Unorthodox Jukebox

About

Heading into <i>Unorthodox Jukebox</i>, Bruno Mars was already launching a total takeover of the pop planet. As a member of The Smeezingtons—a writing-production trio that also included Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine—Mars played a crucial role in the 2010 successes of CeeLo Green’s “Fuck You,” Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire,” and B.o.B.’s “Nothin’ on You.” That same year came his debut album, <i>Doo-Wops & Hooligans</i>, which featured the chart-topping singles “Just the Way You Are” and “Grenade.” Though only in his mid-twentie, Mars already had the kind of career year most artists would never be able to beat. Still, it wasn’t until the 2012 release of <i>Unorthodox Jukebox</i> that it became clear Mars had the makings of a future Super Bowl headliner. The 10-track album, clocking in at a concise 35 minute, wasn’t just a pop blockbuster—it was a superstar-making statement. And while <i>Unorthodox Jukebox</i> begins and ends with the doo-wop stylings Mars employed on his debut—on “Young Girls” and “If I Knew,” respectively—the album represents a style-hopping leap forward, featuring everything from reggae-pop (the Police-indebted smash “Locked Out of Heaven”) to soul-baring balladry (the chart-topping “When I Was Your Man”) to roller-skating R&B (the sparkling “Treasure”). .

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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