“24k Magic”, “Talking to the Moon”, “Locked out of Heaven”, “Uptown Funk”. Yup, you know the guy. Bruno Mars. He is the music industry. Every song this man releases or produces becomes instant gold. You can easily decipher which songs Bruno Mars has written or produced because of his signature flare he adds into every song. His vibe and overall attitude towards life gives listeners an exciting experience for a moment of time.
Bruno Mars, born Peter Gene Hernandez, is a 39-year-old singer songwriter from Honolulu, Hawaii. He is known for his iconic catchy lyrics that you can find in a club, high school prom dance floor, or my headphones. He has this type of retro quality of music and pairs it with his energetic attitude. His mixed race background being Puerto Rican and Filipino gives him a unique perspective on music and performance.
Bruno Mars hit the ground running with his timeless hits “Just the Way You Are,” “Grenade,” and “The Lazy Song” in 2010. We all know these iconic songs. I remember being in elementary school and the talent show was adorned with performances of Mars’ hits. I think everyone in our generation can easily recite all of the words to these songs just because of how often we would hear them on the radio. Bruno Mars earned himself a Grammy in 2010 for pop vocal performance. He went on to release more music and earned countless awards for his hits “Locked out of Heaven,” “When I Was Your Man,” and “Treasure.” On and on, Bruno Mars wrote hits after hits. Ultimately leading to one of his greatest records of all time, “Uptown Funk” in collaboration with the iconic Mark Ronson.
I think there is a generational connection between Bruno Mars and people our age. We grew up listening to his music on the radio and on our phones. His music soundtracked the eighth grade dances and prom night car rides. Mars teamed up with Anderson .Paak to form Silk Sonic. This duo came in hot with popular R&B singles like “Leave the Door Open” which would lead them to multiple Grammys including Best Record and Best Song.
Bruno Mars has been making music with different superstars in the industry. He released “Die With a Smile” with Lady Gaga on August 16 of this year. This collaboration took over the music charts with its jazzy and uplifting beats. This song fits into the R&B, pop, and soul genres because of its dynamic storytelling aspects.
More recently, Mars joined Kpop idol Rosé in their song “APT”. On October 18, 2024 the two stars released this ultimate banger. It is inspired by a Korean drinking game that Rosé loved playing. It has catchy lyrics and an addictive melody that is easy to learn. The music video is vibrant and jumpy. I think the combination of Bruno Mars’ R&B influence and Rose’s Kpop background makes for an interesting and unique sound.
Bruno Mars is the perfect artist of our time. I recommend listening to his music when you need some motivation to have a fun time. If you need some inspiration to have a fun weekend, blast a Mars hit and you’ll be sure to have a good time. I think Bruno Mars is one of those timeless artists who can’t ever go out of style.
