"That's What I Like" | ||||
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Single by Bruno Mars | ||||
from the album 24K Magic | ||||
Released | January 30, 2017 | |||
Studio | Glenwood Place (Burbank, California) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:26 | |||
Label | Atlantic | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Bruno Mars singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"That's What I Like" on YouTube |
"That's What I Like" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars from his third studio album, 24K Magic (2016). The song was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence, Christopher Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy, Johnathan Yip, Ray Romulus, Jeremy Reeves, and Ray McCullough II. The former three produced the song under the name of Shampoo Press & Curl with the latter four, as the Stereotypes, co-producing it. Atlantic Records released the song to Hot AC radio in the United States on January 30, 2017, as the second single from the album. The song is a hip hop soul, new jack swing, R&B and funk track. The song's lyrics address extravagance, a luxurious lifestyle, and love.
"That's What I Like" received mixed reviews, some music critics considered the song to be one of the best on 24K Magic, while others criticized its lyrical content. The song was a commercial success in the US, where it peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100; it reached number three in Canada and number four in New Zealand. It has been certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and seven-times platinum by Music Canada (MC) and Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ). The song was also certified diamond by the Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique (SNEP). It is the highest-charting single in the US from the album and was the world's fourth-best-selling digital single of 2017. It sold 9.7 million units, ranking among the best-selling singles worldwide.
The accompanying music video, which was directed by Jonathan Lia and Mars, depicts the latter reciting the song's lyrics and combines choreography with black-and-white animation. Mars performed the song on awards shows such as the 2017 Grammy Awards and the 2017 Brit Awards, and included it on his 24K Magic World Tour (2017–2018). It received several nominations and awards, winning Song of the Year at the 2017 Soul Train Music Awards, as well as Song of the Year, Best R&B Song, and Best R&B Performance at the 2018 Grammy Awards. The song has been covered by various singers.
In September 2014, Bruno Mars tweeted, "Now it's time to start writing chapter 3", hinting he was working on new music. Following the release of the successful Mark Ronson's single, "Uptown Funk" (2014) featuring Mars, the latter headed to the studio to record more songs. Mars affirmed he had no plans to release a new album "until it's done". It was due in March 2016, but Mars's appearance at the Super Bowl half-time show postponed it for several months. At the time, seven songs were already recorded. [1]
The Stereotypes had known Mars and worked with him since 2007, but after he signed a deal with Atlantic Records they did not collaborate very often. [2] In 2015, Jonathan Yip talked with Mars about working together. Mars was already recording 24K Magic and asked for "some beats", which Yip sent. Mars later asked for more beats and the Stereotypes sent them, but they never heard from him; "nothing came of it". [3] [4] In June 2016, Yip contacted Mars, who asked Yip if they would like to help him finish a song for his album; he needed another song with a certain tempo and key. [3] [4] [5] Yip sent Mars an idea that caught his attention; he asked the Stereotypes to go to the studio. [2] [3] [6] After they helped Mars finish "24K Magic", Mars challenged the team to help him with two more songs. [2] [6]
At this point, Mars had already shown the Stereotypes two songs, including a fully written and produced demo of "That's What I Like" that sounded like a ballad, according to Ray Romulus. [2] [5] [7] Mars, however, told the Stereotypes he wanted the song to make him move in a certain way and that it was missing a certain "bounce". He wanted them to focus on the "groove, shifting and fine-tuning" until they found the "precise ingredient of danceable joy" that he wanted. [5] [7] [8] The team started to change the rhythms and the drums of the song, and Mars danced along to it and stopped when he could not move to a chord or drum. [2] [8] [9] Once the programming of the drums was finished, the song had a different feeling; despite its slow tempo it had a "danceable double-time". This is due to the trap beats, which modernized the track and gave it "bounce". [2] [5] [7] Then, the Stereotypes tore everything else apart, giving the track new chords and a new pre-hook, B section, and bridge. [2]
In November 2017, Mars was a guest on the Charlie Rose Show . He said the album was intended to make people feel fabulous: "I'm talking about eating shrimp scampi and lobster tails and drinking strawberry champagne". [10] Romulus said the lyrical concept came from Mars, adding, "All that about the Cadillacs and champagne ... that's how Bruno is. He's giving you a day in the life". [7] During a phone interview with CBS Mars said that he second guessed the song, having to listen to it "for over a year to make sure it's all right." [11] It was the first song that Mars asked James Fauntleroy to help him write. [12]
"That's What I Like" was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence, Christopher Brody Brown, Fauntleroy, Yip, Romulus, Jeremy Reeves, and Ray McCullough II. It was produced by Mars, Lawrence and Brown under the alias Shampoo Press & Curl; and co-produced by Yip, McCullough, Romulus, and Reeves as the Stereotypes. Eric "E-Panda" Hernandez played the live drums while Mars, Fauntleroy, and Lawrence performed background vocals. At Glenwood Place Studios in Burbank, California, Charles Moniz recorded and engineered the track with assistance from Jacob Dennis. It was mixed at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach by Serban Ghenea, with John Hanes serving as mixing engineer. The track was mastered by Tom Coyne at Sterling Sound, NYC. [13]
"Versace on the Floor" was scheduled to be the second single released from Mars's third studio album 24K Magic (2016). In early January 2017, however, AllAccess reported that "That's What I Like" was being sent to Top 40 radio stations as the second single instead. [14] [15] Atlantic Records released the track on January 30, 2017, to adult contemporary, hot adult contemporary and modern adult contemporary radio stations in the United States and to American contemporary hit radio and rhythmic contemporary stations on the next day. [16] [17] [18] BBC Radio 1 began adding the song onto their playlists on February 24, 2017. [19] In Italy, the song was sent for radio airplay on March 3, 2017, through Warner. [20] On April 21, 2017, a package with four remixes of the song was released for digital download in various countries. [21]
"That's What I Like" is a hip hop soul, new jack swing, R&B, and funk song. [4] [22] [23] It was composed in the key of B♭ minor at a tempo of 134 beats per minute. [24] The song features Mars in the center of the track, supported by enthusiastic backing vocals, Boyz II Men-style finger-snaps, a "silky pre-chorus", and "punctuating ad libs". [25] [26] [27] Bill Lamb of ThoughtCo described the single as an "R&B groove, giving a nod to the new jack swing music of the late 1980s and early 1990s". [28]
Billboard 's Andrew Unterberger said the song is reminiscent of the R&B from the early 1990s, infused with New Jack Swing and a little hip-hop, comparing it to the "harmonies and Uptown production of early Jodeci". [22] Christopher Weingarten of Rolling Stone wrote that the track "brings the silky vibes" of R. Kelly's 12 Play (1993) "into the boom of modern trap". [29] Chris Molanphy from Slate defined "That's What I Like" as a mix of the "80s-into-90s styles like New Edition pop-and-B and New Jack Swing" infused with "the skittering, thumping 808 drums of a modern trap" song. He compared Mars's vocals to those of Bobby Brown, especially in his "high-register vocal". [30] Katherine St. Asaph of Pitchfork compared its sound to that of The 20/20 Experience (2013) by Justin Timberlake. [31] Vulture 's Craig Jenkins noted a resemblance between the composition of "That's What I Like" and The Neptunes' production of "Kitty Kat" (2006) by Beyoncé. [32] The lyrics of the song have been described as "playful" and "opulent"; they were written from the point of view of someone "who loves himself" and luxury ("strawberry champagne and ice bucket") as much as his lover, with her being promised everything she wants, being allowed to "dictate the pace of the night". [23] [31] [33] Mars references "Julio" from "Uptown Funk". [27] [34] On February 26, 2019, West Java's Indonesian Broadcasting Commission placed a daytime ban on the radio broadcast of several songs, including "That's What I Like", due to their adult, offensive and obscene lyrics. [35]
"That's What I Like" received mixed reviews from music critics. Andrew Unterberger, writing for Billboard, and Rob Arcand of Spin found the single to be one of the best on 24K Magic. [22] [36] Vulture's Jenkins said the track is one of the best on the album and sonically one of the "most modern" songs due to "a killer vocal and tasteful trap drums". [32] Peter Helman of Stereogum said the recording is one of the "catchiest" tracks on 24K Magic. [37] Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian praised the song for paying homage to R Kelly, calling it a "resurrection". [38] Karen Gwee from Consequence of Sound commended Mars's vocals and said the singer takes his vocals to the limit. Gwee dubbed the track "giddy". [25] The Observer 's Kitty Empire praised the lyrics, saying Mars is able to give "conspicuous consumption with more charm than boorishness". [34] In a mixed review Nick Levine, writing for NME , said he did not enjoy the track's lyrics, despite finding them playful. [26]
Jonathan Wroble of Slant Magazine criticized the lyrics, saying they appear to be "written with a dollar store's rhyming dictionary". He chose the rhymes between "beach house in Miami" and "Julio, serve that scampi" as an example. [27] The Independent 's Andy Gill and Patrick Ryan from USA Today both found the lyrics on "That's What I Like" to exhibit a list of "unimaginative" and "obnoxious" hedonism. [39] [40]
"That's What I Like" was listed as the second best song of 2017 according to Associated Press's Mesfin Fekadu. She said, "Bruno Mars is perfect. That is all." [41] It was the 34th among Billboard's 100 Best Songs of 2017: Critics' Picks list; Ross Scarano wrote that Mars "is a pop star of total hospitality" showing several clichés of a luxurious life, such as "sex in front of the fireplace and champagne with strawberries", "waking up inside clean sheets without any clothes on", and "the private chef, Julio, preparing shrimp scampi for dinner". [42] In late 2017, Bill Lamb of ThoughtCo considered the single the fourth-best song by Mars. [28] Minou Clark from HuffPost called the single "the ultimate cuffing season anthem" due to its "sexy smooth melody". [43]
In 2017, "That's What I Like" was nominated for Choice Song: Male Artist, Choice Music: Summer Song and Choice Music: R&B/Hip-Hop Song at the Teen Choice Awards. [44] That same year, the song was also nominated for Song of the Year at the Telehit Awards. [45] The single received the awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Song at the 2017 American Music Awards and for Song of the Year at the Soul Train Music Awards. [46] [47] In 2018, "That's What I Like" won Song of the Year, Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song at the 2018 Grammy Awards. [48] The track received a nomination for Favorite Song at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and won R&B Song of the Year, whilst being nominated for Song of the Year at the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards. [49] [50] It also received a Titanium Award from iHeartRadio for reaching a threshold of 1 billion total audience spins. [51]
It was nominated for Top Hot 100 Song, Top Streaming Song (Video), Top Radio Song and Top R&B Song at the Billboard Music Awards, winning in the latter category. [52] The song was one of the Top 10 Gold International Gold Songs at the RTHK International Pop Poll Awards. [53] That same year, the track received the first issued accolade for Outstanding Song, Traditional category at the 2018 NAACP Image Awards. [54] "That's What I Like" received two awards from ASCAP, one from the Pop Music Awards as one of the Most Performed Songs, and another from the Rhythm & Soul Music Awards as Top R&B/Hip-Hop Song. [55] [56] In the following year, at the same award ceremonies, it won, again, Most Performed Songs and it was one of the winners of Winning R&B/Hip-Hop Song. [57] [58]
Upon the album's release, "That's What I Like" debuted at number 79 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the issue week of December 10, 2016. [59] In February 2017, Mars's performance at the 2017 Grammy Awards helped the song to enter the top 10 of the Hot 100, where it remained for two months. The single rose to number two on the chart, spending four weeks there behind Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" (2017). [30] After the release of several remixes, featuring artists such as Gucci Mane and PartyNextDoor, "That's What I Like" climbed to number one in its fifteenth week on the chart, replacing Kendrick Lamar's "Humble" (2017). Both songs spent one week on the top of the chart and the former became Mars's seventh number one single on the Hot 100. [60] [61] The track spent 24 weeks in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of five singles to spend at least 24 weeks in the top five and 28 weeks in the top ten. [62] [63] As of 2018, Mars, Sheeran, and Jewel are the only artists with two songs to spend at least half a year in the top 10 of the Hot 100. [64] The song spent a total of 52 weeks on the chart and ranked at number three on the Year-End Billboard Hot 100. [65] [66]
On the Radio Songs chart, "That's What I Like" peaked at number one and spent nine weeks there, becoming Mars's longest run at the top as a solo artist. [67] It surpassed his previous seven-week number-one runs for "Just the Way You Are" (2010) and "Locked Out of Heaven" (2013). [68] On the Mainstream Top 40 chart, the single peaked at number one, tying Mars with Justin Timberlake for the highest total among solo males of number one songs on the chart, with eight each one. [69] For the week of July 22, 2017, the song returned to the top of the Hot R&B Songs chart, spending 20 weeks at number one. It tied with The Weeknd's "Starboy" (2016) and Drake's "One Dance" (2016), featuring WizKid and Kyla, for the most weeks spent at number one. [70] In August 2020, the achievement was broken by The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" (2019). [71] "That's What I Like" peaked at number one on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart and topped the Year-End Chart in the format. [72] [73] The track reached the top spot on the Rhythmic chart. [74] The single was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [75] It became the fourth best-selling song of 2017 in the US, with 1,673,000 downloads and 835,856,000 streams. [76]
On the Canadian Hot 100, the song peaked at number three on April 17, 2017, spending 38 weeks on the chart, and it was certified seven-times Platinum by the Music Canada (MC). [77] [78] The song ended 2017 at number seven on the Year-End Charts in Canada. [79]
"That's What I Like" peaked at number 12 on the UK singles chart and was certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), denoting sales and streams equivalent to 1,200,000 copies. [80] [81] On the Belgian charts, the single debuted at number 34 on February 25, 2017, on the Ultratop 50 in Flanders, peaking at number three for two consecutive weeks in April. [82] On the Ultratop 50 in Wallonia, the song debuted at number 34 on March 25, 2017, and went on to peak at number eight in May. [83] It was certified platinum by the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA). [84] The track peaked at number seven on the Portuguese Single Charts. [85] It earned a platinum plaque from the Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa (AFP), for its sales and streams equivalent to 20,000. [86] "That's What I Like" entered the Official New Zealand Music Chart at number 26 on February 20, 2017. In its sixth week, the track peaked at number four, where it remained for two weeks. [87] The song ranked at the fifth spot on the 2017 Year-End List and received a seven-time platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RMNZ), denoting sales and streams equivalent to 60,000 copies. [88] [89] In Australia, the single debuted at number 47 on the ARIA Singles Chart for the week of March 5, 2017. In its sixth week on the chart, the song peaked at number five, becoming Mars's twelfth top-ten single in Australia. [90] It was certified four-times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for exceeding 70,000 units. [91] The song reached the top 20 in several other countries, including Denmark, Ireland, and Scotland. [92] [93] [94] The song was the fourth-best-selling digital single of 2017, with 9.7 million units. [95]
On March 1, 2017, Mars announced on his Twitter account that he had been filming the accompanying music video for "That's What I Like"; he said, "Just finished shootin it! I'm gonna edit it, take a bubble bath & then we party. Gimme 2 hours! Let the count down begin #TWIL". The visual was directed by Mars and Jonathan Lia. [96] The choreography was done by the singer and Phil Tayag prior to the shooting, allowing Lia and Mars to produce animations before filming the video. Some animations were added in post-production by GenPop. The music video was filmed against a grey background in Los Angeles using a stationary camera throughout the entire shot. Several hand-drawn animations "relating to the lyrics" appeared and vanished off-frame; to create this effect, Lia filmed Mars while the song was played at half-speed. Lia then doubled the speed of the footage, making the "synced playback" have a "surreal feel to it", with a single, eight-minute take. Mars and Lia had a different concept for the music video, but the result was not what they expected when the two carried out a test shoot, and they decided to use a single light. When Mars started to dance, him and Lia they knew "that was the video". [97] The video was released on March 1, 2017, via YouTube. [96]
The visual begins with Mars wearing a black, white, and gold-striped silk shirt, black track pants, white sneakers and sunglasses. [98] [99] [100] During the video, Mars dances alone against a white background with several animations, which move with him during his choreography, enacting the lyrics and music. [43] [96] [98] The black-and-white animations include a mirror, Manhattan condominium, sipping strawberry champagne glasses, driving a Cadillac and its wheels, traveling to Paris, and dancing partners that appear as Mars dances across the screen. [96] [99] [101] The cartoon sketches, related to the lyrics, were drawn to show the flexibility of the singer's dance moves. [100] [102] [103] According to Rania Aniftos, Mars exudes charm throughout the music video. [100]
Critics including Althea Legaspi from Rolling Stone and Minou Clark of HuffPost complimented Mars's dancing skills and choreography. [43] [96] [98] Mike Wass, writing for Idolator, and Vulture 's Karen Brill compared the video to Drake's "Hotline Bling" (2015) due to its simplicity and "unadulterated feeling-yourself-ness". Wass and the staff of Rap-Up called Mars's footwork "fancy", while Brill said the visual is "wondrous" but that it should include "the ubiquitous music video cube". [102] [103] [104] Vibe 's J'na Jefferson shared a similar perspective, saying "the magic of this video is in the simplicity" because of Mars's performance skills, visual effects, and editing. [99] Alex Young of Consequence of Sound praised the combination of the choreographed dance and the animation. [105] Billboard's Rania Aniftos praised the music video, saying it will make viewers smile and hit "the replay button". [100] In 2017, it won Best Male Video at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan and was nominated for Best International Video at the LOS40 Music Awards 2017, a category decided by a Jury. [106] [107] The video received the award for Video of the Year at the 2017 American Music Awards. [46] In 2018, it won the award for Outstanding Music Video at the NAACP Image Awards and earned a nomination for Best Music Video at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. [50] [54] The video effects were available on Facebook for users to try; it was the first time the platform made a based camera effect around music. [108] As of August 2023, the music video has reached over 2 billion views. [109]
Mars's first live performance of "That's What I Like" occurred at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards on February 12, 2017. [110] Mars danced in synchronization with his backup singers, and towards the end of the song he made a "doo-wop harmonizing" breakdown while interacting with women in the crowd and using his falsetto vocals. [110] [111] [112] The performance was well received by critics. Joe Lynch of Billboard rated Mars's performance 11 out of 20, saying, "Bruno Mars is one of pop's finest showmen" who "can make an unextraordinary song such as 'That's What I Like' sound like a bona fide hit ... he sang the hell out of it". [111] Billy Nilles of E! News wrote that Mars showed his "smooth dance moves and silky vocals", and that "every lady in the crowd looked as they were putty in Bruno's hand". [113] Rolling Stone's Elias Leight described the singer as being on "seduction mode", using his vocals to demonstrate it. Mars's voice reminded Leigh of the "firepower" of New Edition's Johnny Gill. [112]
Mars later performed the song live at the 2017 Brit Awards on February 21; he was "dressed in a vintage-inspired 1990s color-block collared top with navy slacks" and along with his band, performed a routine choreography. Halfway through the track, Mars serenaded the audience. [114] At the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards, he performed the song as part of a medley with the single "Treasure", a track on Mars's second studio album Unorthodox Jukebox (2012). Andrew Unterberger, writing for Billboard, found the performance to be the best of the night because Mars made the medley work "seamlessly". [115] An acoustic version of the single was performed on the Charlie Rose Show ; it featured Mars and some of his bandmates sitting at a table and using it as a soft drum set. [10] [116] Mars performed the single at the Apollo Theater alongside the majority of the 24K Magic album for his CBS prime time special titled Bruno Mars: 24K Magic Live at the Apollo , which aired on November 29, 2017. [117] [118] "That's What I Like" was also sung during the Mars's third tour, 24K Magic World Tour (2017–18) and it was part of the setlist of An Evening with Silk Sonic at Park MGM (2022), a concert residency performed by Mars with Anderson .Paak, as Silk Sonic. [119]
Kurt Hugo Schneider and Mario Jose covered "That's What I Like", releasing their version for download on July 13, 2017. [120] Macy Kate recorded a cover of the single, which is now only available on YouTube. [121] The song was also used in Jersey Shore Family Vacation in season 1, 2, and 3
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "That's What I Like" (Alan Walker Remix) | 3:14 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "That's What I Like" (BLVK JVCK Remix) | 3:45 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "That's What I Like" (Remix) (featuring Gucci Mane) | 3:54 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "That's What I Like" (PartyNextDoor Remix) | 3:26 |
Credits adapted from the liner notes of 24K Magic. [13]
|
|
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
All-time charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [91] | 4× Platinum | 280,000‡ |
Belgium (BEA) [84] | Platinum | 20,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [78] | 7× Platinum | 560,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [195] | 2× Platinum | 180,000‡ |
France (SNEP) [196] | Diamond | 333,333‡ |
Germany (BVMI) [197] | Gold | 200,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [198] | Platinum | 50,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [89] | 7× Platinum | 210,000‡ |
Poland (ZPAV) [199] | Platinum | 50,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP) [86] | 4× Platinum | 40,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [200] | 2× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
Sweden (GLF) [201] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [81] | 2× Platinum | 1,200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [75] | Diamond | 10,000,000‡ |
Streaming | ||
Japan (RIAJ) [202] | Gold | 50,000,000† |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Versions | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | January 30, 2017 | Adult contemporary radio | Original | Atlantic | [16] |
Hot adult contemporary radio | |||||
Modern adult contemporary radio | |||||
January 31, 2017 | Contemporary hit radio | [17] | |||
Rhythmic contemporary | [18] | ||||
Italy | March 3, 2017 | Radio airplay | Warner Music Group | [20] | |
Various | April 21, 2017 | Digital download | Remix package | Atlantic | [21] |
The Stereotypes are an American music production team, formed in 2003 and composed of Jonathan Yip, Ray Romulus, Jeremy Reeves and Ray Charles McCullough II. In June 2010, they were listed among the "Top 10 Songwriters and Producers to Watch" in Billboard magazine.
Peter Gene Hernandez, known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for singing in a wide range of musical styles, including pop, R&B, funk, soul, reggae, disco, and rock. Mars is accompanied by his band, the Hooligans, whose members are also backup singers and dancers. In 2021, Mars and fellow singer Anderson .Paak formed the musical superduo Silk Sonic.
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"Marry You" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010). Written and produced by the Smeezingtons, it serves as the record's sixth track and was released as a single outside of the United States. "Marry You" is a pop, doo-wop and soul song. The recording focuses on spontaneous marriage and therefore, since its release, has frequently been used as a proposal song. "Marry You" received generally positive reviews from music critics, with some complimenting its production and its reminiscence of 1960s pop style. Some criticized a perceived lack of creativity.
American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars has released three studio albums, one collaborative studio album, one EP, 34 singles and four promotional singles. With estimated sales of over 26 million albums and 200 million singles worldwide, Mars is one of the best-selling artists of all time. Six of his singles are among the best-selling singles of all time: in order of release date, "Just the Way You Are", "Grenade", "The Lazy Song", "When I Was Your Man", "Uptown Funk" and "That's What I Like". According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), he has sold 91.5 million copies in the United States. His first two albums have sold 5.04 million copies in the US market alone. In 2012, Mars was named 2011's best selling music artist worldwide. In 2022, he became the first artist to receive six diamond certified songs in the United States.
"Grenade" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010). The pop and power pop song was written and produced by the Smeezingtons with additional songwriting by Brody Brown, Claude Kelly, and Andrew Wyatt. The song was developed from an unreleased track with similar lyrical themes played by record producer Benny Blanco to Mars. "Grenade" was completely rearranged and re‑recorded two days before the album's release. The lyrics carry a message of unrequited love and how Mars's heart was broken, despite his best efforts to show her his love. Elektra Records released the song as the second promotional single and as the second official single, to contemporary hit and rhythmic contemporary stations in the United States in October 2010.
"Talking to the Moon" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010). The song was first unveiled on Mars's debut extended play, It's Better If You Don't Understand (2010), as its last track. It was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Albert Winkler, and Jeff Bhasker, while production was handled by the Smeezingtons in collaboration with Bhasker. "Talking to the Moon" is a pop and R&B power ballad about a failed relationship, solitude, and sadness. Instrumentally, the track relies on drum percussion and piano.
"It Will Rain" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars. It was released on September 27, 2011 by Atlantic Records as the lead single from the movie's soundtrack The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1. Mars composed the song with his production team the Smeezingtons. It was partially written during the Hooligans in Wondaland Tour in the United States and finished after the singer watched an early version of the movie which inspired him. The soundtrack for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 was a much expected release and Mars's song was chosen as the lead single by the album's executive producer, Alexandra Patsavas, to promote it. Musically, "It Will Rain" is a pop and pop-soul ballad. Its lyrics tell the agony and torment of a heartbreak and its various stages.
"Locked Out of Heaven" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars from his second studio album, Unorthodox Jukebox (2012). It was released as the lead single from the album on October 1, 2012. The song was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine. It was produced by the former three, under their alias, the Smeezingtons along with Mark Ronson, Jeff Bhasker and Emile Haynie. "Locked Out of Heaven" is a reggae rock and pop rock song influenced by new wave and funk. The song's lyrics are about the rapturous feelings brought about by a relationship infused with positive emotion as well as euphoria from sex.
"When I Was Your Man" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars from his second studio album, Unorthodox Jukebox (2012). Atlantic Records released the song as the third promotional single and as the second official single, taken from the album, to mainstream radio in the United States on January 15, 2013. "When I Was Your Man" was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine and Andrew Wyatt. The former three produced the track under the name the Smeezingtons. The track was inspired by the time Mars was worried about losing his girlfriend, Jessica Caban.
"Treasure" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars from his second studio album, Unorthodox Jukebox (2012). It was written by Mars himself along with Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, and Phredley Brown, while production was handled by Mars, Lawrence and Levine under the name of the Smeezingtons. Due to the similarities shared with Breakbot's "Baby I'm Yours", new writing credits were added. The song was selected as the third single by Atlantic Records and was first issued to airplay in Italy on May 10, 2013.
"Uptown Funk" is a song by British record producer Mark Ronson featuring American singer Bruno Mars. It was released on 10 November 2014, as the lead single from Ronson's fourth studio album, Uptown Special (2015). "Uptown Funk" was written by Ronson, Mars, Jeff Bhasker, and Philip Lawrence; it was produced by the aforementioned first three. The song began during a freestyle studio session while they worked on a jam Mars and his band had been playing on tour. Copyright controversies arose after the song's release resulting in multiple lawsuits and amendments to its songwriting credits.
American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars has released one concert video and appeared in various music videos, films, television shows, and commercials. After guest appearing in music videos, including "Long Distance" by Brandy and "Wavin' Flag " by K'naan, between 2008 and 2010, he was first featured on the chorus and videos for B.o.B.'s "Nothin' on You" and Travie McCoy's "Billionaire". A home video for "The Other Side" was issued, introducing Mars as a lead artist. From his debut album Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010), he released music videos for "Just the Way You Are", "Grenade", "Liquor Store Blues", and "The Lazy Song". In 2011, he received awards for the "Just the Way You Are" music video, including MTV Video Music Award Japan for Best Male Video and Favorite International Video at the Myx Music Awards.
"24K Magic" is a song by American singer Bruno Mars from his studio album of the same name (2016). Atlantic Records released it as the album's lead single on October 7, 2016, for digital download and streaming. It was provided as an instant grat track for those who pre-ordered the album. Mars, Philip Lawrence and Christopher Brody Brown wrote the single. Calling themselves Shampoo Press & Curl the three of them handled production, with additional production by the Stereotypes. The song has been described as a funk, disco and contemporary R&B track. The A.V. Club noticed the synthesizer riff and backbeat resembled the one in "The Message" (1982) by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. The song's lyrics address extravagance, glamour, and the party lifestyle.
24K Magic is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars. It was released by Atlantic Records on November 18, 2016. Mars reunited with Philip Lawrence and Christopher Brody Brown, who composed the album under their joint alias Shampoo Press & Curl. Mars enlisted new composers including the Stereotypes and James Fauntleroy. Recording sessions for 24K Magic took place between late 2015 and September 2016 at Glenwood Place Studios in Burbank, California.
"Chunky" is a song by American singer Bruno Mars from his third studio album 24K Magic (2016). It was solely released as a radio single in Australia on November 29, 2017 by Warner Music Australia and Atlantic, and served as the album's fourth single. "Chunky" was co-written by Mars, Philip Lawrence,Christopher Brody Brown, and James Fauntleroy. Mars, Lawrence, and Brown produced the song under their alias, Shampoo Press & Curl. Musically, "Chunky" is a funk and electro-funk ballad, while lyrically acting as an anthem for big buttocks.
"Versace on the Floor" is a song by American singer Bruno Mars from his third studio album, 24K Magic (2016). Atlantic Records released the song as the only promotional single and the third official single from the album to Hot AC radio in the United States on June 12, 2017. "Versace on the Floor" was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence, Christopher Brody Brown and James Fauntleroy. Mars, Lawrence and Brown handled the track's production under the name Shampoo Press & Curl. A remix by French DJ David Guetta was released on June 27, 2017, for digital download and streaming in various countries. "Versace on the Floor" is an retro-styled R&B song reminiscent of the slow jams from the 1990s, and resembles the early works of Michael Jackson. The song's lyrics address romance, intimacy and Gianni Versace's clothing line.
"Finesse" is a song by American singer Bruno Mars from his third studio album, 24K Magic (2016). The song was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence, Christopher Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy, Jonathan Yip, Ray Romulus, Jeremy Reeves and Ray McCullough II. The former three produced it under the name Shampoo Press & Curl, along with the latter four, as the Stereotypes. The song was composed after a jam session as Mars wanted to recreate the "new jack swing sound". Atlantic Records released a remix, featuring verses from American rapper Cardi B, as the album's fifth and final single on January 4, 2018. Musically, it is a new jack swing, hip hop soul and funk song. The lyrics demonstrate the happiness of being with who one loves and the positive outcome of that for them and others.
Silk Sonic is an American musical superduo composed of musicians Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak. The duo released their debut single, "Leave the Door Open", in March 2021. They later released "Skate" in July 2021, followed by third single, "Smokin out the Window", and their debut album, An Evening with Silk Sonic, in November 2021. The album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, while the first three singles reached the top twenty on the Billboard Hot 100, with "Leave the Door Open" spending 18 weeks in the top ten and two non-consecutive weeks at the top spot. The song later won four Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
"Leave the Door Open" is the debut single by the American superduo Silk Sonic, consisting of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, from their studio album An Evening with Silk Sonic (2021). The song was written by the artists alongside Brody Brown and Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II, who produced it with Mars. It was released on March 5, 2021, by Aftermath Entertainment and Atlantic Records for digital download and streaming. A Philadelphia soul, R&B, and pop song, it is influenced by quiet storm. The lyrics are humorous and describe a "detailed erotic invitation".
Mars's energetic dance moves and smooth vocals are at the forefront of Bruno Mars: 24K Magic Live at the Apollo, which debuts Wednesday on CBS. He recorded the special at the Apollo Theater in New York's Harlem, performing the majority of his third album, 24K Magic.