Bruno Mars: 24K Magic Era

[Snowbeast]

9? That's the shortest album I've ever heard of. Is this an EP?

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

What? 9 tracks was pretty standard back in the day. I have a few CDs that are 9 tracks.

[Deleted]

I can do without the "Just The Way You Are"-style ballads, but I can't believe he's not giving us a "Computer Love" throwback!

[Glove Slap]

Honestly, I've enjoyed both of his albums, aside from one or two songs that I just found uninteresting. So I don't mind the 9 tracks, The no ballads thing has me excited, reminds me of B'Day.

[Snowbeast]

Oct 20, 2016 19:18:04 GMT -5 Rose "Payola" Nylund said:

What? 9 tracks was pretty standard back in the day. I have a few CDs that are 9 tracks.

Name one big album that is 9 songs? I'm just curious

[Deleted]

Oct 24, 2016 1:12:40 GMT -5 Snowbeast said:

Oct 20, 2016 19:18:04 GMT -5 Rose "Payola" Nylund said:

What? 9 tracks was pretty standard back in the day. I have a few CDs that are 9 tracks.

Name one big album that is 9 songs? I'm just curious

Michael Jackson - Thriller
Janet - Control
Madonna - Like a Virgin
Lionel Richie - self-titled debut
Queen - A Kind of Magic



Also, Michael's Off the Wall and Bad had ten tracks; Madonna's self-titled debut and Lionel Richie's Can't Slow Down had eight; and all of DeBarge's albums had only eight or nine tracks. Luther Vandross's debut (Never Too Much) only had seven! It wasn't until the 90s/his fifth album that Luther finally started making albums with ten or more tracks on them. Those are just the ones I know off the top of my head. But a lot of albums in the eighties preferred to keep it short and sweet.

[Ivy Leegue™]

Oct 24, 2016 1:12:40 GMT -5 Snowbeast said:

Oct 20, 2016 19:18:04 GMT -5 Rose "Payola" Nylund said:

What? 9 tracks was pretty standard back in the day. I have a few CDs that are 9 tracks.

Name one big album that is 9 songs? I'm just curious

Idk, does Thriller by Michael Jackson qualify as big? To be fair, maybe you're just too young to recall the days when iconic albums were on the short side?

Oct 23, 2016 21:07:31 GMT -5 Glove Slap said:

Honestly, I've enjoyed both of his albums, aside from one or two songs that I just found uninteresting. So I don't mind the 9 tracks, The no ballads thing has me excited, reminds me of B'Day.

Resentment is most definitely a ballad (as is Listen, even though it was tacked on as a hidden track).


Edit: @antigonerising beat me to it!

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

Keyboard drop.

[Queen of Insomnia.]

Oct 24, 2016 1:45:27 GMT -5 @antigonerising said:

Oct 24, 2016 1:12:40 GMT -5 Snowbeast said:

Name one big album that is 9 songs? I'm just curious

Michael Jackson - Thriller
Janet - Control
Madonna - Like a Virgin
Lionel Richie - self-titled debut
Queen - A Kind of Magic



Also, Michael's Off the Wall and Bad had ten tracks; Madonna's self-titled debut and Lionel Richie's Can't Slow Down had eight; and all of DeBarge's albums had only eight or nine tracks. Luther Vandross's debut (Never Too Much) only had seven! It wasn't until the 90s/his fifth album that Luther finally started making albums with ten or more tracks on them. Those are just the ones I know off the top of my head. But a lot of albums in the eighties preferred to keep it short and sweet.

Nailed it.



After thinking about it & after re-reading his old interview for Billboard 9 songs on his album tracklist was expected. Back in 2012 he literally said that in his opinion great albums supposed to have only 9 or 10 songs. He's focus on up-tempo is even less suprising. He's first and formost a performer, but imo only UF! and now 24k Magic capture the energy, fun and attitude he has during live performance. What's more I'm convinced his defintion of a ballad is: simple, piano-driven love song. So it's not a big deal at all... I mean, When I Was Your Man & All I Ask are cute, but it's time to move on...

[Heart Shaped Box]

Says you.

But I live for his ballads, and his writing on them.

He also gets hits with them, so I don't understand why he would want to move on. Sigh.

[Linnethia Monique]

Oct 24, 2016 1:45:27 GMT -5 @antigonerising said:

Oct 24, 2016 1:12:40 GMT -5 Snowbeast said:

Name one big album that is 9 songs? I'm just curious

Michael Jackson - Thriller
Janet - Control
Madonna - Like a Virgin
Lionel Richie - self-titled debut
Queen - A Kind of Magic



Also, Michael's Off the Wall and Bad had ten tracks; Madonna's self-titled debut and Lionel Richie's Can't Slow Down had eight; and all of DeBarge's albums had only eight or nine tracks. Luther Vandross's debut (Never Too Much) only had seven! It wasn't until the 90s/his fifth album that Luther finally started making albums with ten or more tracks on them. Those are just the ones I know off the top of my head. But a lot of albums in the eighties preferred to keep it short and sweet.

Let me add the 13x Platinum Purple Rain to that list to keep beating this corpse. It came in at 9 tracks.

[Glove Slap]

Oct 24, 2016 1:45:27 GMT -5 @antigonerising said:

But a lot of albums in the eighties preferred to keep it short and sweet.

It's not that they preferred that, it's that the longest an album could be was around 45 minutes because of Vinyl time constraints (it increased a bit as the decade went on I believe). It wasn't until the early 90s when the CD was at the point to fit well over an hour of music that it really became an option if you didn't want to do a full double album.

[Queen of Insomnia.]

This time he didn't reveal any album credits. He insists it's necessary to listen to this album as one piece. His live shows are the biggest influence on this album mixed w/ 1990's spirit. It's a feel-good album on which he tries to get everybody on the dance floor.

[Queen of Insomnia.]

He confirmed his new Vegas Residency. Also 24k Magic will be the show-opener on his next tour:

https%3A//soundcloud.com/siriusxmmusic/bruno-mars-on-new-music-adele-touring-and-more

[Deleted]

Oct 24, 2016 7:12:05 GMT -5 Queen of Insomnia. said:

After thinking about it & after re-reading his old interview for Billboard 9 songs on his album tracklist was expected. Back in 2012 he literally said that in his opinion great albums supposed to have only 9 or 10 songs. He's focus on up-tempo is even less suprising. He's first and formost a performer, but imo only UF! and now 24k Magic capture the energy, fun and attitude he has during live performance. What's more I'm convinced his defintion of a ballad is: simple, piano-driven love song. So it's not a big deal at all... I mean, When I Was Your Man & All I Ask are cute, but it's time to move on...

I started to just leave it at Thriller because I feel like MJ is what Bruno had in mind with always wanting shorter albums, wanting to give them as much of a 'classic' feel as possible. The most heralded albums from back in the day rarely had more than 10 songs on them.

Oct 24, 2016 18:32:15 GMT -5 Glove Slap said:

Oct 24, 2016 1:45:27 GMT -5 @antigonerising said:

But a lot of albums in the eighties preferred to keep it short and sweet.

It's not that they preferred that, it's that the longest an album could be was around 45 minutes because of Vinyl time constraints (it increased a bit as the decade went on I believe). It wasn't until the early 90s when the CD was at the point to fit well over an hour of music that it really became an option if you didn't want to do a full double album.

I was wondering if it was an issue of limitation. Artists could release longer track lists, but then that meant a double (or more) vinyl. The cassette enabled a longer run time so I'd be inclined to credit that with the eventual start of longer albums; of course CDs allowed for even more time.

I also sort of wonder if being able to squeeze in more time and songs has proven to be worth it; album "filler" wasn't really a thing until the 90s, IMO. There are plenty of good longer albums, but a nine or ten-track album would ideally ensure you only pick your best. Shorter albums certainly fit in more with Bruno's perfectionist approach.

[Queen of Insomnia.]

At 45sec Bruno discusses why there's only 9 songs on his new album:



+

Yesterday, there was a private album listening party in NYC for industry people. This album is described as spectacular. Everyone is very hush-hush about it.

Bruno said: Look I just wanna make sure everyone knows I love you, and I'm glad you've experienced this with me, but please can we not tweet about this stuff? Let just keep it among us, and let me reveal my music to the world.

Later, he called Music Director Mike Mullaney for a little chat with him. Bruno welcomed him with: Boys, close the courtains, and then went on - Oh, so this is the guy who outran me with Uptown Funk [announcement]. *awkward silence* Dude, it's all good, but do me a favour. For God's sake don't f***ing let it happen again. DO NOT spill anything on this record, brother. x

[Queen of Insomnia.]

If it's really coming, then there will be only 6 unreleased song of his album.
Imo, he should just put Chunky on iTunes...

[Queen of Insomnia.]

HIGHLIGHTS:
-Zane Lowe describes Mars' 3rd LP as a phenomenal, classic & timeless funk album with amazing ballads (you can dance to) on it as well. (Worry no more.... @jazzysoul47, Heart Shaped Box , Rose "Payola" Nylund, @antigonerising, Dreams)
-Bruno said he'll always use different arrangements and break-downs in concerts, because that's what his audience deserves from him.
-It's the most Bruno album we will get from him to date.
-Bruno on his relationship w/ Jeff Bhasker: We had to separate & struggle on our own then get back together, and go on that journey.
-Epic Records didn't give him a chance when he was looking for a deal. They ignored him, but they started sniffing around his song. He refused to sell it at first, but then Kara DioGuardi told him to sell it unless he thinks it's the best song he's ever gonna write. She said - this is just a story you gonna tell one day. So he got for $20k and move on w/ his life
-Bruno on why he avoids the limelight: I hope that my music does the talking, I just want to do music. I don't want to be known for any scandals or controversy. I want to be the guy that brings joy to your life through his music. That's it. And I want to go home. Throw on some Netflix and live a life.
-Bruno said he screamed internally like a little girl when Prince gave him the thumbs up.

[Heart Shaped Box]

BRING. IT. ON.

[Queen of Insomnia.]

BBC Radio 1 & 1xtra Live Lounge

00:35 24K Magic
04:15 Treasure
08:28 Locked Out Of Heaven
13:18 All I Ask (Adele Cover)

[Heart Shaped Box]

Ugh. All I Ask.

*clutches pearls*

It's also interesting to see how high the song is for Bruno, too. It makes me feel a little better now that I've seen Adele struggle to nail it as well.

[Nick]

I prefer quality over quantity. Glad it's not a 15 track album.

[Queen of Insomnia.]

ROLLING STONE: Bruno Mars - The Private Anxiety of a Pop Perfectionist

Mars' new album, due out this month, is called 24K Magic. He says he wanted to re-create the feeling of the R&B he fell in love with as a kid, growing up in Hawaii in the early Nineties: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, New Edition and Bobby Brown, Jodeci, Boyz II Men, Teddy Riley, Babyface. "There's nothing more joyous for me than those school dances," Mars says. "Slow-dancing at the Valentine's Day banquet with the girl you have a crush on, and the DJ spins 'Before I Let You Go,' by Blackstreet. And the s**t is magical, and you think about it for the next eight months."

Bruno on Skrillex collab he didn't finish The song he needs to finish is one he's been working on with Skrillex, whom he brought in to add some pizazz to a track he's been struggling with for months. "[Skrillex] is a sonic genius, and his version is amazing," Mars says. "There's just something that's still not happening for me. The groove ain't right, or we're not doing something on the chorus – I don't know the exact math. I'm just trying to figure out why I'm tuning out in certain parts."

James Fauntleroy on Bruno: "The first day I met him I was doing a song, and this little guy with an Afro walks in like, 'This is tight, let me sing on this!'" Fauntleroy recalls. "I was like, 'Who the f**k is this guy?' He hadn't done s**t! He was a star from Day One. Some artists are purely entertainers," he says. "But [Bruno] is a real musician. He cares about how the bass and the high hat sound. He literally could do it alone, like Prince."

Confirmed songs: "Finesse" - he created +20 versions of this song. "Versace on the Floor"- a seductive slow-jam. Mars created 6 versions of this song. The original demo is called "poolside version" has a strong pina colada vibe.

[thatboyadrian]

I got faith in Mr. Mars, he's gonna come thru like he always does. After hearing "Chunky" at SNL...its over. IF YOU AIN'T HERE TO PARTY TAKE YOUR ASS BACK HOME//

[Ling-Ling]

OMG, I got everything I needed from him with that "All I Ask" performance. I prefer his version to Adele's, it sounded like a Mariah ballad right out of the 90's.

[Heart Shaped Box]

Hella trolled me. That's a ballad.

<3

[Heart Shaped Box]

I agree. It's one of his weaker ballads in terms of melody. Though he nails the throwback vibe almost TOO good.

[Queen of Insomnia.]

Just 2 wks before his new album drops that's the news I've really anticipated! +80 shows are already announced. His tour will be major. Album pre-order on his site gives early access to tickets = www.brunomars.com/24kmagic?ref=

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA
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BERLIN, GERMANY
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[#LisaRinna]

Love that he did "All I Ask" as a 90s Quiet Storm track instead of piano only, but the vocals were tragic.

[Deleted]

Nov 4, 2016 15:25:42 GMT -5 #LisaRinna said:

Love that he did "All I Ask" as a 90s Quiet Storm track instead of piano only, but the vocals were tragic.

I never realized before that his and Adele's ranges are so similar. Those two wrote that song in a key that sits the chorus at the very top of their chest range and then said 'what the hell, let's throw in a key change that takes us past that range. Hit the notes or die trying!" He was sweating like crazy by the end of it. I did enjoy the 90s take on it though.

His satin short suit in the RS shoot is amazingly ridiculous and ridiculously amazing.

Versace on the Floor's lyrics are terribad in the best of ways. "let's just kiss till we're naked" is the new "we can do it till we both wake up" and I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be laughing while listening to it, but does it matter if I still like it? Question existing.