaser verse ran: "You're my badge/Baby, I'm your scar/Throwin' daggers at the camera/Tryin' hit me from afar."

The imagery is combative, matching the cartoon-title framing of a chase that never resolves.

What does this change for Mayer's next moves?

Not much yet, and that is the honest answer. Mayer's last full-length LP remains Sob Rock, released in 2021. No new album has been announced alongside the single.

The concrete date on his calendar is further out: Mayer holds a booking at the Sphere in Las Vegas for a special run of shows in 2027. He plans three distinct sets across the residency – one solo, one with a full band, and one with his blues-rock trio.

Until an album appears, "Tom and Jerry" stands as a one-off single with an unusually detailed credit sheet – a signal, perhaps, of the record Mayer wants to make next, but only a signal.