Wavey✨️
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Post by Wavey✨️ on Aug 8, 2021 21:36:20 GMT -5
Jingle you done got the thread going I'll say that.
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kimberly
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Post by kimberly on Aug 8, 2021 21:44:01 GMT -5
Well I think there's a valid point to be made in there somewhere about Bruno Mars' catalog being thematically repetitive. I'm not usually one to make that point—sure, lyrics are important, but with enough perspectives and musical styles, the lack of creativity in themes can be masked easily. Megan Thee Stallion wants to rap about "hot girl s**t" and sex? So be it. Olivia Rodrigo wants to release an album full of songs about the same highly-publicized breakup? So be it. Bruno Mars wants to release songs about making love, sweet and tender? So be it.
Even if you wanted to make that point, I don't think "he's problematic for objectifying women in his songs" is the way to go about it. By their nature, most songs do have "objects"—someone that the songwriter addresses or talks about. And if a straight man is making a sexy, funky, R&B jam, we can expect the "object" to be a woman. Bruno and Anderson do it in a relatively respectful way, both on "Leave the Door Open" and on "Skate." And I say this as someone who doesn't really care for the latter tune, and only somewhat enjoyed the former.
There are so many more men in the industry to have this conversation about before it trickles all the way down to Bruno Mars.
The more controversial thing about him would be him using his racially ambiguous appearance to profit off of Black culture and taking up space in the industry where a Black musician should be. However, that conversation has been going on since at least as early as the 24K Magic era, and I don't have anything to add beyond what's already been said by Black cultural commentators and opinion writers regarding that topic.
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Edith Puthie
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Post by Edith Puthie on Aug 8, 2021 21:44:44 GMT -5
it's what we like to call a master baiter.
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jenglisbe
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Post by jenglisbe on Aug 8, 2021 21:52:41 GMT -5
Well I think there's a valid point to be made in there somewhere about Bruno Mars' catalog being thematically repetitive. I'm not usually one to make that point—sure, lyrics are important, but with enough perspectives and musical styles, the lack of creativity in themes can be masked easily. Megan Thee Stallion wants to rap about "hot girl s**t" and sex? So be it. Olivia Rodrigo wants to release an album full of songs about the same highly-publicized breakup? So be it. Bruno Mars wants to release songs about making love, sweet and tender? So be it. Even if you wanted to make that point, I don't think "he's problematic for objectifying women in his songs" is the way to go about it. By their nature, most songs do have "objects"—someone that the songwriter addresses or talks about. And if a straight man is making a sexy, funky, R&B jam, we can expect the "object" to be a woman. Bruno and Anderson do it in a relatively respectful way, both on "Leave the Door Open" and on "Skate." And I say this as someone who doesn't really care for the latter tune, and only somewhat enjoyed the former. There are so many more men in the industry to have this conversation about before it trickles all the way down to Bruno Mars. The more controversial thing about him would be him using his racially ambiguous appearance to profit off of Black culture and taking up space in the industry where a Black musician should be. However, that conversation has been going on since at least as early as the 24K Magic era, and I don't have anything to add beyond what's already been said by Black cultural commentators and opinion writers regarding that topic.For the record I have had this conversation about other male artists, most specifically in the country music threads. I literally only posted on this topic here because I heard "Skate" and the repetitive nature of Mars' lyrics jumped out to me, and this is a thread for our reactions to that song. I can see your point of view that Mars is respectful in that he's not denigrating women in his songs, but personally I find it troubling that he very rarely mentions qualities of a woman other than physical ones. I find it very troubling you can say the same thing about many male artists. Edith Puthie Another example is "The Way You Do the Things You Do." It's corny lyrically and features a lot of lines about physical attributes, but at least it also has lines specifying that the woman is smart and sweet (those aren't overly specific, but they're better than nothing).
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Koochie
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Post by Koochie on Aug 8, 2021 23:04:40 GMT -5
I change the thongs two times a day its Niagara Falls in this pussy all day Pussy so good I'm on a trip to the bay Soon as he put it in, that boy calling me bae I'm like, Papi, wanna see a trick that's worth it? Juggle them balls in my mouth, deepthroat circus Drop something, pick it up slow on purpose Watch me bend over, come daddy and hurt this Freak lil bitch, I'm sorry I can't help it He don't want me f**kin nobody else, he selfish Should've seen the face on that boy when he felt this Cumming all down his dick, warm and melted
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Wavey✨️
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Post by Wavey✨️ on Aug 8, 2021 23:31:11 GMT -5
I change the thongs two times a day its Niagara Falls in this pussy all day Pussy so good I'm on a trip to the bay Soon as he put it in, that boy calling me bae I'm like, Papi, wanna see a trick that's worth it? Juggle them balls in my mouth, deepthroat circus Drop something, pick it up slow on purpose Watch me bend over, come daddy and hurt this Freak lil bitch, I'm sorry I can't help it He don't want me f**kin nobody else, he selfish Should've seen the face on that boy when he felt this Cumming all down his dick, warm and melted SAID THE PUSSI SKATED!
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Lost In Musical Reverie
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Post by Lost In Musical Reverie on Aug 9, 2021 1:17:38 GMT -5
I thoroughly agree with the first part of kimberly 's comment. Even speaking from a fan's perspective, I agree Bruno's music is very thematically repetitive, which might be the bigger issue here, especially after 11 years in the industry. Outside of "Wavin' Flag" (K'naan song with writing credits from Mars), "The Lazy Song" (for better or worse), "Count On Me", "The Other Side", "Somewhere In Brooklyn", "Young, Wild & Free" (a feature), "Money Make Her Smile", and "Old & Crazy", you can neatly arrange his catalogue in either braggadocious playboy vibes, courting ladies + love-making songs, or break-up songs (self-reflective, melodramatic, or bitter). Ultimately, though, he does a fine job at them, and I understand if he prefers to stick within his limits as a songwriter than do something outside his comfort zone and fail at it. You know how the old saying goes - if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Regardless, I would appreciate more variety in his work lyrically, but indeed, despite having a firm object of desire, it's most often done very respectfully and endearingly so. jenglisbe also ought to keep in mind that songs like "Leave The Door Open", "Treasure", "That's What I Like",'Locked Out Of Heaven", and "Skate" are clearly talking about women they just met, so it makes perfect sense there won't be much raving on their character when they don't even know them as people yet, and are only enthralled by their physical appearance. I am on the demisexual spectrum and even I get this. 🤦♀️ However, I need to call out the bit in strikethrough, which was completely uncalled for. The only productive discussion point from those 'thinkpieces' is the fact the industry and GP are more willing to accept racially ambiguous individuals over black ones, stressing how colorism is still very much prevalent and should be given more attention. That is a much wider issue and shouldn't target Bruno Mars alone, especially since he grew up on black culture and has always paid tribute and acknowledged his influences. The sentiment that he's 'taking up space in the industry where a black musician should be' is beyond ignorant, especially considering Bruno is a man of colour and faced his own race-related adversities, with his Puerto Rican origins affecting his beginnings as industry executives wanted to pigeonhole him as a Latin artist, even encouraging him to sing in Spanish. That's why he changed his stage name from Peter Hernandez to Bruno Mars. This quote from Wikipedia also talks about the struggles of feeling like he didn't fit in on either side. {Spoiler} In 2013, Mars told Rolling Stone that record executives "had trouble categorizing him", and were consequently unsure which radio stations would play his songs, or to which ethnic group (black or white) he would appeal. In the same month, he confessed that "Nothin' on You" was rejected by a "music industry decision-maker" because of his race. That experience made him feel like a "mutant", and he says that was his lowest point. "Even with that song in my back pocket to seal the deal, things like that are coming out of people's mouths. It made me feel like I wasn't even in the room". Would he be less successful if he were a dark-skinned black man? Absolutely. But let's not dismiss his fantastic voice and strong stage presence - He earned his place in the mainstream. Also, it seems to me he took the post-Grammy criticisms to heart, so much that this current era is in partnership with Anderson .Paak, a man who's part African-American and had yet to receive his flowers in the mainstream, so Silk Sonic is giving him much deserved exposure. Just wanted to share my opinions on the matter.
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Enigma.
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Post by Enigma. on Aug 9, 2021 1:26:10 GMT -5
Well, I think Bruno's lyrics are just cringe sometimes, that's all. That probably makes them so "old-school".
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kimberly
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Post by kimberly on Aug 9, 2021 2:28:27 GMT -5
However, I need to call out the bit in strikethrough, which was completely uncalled for. The only productive discussion point from those 'thinkpieces' is the fact the industry and GP are more willing to accept racially ambiguous individuals over black ones, stressing how colorism is still very much prevalent and should be given more attention. That is a much wider issue and shouldn't target Bruno Mars alone, especially since he grew up on black culture and has always paid tribute and acknowledged his influences. The sentiment that he's 'taking up space in the industry where a black musician should be' is beyond ignorant, especially considering Bruno is a man of colour and faced his own race-related adversities, with his Puerto Rican origins affecting his beginnings as industry executives wanted to pigeonhole him as a Latin artist, even encouraging him to sing in Spanish. That's why he changed his stage name from Peter Hernandez to Bruno Mars. This quote from Wikipedia also talks about the struggles of feeling like he didn't fit in on either side. Would he be less successful if he were a dark-skinned black man? Absolutely. But let's not dismiss his fantastic voice and strong stage presence - He earned his place in the mainstream. Also, it seems to me he took the post-Grammy criticisms to heart, so much that this current era is in partnership with Anderson .Paak, a man who's part African-American and had yet to receive his flowers in the mainstream, so Silk Sonic is giving him much deserved exposure. Just wanted to share my opinions on the matter. this isn't about questioning whether he is part of an ethnic minority. did I (or anyone else) say he's white? how is it ignorant to point out that he was rewarded with top Grammy awards with his first R&B album when many Black musicians are shut out of winning those coveted trophies, regardless of their genre, but especially in R&B? Usher, Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, and Mariah Carey, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West... all extremely impactful musicians/records that did not reap the same benefits Bruno Mars has generated, when Black artists are responsible for shaping whatever music trend Bruno Mars hops on. there are many more Black R&B musicians that never even got nominated for such recognition. 24K Magic won against 3 much better projects by Black artists in album of the year, and came out as the winner in the R&B category as the only non-Black musician. Or at the BET Awards, Silk Sonic won "Best Group" with 1 song out when they were up against Chloe x Halle and City Girls, among other collaboration projects. that's what I mean when I say he's taking up space where a Black musician should be. he used to be a pop artist, and turned to heavy AAVE use and Black cultural influence mid-career when it was profitable and trendy for him. and he's received/continues to receive accolades for it. again, this has nothing to do with his vocal range or stage presence. and I'm glad he's at least bringing mainstream attention to a Black hip hop/R&B artist's catalog by collaborating with Anderson .Paak this time around. however, that just proves the original point that he's using his racial ambiguity to proximate himself with a culture that isn't his own, and profiting off of it without much criticism, because people are confused about his racial identity. him being surrounded by Black musicians and dancers and models in his projects doesn't help with clarifying that.
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Dylan :)
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Post by Dylan :) on Aug 9, 2021 4:29:36 GMT -5
I don’t care enough right now to have an opinion either way, however I will point out these lyrics from Skate, the song that this thread actually belongs to
“I wanna get to know ya (I wanna get to know ya)”
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nick64
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Post by nick64 on Aug 9, 2021 5:11:51 GMT -5
Finding a woman attractive is not a bad thing, nor is singing about why you find her attractive in a song. That’s all Bruno’s doing. While he might not really write the most progressive songs in the world, his lyrics aren’t actively regressive either. They’re just very surface-level, digestable “Oh hey, you’re hot” set-ups for catchy choruses. At the end of the day, he’s just not a very deep lyricist, emphasizing style over substance. And that’s fine. He’s always been more of a musician and performer than a storyteller, so don’t expect much beyond the minimum lyrically.
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Clode
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Post by Clode on Aug 9, 2021 8:13:54 GMT -5
I respect other Members different point of view regarding this Issue, This is still undeniably a very Good and Catchy song all things considered. Bruno Mars has always been a skilled Vocalist and one of the best Singers of our time. Of course if he wants to start describing the Women in his songs in more detail I could totally see him do just that without a Doubt.
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NeRD
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Post by NeRD on Aug 9, 2021 8:19:15 GMT -5
Looks like the reception for this has been lukewarm on every metric except radio. It'll be interesting to see how things pan out.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2021 10:25:28 GMT -5
I move to Bruno and I love his music, lyrics. One of the few recent male singers I stan. Music is meant to enjoyed not dissected like his meaningless love lyrics are the same as a Dababy problematic ass
Everyone is entitled to their opinions so for you but I just want to add mine that bruno Mars is fucking epic!
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Koochie
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Post by Koochie on Aug 9, 2021 10:27:14 GMT -5
Of course if he wants to start describing the Women in his songs in more detail I could totally see him do just that without a Doubt. When he writes a song about Kelly Clarkson’s knees 😍
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2021 10:34:28 GMT -5
"Marry You" ? @antigonerising sis please give your view on this if you want. Anyone looking for or still bothered by the lack of lyrical depth 11 years into Bruno's career is only playing themselves. Not that someone who doesn't identify as a woman can't have an opinion or call something out if you think there is something that warrants being called out...but as someone who identifies as a woman and a feminist, a singer 'objectifying' fictional women by crooning about how we're a treasure or that we're amazing just the way we are is really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really REALLY low on my personal list of misogynistic bulls**t in pop culture to be ready to fight about. Bruno possibly being misogynist has come up in the past; I can think of two specific examples in his discography that were singled out. But skipping past actual potentially problematic things (which don't occur often in his music) to focus on JTWYA or LOOH is just exposing yourself as either trolling - poorly - or just not being nearly as educated on this subject as you think you are. Either way, it's never too late to forgot to add, do not send me @, idgaf Hire Bruno to objectify my bubble butt for my birthday so I can throw my wet panties at him when he hits that falsetto and says coco your pussy very wet!
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back2blk
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Post by back2blk on Aug 9, 2021 10:36:34 GMT -5
If you're looking for a pattern, then that means you're only looking at the singles he RELEASES. Which leads to a bigger question on why those specifically written types of songs are popular with the general public.
However, if you look at Bruno as a songwriter, while he does have a ton of lyrics that positively enforce a women's look/image/figure, he has a ton of other songs about love that focus on other aspects of his relationship with women.
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back2blk
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Post by back2blk on Aug 9, 2021 11:02:27 GMT -5
However, I need to call out the bit in strikethrough, which was completely uncalled for. The only productive discussion point from those 'thinkpieces' is the fact the industry and GP are more willing to accept racially ambiguous individuals over black ones, stressing how colorism is still very much prevalent and should be given more attention. That is a much wider issue and shouldn't target Bruno Mars alone, especially since he grew up on black culture and has always paid tribute and acknowledged his influences. The sentiment that he's 'taking up space in the industry where a black musician should be' is beyond ignorant, especially considering Bruno is a man of colour and faced his own race-related adversities, with his Puerto Rican origins affecting his beginnings as industry executives wanted to pigeonhole him as a Latin artist, even encouraging him to sing in Spanish. That's why he changed his stage name from Peter Hernandez to Bruno Mars. This quote from Wikipedia also talks about the struggles of feeling like he didn't fit in on either side. Would he be less successful if he were a dark-skinned black man? Absolutely. But let's not dismiss his fantastic voice and strong stage presence - He earned his place in the mainstream. Also, it seems to me he took the post-Grammy criticisms to heart, so much that this current era is in partnership with Anderson .Paak, a man who's part African-American and had yet to receive his flowers in the mainstream, so Silk Sonic is giving him much deserved exposure. Just wanted to share my opinions on the matter. this isn't about questioning whether he is part of an ethnic minority. did I (or anyone else) say he's white? how is it ignorant to point out that he was rewarded with top Grammy awards with his first R&B album when many Black musicians are shut out of winning those coveted trophies, regardless of their genre, but especially in R&B? Usher, Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, and Mariah Carey, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West... all extremely impactful musicians/records that did not reap the same benefits Bruno Mars has generated, when Black artists are responsible for shaping whatever music trend Bruno Mars hops on. there are many more Black R&B musicians that never even got nominated for such recognition. 24K Magic won against 3 much better projects by Black artists in album of the year, and came out as the winner in the R&B category as the only non-Black musician. Or at the BET Awards, Silk Sonic won "Best Group" with 1 song out when they were up against Chloe x Halle and City Girls, among other collaboration projects. that's what I mean when I say he's taking up space where a Black musician should be. he used to be a pop artist, and turned to heavy AAVE use and Black cultural influence mid-career when it was profitable and trendy for him. and he's received/continues to receive accolades for it. again, this has nothing to do with his vocal range or stage presence. and I'm glad he's at least bringing mainstream attention to a Black hip hop/R&B artist's catalog by collaborating with Anderson .Paak this time around. however, that just proves the original point that he's using his racial ambiguity to proximate himself with a culture that isn't his own, and profiting off of it without much criticism, because people are confused about his racial identity. him being surrounded by Black musicians and dancers and models in his projects doesn't help with clarifying that. Yikes, there is a lot of ignorance here to breakdown. First off, I'm very well aware of R&B's reluctance to accept Bruno in their spaces because 1) "he's not black" (enough); and 2) he caters ALSO to pop, and crosses over. But that's a conversation for the culture to have. Saying, "no one's calling him white" while also bringing that up in the context of his race, is essentially saying "he's a POC that is not black". Kimberly is so spot on by pointing out that all minorities experience their struggles, and never has Bruno tried to benefit or profit off that crutch. He's not racially ambiguous, he's f**king mixed race. People are confused because they want to FORCIBLY attach a label to him so he's easier to access. PEOPLE NEED TO STOP WITH THAT! Not to mention by acknowledging that he's Puerto Rican and at the same time saying that he's non-black, is straight up anti-black, erasure sentiment that perpetuates centuries of white supremacy/colorism/internal racism in his Latin/x/e community/upbringing. ALL THAT ASIDE, Bruno was RAISED with R&B music; he's a 90's baby, where R&B music WAS Pop. So, when his music gets categorized as such, wins awards for the talent he possesses in those categories, and then includes his influences in his award speeches, his space in R&B categories is rightfully earned.
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Leo ✔
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Post by Leo ✔ on Aug 9, 2021 11:42:40 GMT -5
I don't want to update this thread anymore so I don't see j*** posts. Yikes
POP 42 25 BRUNO MARS/A .PAAK/SILK SONIC Skate 2942 642 2300 8.420 + 401 spins + 229 bullet + 1.172 audience
HOT AC 47 27 BRUNO MARS/A .PAAK/SILK SONIC Skate 726 107 619 1.495 + 113 spins + 80 bullet + 0.175 audience
RHYTHMIC 51 24 BRUNO MARS/A .PAAK/SILK SONIC Skate 1347 330 1017 3.328 + 160 spins + 81 bullet + 0.387 audience
URBAN 49 43 BRUNO MARS/A .PAAK/SILK SONIC Skate 702 505 197 1.978 + 108 spins + 77 bullet + 0.262 audience
URBAN/R&B 16 14 BRUNO MARS/A .PAAK/SILK SONIC Skate 796 565 231 4.197 + 51 spins - 15 bullet + 0.179 audience
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#LisaRinna
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Post by #LisaRinna on Aug 9, 2021 12:06:10 GMT -5
This is some bullshit through and through. WOW.
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jenglisbe
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Post by jenglisbe on Aug 9, 2021 12:50:02 GMT -5
If you're looking for a pattern, then that means you're only looking at the singles he RELEASES. Which leads to a bigger question on why those specifically written types of songs are popular with the general public. However, if you look at Bruno as a songwriter, while he does have a ton of lyrics that positively enforce a women's look/image/figure, he has a ton of other songs about love that focus on other aspects of his relationship with women. You mean like the non-single "Natalie" where a woman ruins his life and is referred to as a "pretty little thing" and is called the b word? or "Calling All My Lovelies" where he sings about all of the women he has on hold? Anyway, I have repeatedly asked for examples of these other songs, but to this point almost no one has given any specific examples. It's great if he's written these other types of songs, but even you didn't mention any specifically. I am pleased this became an actual discussion, and some great nuanced points have been made.
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back2blk
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Post by back2blk on Aug 9, 2021 13:01:59 GMT -5
If you're looking for a pattern, then that means you're only looking at the singles he RELEASES. Which leads to a bigger question on why those specifically written types of songs are popular with the general public. However, if you look at Bruno as a songwriter, while he does have a ton of lyrics that positively enforce a women's look/image/figure, he has a ton of other songs about love that focus on other aspects of his relationship with women. You mean like the non-single "Natalie" where a woman ruins his life and is referred to as a "pretty little thing" and is called the b word? or "Calling All My Lovelies" where he sings about all of the women he has on hold? Anyway, I have repeatedly asked for examples of these other songs, but to this point almost no one has given any specific examples. It's great if he's written these other types of songs, but even you didn't mention any specifically. I am pleased this became an actual discussion, and some great nuanced points have been made. Grenade (which was a single) When I Was Your Man (which was a single) Marry You (which was already brought up) All I Ask (which he wrote for Adele) Talking to the Moon Too Good to Say Goodbye Tears Always Win (co-written with Alicia Keys, which was released as a single) If I Knew Count on Me You literally could have googled this yourself and sat yourself down. But I was happy to do it today, since you tried it. He's released and had album songs full of love. You can almost say, it's a pattern of his.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2021 13:10:32 GMT -5
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kimberly
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Post by kimberly on Aug 9, 2021 14:31:52 GMT -5
Yikes, there is a lot of ignorance here to breakdown. First off, I'm very well aware of R&B's reluctance to accept Bruno in their spaces because 1) "he's not black" (enough); and 2) he caters ALSO to pop, and crosses over. But that's a conversation for the culture to have. Saying, "no one's calling him white" while also bringing that up in the context of his race, is essentially saying "he's a POC that is not black". Kimberly is so spot on by pointing out that all minorities experience their struggles, and never has Bruno tried to benefit or profit off that crutch. He's not racially ambiguous, he's f**king mixed race. People are confused because they want to FORCIBLY attach a label to him so he's easier to access. PEOPLE NEED TO STOP WITH THAT! Not to mention by acknowledging that he's Puerto Rican and at the same time saying that he's non-black, is straight up anti-black, erasure sentiment that perpetuates centuries of white supremacy/colorism/internal racism in his Latin/x/e community/upbringing. ALL THAT ASIDE, Bruno was RAISED with R&B music; he's a 90's baby, where R&B music WAS Pop. So, when his music gets categorized as such, wins awards for the talent he possesses in those categories, and then includes his influences in his award speeches, his space in R&B categories is rightfully earned. Bruno Mars is only 1/4 Puerto Rican, and I thought it was common knowledge that not all Puerto Rican people are Black (or people of color)??? his Puerto Rican ancestry is mainly Spanish and Catalan, and he has no known ties to African and African American peoples. He is half Filipino, and the remaining quarter is Ashkenazi Jewish. How is it anti-Black saying he isn't Black? He is absolutely a person of color, but he is not a Black person. Anyways as I said, this is a very controversial topic that many people (and more importantly, Black people) have weighed in on over the last 3-4 years. I shared some of the perspectives I read and agreed with. Thank you for sharing your views. My position in this debate (as a non-Black person of color) is pro-Black and for prosperity of Black artists in a genre created, influenced, and continued by Black musicians. Any other interpretation of my post is false and disingenuous.
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jenglisbe
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Post by jenglisbe on Aug 9, 2021 14:53:12 GMT -5
You literally could have googled this yourself and sat yourself down. A lot of people on on this board could Google a lot of things posted on here, but then that would in part cancel out the point of a discussion board. But you know, do you and cop an attitude. We already discussed "Marry You" on here, in which he sings of being drunk and getting married. That's about love how? Bruno never even describes the woman in "Talking to the Moon," so again I don't see how that's a relevant example for this discussion. "Grenade" describes devotion I suppose, but the woman is described as taking and not giving and being a "bad woman" so I don't see how that is some respectful depiction of women. Your list there is missing the actual discussion that was intended.
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back2blk
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Post by back2blk on Aug 9, 2021 14:53:37 GMT -5
Yikes, there is a lot of ignorance here to breakdown. First off, I'm very well aware of R&B's reluctance to accept Bruno in their spaces because 1) "he's not black" (enough); and 2) he caters ALSO to pop, and crosses over. But that's a conversation for the culture to have. Saying, "no one's calling him white" while also bringing that up in the context of his race, is essentially saying "he's a POC that is not black". Kimberly is so spot on by pointing out that all minorities experience their struggles, and never has Bruno tried to benefit or profit off that crutch. He's not racially ambiguous, he's f**king mixed race. People are confused because they want to FORCIBLY attach a label to him so he's easier to access. PEOPLE NEED TO STOP WITH THAT! Not to mention by acknowledging that he's Puerto Rican and at the same time saying that he's non-black, is straight up anti-black, erasure sentiment that perpetuates centuries of white supremacy/colorism/internal racism in his Latin/x/e community/upbringing. ALL THAT ASIDE, Bruno was RAISED with R&B music; he's a 90's baby, where R&B music WAS Pop. So, when his music gets categorized as such, wins awards for the talent he possesses in those categories, and then includes his influences in his award speeches, his space in R&B categories is rightfully earned. Bruno Mars is only 1/4 Puerto Rican, and I thought it was common knowledge that not all Puerto Rican people are Black (or people of color) his Puerto Rican ancestry is mainly Spanish and Catalan, and he has no known ties to African and African American peoples. He is half Filipino, and the remaining quarter is Ashkenazi Jewish. How is it anti-Black saying he isn't Black? He is absolutely a person of color, but he is not a Black person. Anyways as I said, this is a very controversial topic that many people (and more importantly, Black people) have weighed in on over the last 3-4 years. I shared some of the perspectives I read and agreed with. Thank you for sharing your views. My position in this debate (as a non-Black person of color) is pro-Black and for prosperity of Black artists in a genre created, influenced, and continued by Black musicians. Any other interpretation of my post is false and disingenuous. I didn't get anti-black vibes from you. But it is tip-toeing a very U.S.-centric view of racialization to separate black/non-black populations from Puerto Rican and Pilipino racial make-up. I can't confirm that his Pinay background is non-black, but we need to be correct in identifying Bruno as non-black POC, as you did here - Thank you for that. But that's never how the conversation goes. People off the bat say he's not black BECAUSE he's Puerto Rican and Pinay, and as you did, even point out the percentages he is of each.
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Soulsista
Diamond Member
Room for one more, honey.
Joined: December 2006
Posts: 11,139
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Post by Soulsista on Aug 9, 2021 15:19:47 GMT -5
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back2blk
4x Platinum Member
Dupe
Joined: September 2020
Posts: 4,560
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Post by back2blk on Aug 9, 2021 15:21:40 GMT -5
You literally could have googled this yourself and sat yourself down. A lot of people on on this board could Google a lot of things posted on here, but then that would in part cancel out the point of a discussion board. But you know, do you and cop an attitude. We already discussed "Marry You" on here, in which he sings of being drunk and getting married. That's about love how? Bruno never even describes the woman in "Talking to the Moon," so again I don't see how that's a relevant example for this discussion. "Grenade" describes devotion I suppose, but the woman is described as taking and not giving and being a "bad woman" so I don't see how that is some respectful depiction of women. Your list there is missing the actual discussion that was intended. Boy, you started no discussion here. Please read the room. Everyone is shutting you out and wondering who invited you to this cookout.
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jenglisbe
Diamond Member
Joined: January 2005
Posts: 34,648
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Post by jenglisbe on Aug 9, 2021 15:32:48 GMT -5
A lot of people on on this board could Google a lot of things posted on here, but then that would in part cancel out the point of a discussion board. But you know, do you and cop an attitude. We already discussed "Marry You" on here, in which he sings of being drunk and getting married. That's about love how? Bruno never even describes the woman in "Talking to the Moon," so again I don't see how that's a relevant example for this discussion. "Grenade" describes devotion I suppose, but the woman is described as taking and not giving and being a "bad woman" so I don't see how that is some respectful depiction of women. Your list there is missing the actual discussion that was intended. Boy, you started no discussion here. Please read the room. Everyone is shutting you out and wondering who invited you to this cookout. A discussion has been had (including your participation), and not everyone shut me out so...
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Wavey✨️
Moderator
Look...
Positive Vibes🙏🏾❤
Joined: August 2006
Posts: 42,940
Pronouns: He/Him
Staff
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Post by Wavey✨️ on Aug 9, 2021 15:36:31 GMT -5
Are we skatin or nah cause..
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