As the music industry is littered with pop stars old and up-and-coming, each with their own style and niche, establishing an audience can be difficult. Especially when the artist has been away from the industry on a long hiatus, the reestablishment of popularity can be an even harder to feat to achieve. Fortunately, the best of the best ignore this possibility and reemerge with a vengeance. In classic, stylish, Bruno Mars fashion, the legend himself blasted back onto the scene in late 2016 with his album 24K Magic. This album is great, and there are three aspects that made me come to that conclusion: the beat, the voice, and the lyrics. Through the evaluation of these elements, I will determine which of them contribute to the album’s greatness and which ones detract.
Who is Bruno Mars?
If you are asking this question, then I am surprised. Born in 1985 in Honolulu, Hawaii, the talented Peter Gene Hernandez was destined for greatness. His flair as a pop artist was duly recognized with his first album Doo-Wops & Hooligans, earning him a number three spot on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States. Three songs included in this album —”Just the Way You Are,” “Grenade,” and “The Lazy Song“—went on to become international number one singles, the former winning a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance. His second album, Unorthodox Jukebox, peaked at number one in several countries including the United States. This album won him even more awards, and singles “Locked Out of Heaven” and “When I Was Your Man” saw number one spots on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. His latest album and the one I am reviewing, 24K Magic, received seven Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. Today, Bruno Mars is one of the best-selling artists of all time. Needless to say, this man deserves to be known.
The Beat
What I Believe Constitutes a “Good” Beat
In my opinion, a beat’s ability to evoke bodily movement is the measure of how good it is. Beats that cause us to dance in ecstasy, clench our fists in anger, or hang our heads in sadness are the best; whereas, the beats that elicit nothing but indifference are the worst.
Why 24K Magic Has a Good Beat
Clearly inspired by old-school, bippity-boppity disco, Bruno gets his listeners in the groove. The pop and tip-tap of the percussion in many of these songs do something nasty to your hips; at the very least, you’ll be snapping. Utilization of the bass guitar produces some funky vibes that complement the overall rhythm. Couple that funkiness with some synth and light guitar, and—boom—all of a sudden, you’re transported straight to the late ’70s in the club, slapping the floor with your feet. Nearly every song on this album is a head-bobber. “That’s What I Like” and “Finesse” are perfect examples of Bruno’s feel-good, instrumental mastery, brandishing some drums that slam and bass that jam. Even his song about heartbreak is high-energy. Bruno returns to his lost-love roots with “Too Good to Say Goodbye.” The popping percussion surprisingly stays and gives a tone of hopefulness rather than the usual sadness, which similar songs from earlier albums brandished. Overall, I would say 24K Magic‘s top-notch beats deserve a rating of eight out of ten.
The Voice
What I Believe Constitutes a “Good” Voice
To have a good voice is to possess a means of speaking directly to the soul. When presented with a good voice, you are capable of listening to it for hours, never getting tired. Also, a good voice neither shadows the instruments nor is overshadowed by them. A bad voice grates the ears and breaks the flow.
Why 24K Magic Has a Great Voice
Likely the most outstanding of the three aspects, Bruno’s iconic voice will echo throughout your day once listened to. Bruno’s sound is a fine mix between angelic and hipster, as if Boys II Men and The Notorious B.I.G. combined into one entity. This blend allows the songs to be both easy-listening and unbelievably catchy. Bruno’s angelic half is best seen in “Straight Up & Down” and “Versace on the Floor,” both exhibiting incredible range and ear-tingling skill. The hipster side is best displayed in songs such as “Chunky” and “Perm,” the latter sharing DNA of a James Brown song. The greatest accomplishment of this album, however, is its ability to perfectly harmonize the beat and the voice. While listening, the two elements meld; the voice becomes the beat, and the beat becomes the voice. I absolutely love Bruno Mars’ voice, so this category is getting a ten out of ten.
The Lyrics
What I Believe Constitutes “Good” Lyrics
Lyrics that have meaning, a theme, a purpose beyond materialistic matters, are the type of lyrics that deserve praise. Lyrics which are clever in their rhyme scheme also command respect. In contrast, surface-level premises and simple cadence are indicative of bad lyrics.
Why 24K Magic Has Okay Lyrics
The weakest of the album’s areas, the lyrics, while sounding nice next to a good beat and a great voice, fall short in terms of a deeper meaning. Most of the songs are simply Bruno Mars bragging about who he is and what he has. In the song “24K Magic,” Bruno brags about his golden pinkie ring and his expensive clothes, certainly to attract women. In “Calling All My Lovelies,” Bruno boasts about all the other women he has on speed dial to a girl who keeps ignoring him. The only songs which fall away from this trend are “Versace on the Floor,” “Too Good to Say Goodbye,” and perhaps one more. The reason the majority of these songs lack a deeper meaning is because they describe the tendencies of a fast life. The Bruno persona within the songs—from what can be understood from the lyrics—has so much money, so much women, so many possessions that he lacks the capability to truly slow down and appreciate the meaning of his actions. It’s all too rapid and self-indulgent. As for the cleverness of the writing, I would say Bruno did a fair job. “Calling All My Lovelies” and “That’s What I Like” are extremely fun to sing along to because of the rhymes, but the bulk of the lyrics are nothing I haven’t seen before. For this section, I award 24K Magic a five out of ten.
The Bruno Marseum 