Bruno Mars (born October 8, 1985) rose from a total stranger to one of pop's biggest male stars in less than a year in 2010.
He made top 10 pop hits as a solo artist. And he became an excellent vocalist, whom many call a duet. On his first five pop hits, he earned faster than any solo artist since Elvis Presley.
The early years of Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He has both Puerto Rican and Filipino ancestry. Bruno Mars' parents were also in the musical field. His father played percussion instruments and his mother was a dancer.
Bruno Mars started performing on stage at the age of 3. At age 4, he performed with his family band, the Love Notes, and soon developed a reputation as an Elvis Presley imitator. After listening to Jimi Hendrix, Bruno Mars learned to play the guitar. In 2003, after graduating from high school at 17, Bruno Mars moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a career in music.
Bruno Mars signed with Motown Records in 2004. But none of his songs were released before he was pulled from his contract the following year. However, his short time with the label was beneficial due to his meeting with future production and songwriting partner Philip Lawrence. In 2008, the couple met aspiring producer Ari Levine and the Smeezingtons project was born.
Efforts as a solo artist, prominent vocalist, and writing and production under Smeezingtons began to bear fruit in 2010. Bruno Mars soon became more popular.
Bruno Mars Albums
In 2010, the album Doo-Wops & Hooligans was released. Bruno Mars said that the use of the word doo-wop in the title of the debut album was very meaningful. He grew up with a father who shared his love of 1950s classics.
Bruno Mars said that the beauty and meaning of doo-wop songs was meant for his female fans, the use of the term "hooligans" was a tribute to the fans. His favorite song on Talking to the Moon was not released as a single.
Doo-Wops & Hooligans peaked at number 3 on the album chart and eventually sold over 2 million copies. It received Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album nominations at the Grammy Awards.
In 2012, the second album Unorthodox Jukebox was released. He explored a wide range of musical genres including reggae, disco and soul. Bruno Mars thought his debut album was rushed, so he spent more time on Unorthodox Jukebox to make it perfect.
He enlisted two British producers Mark Ronson and Paul Epworth to help assemble the album. Unorthodox Jukebox became Bruno Mars' first #1 charting album. It sold over 2 million copies and won a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album.
In 2016, the album 24K Magic was released. He insisted on making it even better than his first two. The album earned praise for its professional approach. It peaked at number 2 on the album chart and sold over half a million copies.
Artist singles
In 2010, the composition Just the Way You Are was released. Bruno Mars says it took months to write his debut solo single, Just the You Are. He thought about love songs such as Wonderful Tonight (Eric Clapton) and You Are So Beautiful (Joe Cocker).
He wanted the song to sound like it came straight from his heart. Atlantic Records executives were pleased and praised him for sounding different from everyone else on radio. Just the You Are peaked at number 1 on the US pop chart and reached the top of the pop, adult and adult contemporary radio. He received a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
In 2010, the song Grenade was released, which the producer Benny Blanco played for Bruno Mars. It was almost completely rewritten into what Bruno Mars called "a bit of a drama queen". The first version of the composition was a slow, stripped-down ballad, but after working on it, it became a No. 1 hit in the US. And also led the popular pop radio.
Song Grenade and success again
It also reached number 3 on adult pop radio. Thanks to the song Grenade, the artist won the Grammy Award for Single of the Year.
In 2011, The Lazy Song was released. It was released as the third single from Bruno Mars' debut album. And became the third consecutive top 5 best pop hits. The single peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and entered the top 3 of the popular pop radio charts. The Lazy Song is also known for its two music videos. One of them is the dance team Poreotics in monkey masks, and the second is with Leonard Nimoy.
In 2011, the song It Will Rain was released. Bruno Mars wrote and produced a song for the Twilight soundtrack. Saga. Breaking Dawn: Part 1 with the Smithingtons. It was written during a concert tour. It is a mid-tempo ballad, and some critics complained that it was very melodramatic.
Nevertheless, It Will Rain became another popular hit for Bruno Mars. It reached number 3 in the US and also hit new charts. The single became a top 20 dance hit, hitting the R&B and Latin radio charts at the same time.
In 2012, the single Locked Out of Heaven (from the album Unorthodox Jukebox) was released, which was most influenced by the music of the pop rock band The Police. The song was produced by a team that included Jeff Bhasker and British producer Mark Ronson. Locked Out Of Heaven quickly reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100. It spent 6 weeks at the top.
Bruno Mars: "Grammy"
The artist received Grammy nominations for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Locked Out of Heaven reached the top 10 in pop and contemporary radio, topping the top 40 charts. The composition also broke into the top 20 of the best dance charts.
In 2013, the ballad When I Was Your Man was released. Bruno Mars collaborator Philip Lawrence spoke of classic pop artists Elton John and Billy Joel as influences on the song's writing. When I Was Your Man entered the top 10, while Locked Out Of Heaven was still at number 2. The song When I Was Your Man took the 1st position. She also topped the top 40, popular and contemporary radio charts.
In 2014, the composition Uptown Funk with Mark Ronson was released. The song references funk music from the 1980s. This was the fourth collaboration between Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson. Uptown Funk became one of the biggest hits of all time, holding #14 for 1 weeks. The composition also reached the top of the popular pop radio charts as well as the dance charts. He received a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
In 2016, the single 24K Magic was released from the album of the same name by Bruno Mars. It was created with The Stereotypes. The song was influenced by 1970s retro and 1980s funk. 24K Magic peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also reached the top 5 of popular pop, dance, and top 40 radio stations.
Influence of creativity
Bruno Mars is known for his prowess when performing live. He sees Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Little Richard as his main idols.
The artist became a major pop star in an era when pop music was dominated by solo artists. Bruno Mars played several instruments including piano, percussion, guitar, keyboards and bass.
Bruno Mars has been credited with performing music that appeals to pop music fans of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. In 2011, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
2017 was a successful year for the singer as he received many awards for his music. The singer received the Teen Choice Awards and was named the biggest winner at the 2017 American Music Awards and Soul Trains Awards.
Also that year, Mars donated $1 million to help victims of the Flint water crisis. The singer also participated in Somos Una Voz organized by Jennifer Lopez. It was created to help survivors of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
