In 2017 and with political tensions running higher than they've been in several generations, it's risky for any band or artist to make any kind of allusion to their political leanings.

It seems that Maroon 5 - as in, the Adam Levine-fronted pop-rockers who have had hits with 'Moves Like Jagger' and 'She Will Be Loved' - have had to come out and deny that the title of their new album 'Red Pill Blues' is a reference to the alt-right.

Apparently, the phrase 'red pill' is tied into the men's rights' movement and signifies an awakening of anti-feminist theories and ideals.

Guitarist James Valentine has now commented on the furore, telling the Huffington Post: "We didn’t really understand the whole men’s rights thing... We had no idea about the association with men’s rights. Hopefully, everyone knows from all of our pasts, that from our statements on the issue and our actions in the past, that we are all hardcore feminists in the band. So that’s a horrible association to have. The internet trolls have to ruin everything.”

He added that the title was meant as a reference to The Matrix: "We were talking about The Matrix – do you take the red pill or the blue pill? And the fact that seeing the world for what it is in 2017 can be kind of rough.”

If you ask us, they should also be expressing regret for that awful artwork...