Bruno Mars, 31, is currently killing the funk/pop/soul/whatever-you-want-to-call-it game, and the nine-track LP 24K Magic shows off his wide musical range. Here’s what I thought about it, track by track.
The nine-track LP opens with a bang thanks to the infectious, R&B-infused title track. It has the perfect amount of funk and disco, and if you haven’t seen Bruno show off his moves with the Saturday Night Live performance of this song, get on that.
Next up is “Chunky”, which he also performed on SNL. It has a decent beat — every Bruno song does — but is honestly forgettable. It just gets lost in the rest of the record. “Perm” includes a pickup line that made me snort (I bet you want an autograph/For you and your friends/Gotta do it in the penthouse/That’s where I keep my pen), and “That’s What I Like” is another standout. It’s a straightforward track about stuff that Bruno likes, but it works; included in his list of favorite things is “everything 24 karat”. Am I sensing a theme here?
I wanted to like the starry “Versace On The Floor”, but I was bored. There are a million songs out there about demanding that a woman take her clothes off, and this doesn’t bring anything new to the table. “Straight Up & Down” is also pretty ho hum. Next.
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“Calling All My Lovelies” is worth listening to all the way through if only for the Halle Berry cameo. “Finesse” features a chorus with a nice pop to it (literally — there’s a finger pop-esque sound), and it’s a nice lead into closer “Too Good To Say Goodbye”, which is a classic “don’t give up on us” ballad. Lines like “you’re more than my girl/you’re my best friend” make it sweet and hopeful.
Overall, it’s a fun album with some surefire party anthems. There’s no “Treasure” or “Uptown Funk” here (though “24K Magic” comes close) and it does lose its momentum about halfway through, but this is a solid third effort for Bruno.
HollywoodLifers, what do you think of 24K Magic?