WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.000 Welcome back to The Deep Dive, the show where 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:04.580 we take a giant stack of sources, research and 00:00:04.580 --> 00:00:07.419 data and impress it into the absolute sharpest 00:00:07.419 --> 00:00:11.679 insights just for you. And today we are strapping 00:00:11.679 --> 00:00:13.859 in. We really are. We're doing a genre hopping 00:00:13.859 --> 00:00:16.820 adventure dedicated to unpacking the, well, the 00:00:16.820 --> 00:00:19.940 absolute anatomy of a modern pop icon, Peter 00:00:19.940 --> 00:00:22.079 Gene Hernandez, who you almost certainly know 00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:24.480 better as Bruno Mars. And this is, I think, not 00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:26.480 just a necessary deep dive, but a critically 00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:28.239 important one if you want to understand modern 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:31.059 music. I mean, modern musical commerce, really. 00:00:31.179 --> 00:00:33.780 Right. Few artists of the 21st century have managed 00:00:33.780 --> 00:00:37.640 to get to his unique level of commercial dominance 00:00:37.640 --> 00:00:40.520 while also keeping these deep, specific roots 00:00:40.520 --> 00:00:42.829 in music history. So our mission today is to 00:00:42.829 --> 00:00:44.909 trace that trajectory, you know, from this small 00:00:44.909 --> 00:00:48.229 town, precocious kid in Hawaii doing pitch perfect 00:00:48.229 --> 00:00:50.409 Elvis impersonations. All the way to becoming 00:00:50.409 --> 00:00:53.859 a global phenomenon whose showmanship is. frankly 00:00:53.859 --> 00:00:56.759 revered worldwide exactly we'll be analyzing 00:00:56.759 --> 00:00:59.420 the intentional choices he made both as the sort 00:00:59.420 --> 00:01:01.979 of hidden relentless hit songwriter and of course 00:01:01.979 --> 00:01:04.599 as the magnetic versatile solo performer we all 00:01:04.599 --> 00:01:07.819 know and the scale of his success i mean we really 00:01:07.819 --> 00:01:09.939 need to frame this properly he's enormous it's 00:01:09.939 --> 00:01:11.920 just staggering you're talking about one of the 00:01:11.920 --> 00:01:13.780 best -selling music artists of all time we're 00:01:13.780 --> 00:01:18.079 looking at over 150 million records sold worldwide 00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:21.769 a cabinet full of 16 grammy awards But there's 00:01:21.769 --> 00:01:24.310 this one current stat that just blows my mind. 00:01:24.329 --> 00:01:27.930 It puts his reach into perfect perspective. The 00:01:27.930 --> 00:01:30.290 Spotify number. The Spotify number. He is the 00:01:30.290 --> 00:01:35.019 first. artists ever to surpass 150 million monthly 00:01:35.019 --> 00:01:38.060 listeners i mean think about that that's an astonishing 00:01:38.060 --> 00:01:41.599 multi -platform global figure that shows this 00:01:41.599 --> 00:01:45.519 undeniable consistent cultural reach across every 00:01:45.519 --> 00:01:48.420 single demographic and that versatility is absolutely 00:01:48.420 --> 00:01:50.120 foundational you have to understand to understand 00:01:50.120 --> 00:01:53.379 him he has mastered and uh synthesized multiple 00:01:53.379 --> 00:01:55.420 musical aesthetics which lets him just seamlessly 00:01:55.420 --> 00:01:57.939 switch between what the nostalgia of new jack 00:01:57.939 --> 00:02:00.590 swing the grid of funk the polish of r b Easy 00:02:00.590 --> 00:02:03.549 bounce of reggae pop. Yeah. And he has that famously 00:02:03.549 --> 00:02:06.510 powerful three octave tenor vocal range coupled 00:02:06.510 --> 00:02:09.389 with an indefatigable classical stage presence. 00:02:09.590 --> 00:02:11.750 But what's so fascinating here and what we're 00:02:11.750 --> 00:02:13.550 going to unpack is that the creation of Bruno 00:02:13.550 --> 00:02:16.930 Mars, this universally appealing craftsman, it 00:02:16.930 --> 00:02:19.689 wasn't a fluke. It wasn't just raw talent. No, 00:02:19.810 --> 00:02:23.330 not at all. It required immense disciplined dedication 00:02:23.330 --> 00:02:28.610 to songwriting fundamentals and these. highly 00:02:28.610 --> 00:02:32.189 intentional strategic decisions about his professional 00:02:32.189 --> 00:02:34.870 identity and his brand. Exactly. This wasn't 00:02:34.870 --> 00:02:38.250 an accident. This was a calculated five -decade 00:02:38.250 --> 00:02:41.689 deep appreciation for musical structure put into 00:02:41.689 --> 00:02:44.669 practice. It's an intellectual pursuit disguised 00:02:44.669 --> 00:02:47.449 as a pop performance. Okay, let's unpack this 00:02:47.449 --> 00:02:49.110 and start right at the beginning. Let's do it. 00:02:49.169 --> 00:02:51.550 Back in Honolulu, looking at the influences that 00:02:51.550 --> 00:02:53.949 shaped this extraordinary work ethic. Okay, so 00:02:53.949 --> 00:02:55.930 we have to start in Hawaii because his foundation 00:02:55.930 --> 00:02:58.129 is, I mean, it's unlike... Unlike almost any 00:02:58.129 --> 00:02:59.810 other mainstream pop star you could name. Right. 00:02:59.870 --> 00:03:02.550 Peter Gene Hernandez was born on October 8, 1985, 00:03:02.930 --> 00:03:06.009 in Honolulu. And his family was musical by trade 00:03:06.009 --> 00:03:08.750 and, well, by necessity. Born into it. Literally. 00:03:09.250 --> 00:03:12.009 His mother, Bernadette, was a hula dancer and 00:03:12.009 --> 00:03:14.689 a singer. And his father, Peter, was a percussionist 00:03:14.689 --> 00:03:17.349 and entertainer. They actually met while performing 00:03:17.349 --> 00:03:19.830 in a show together, so he was born directly into 00:03:19.830 --> 00:03:22.150 the professional performance world. And the name 00:03:22.150 --> 00:03:24.830 Bruno that we all know him by today is purely 00:03:24.830 --> 00:03:27.090 accidental, right? It is. It's a childhood thing. 00:03:27.389 --> 00:03:30.669 At two years old, his father nicknamed him Bruno 00:03:30.669 --> 00:03:33.490 because the toddler was apparently so stocky 00:03:33.490 --> 00:03:35.389 he looked like the professional wrestling champion 00:03:35.389 --> 00:03:38.629 Bruno Sammartino. That's amazing. It's an almost 00:03:38.629 --> 00:03:41.349 absurd origin for a future pop prince, but it 00:03:41.349 --> 00:03:44.610 clearly stuck. It did. But what's really critical 00:03:44.610 --> 00:03:47.129 here is the musical immersion he experienced 00:03:47.129 --> 00:03:50.449 from infancy. He was one of six kids, and the 00:03:50.449 --> 00:03:53.449 family exposed him to just a constant flow of 00:03:53.449 --> 00:03:57.430 diverse genres. Rock and roll, reggae, hip -hop, 00:03:57.550 --> 00:04:00.409 R &B. And his dad was a big influence there. 00:04:00.530 --> 00:04:03.610 A huge one. His father, Peter, specifically performed 00:04:03.610 --> 00:04:06.330 the music of Little Richard. And his uncle, who 00:04:06.330 --> 00:04:08.629 was an Elvis impersonator, was the one who encouraged 00:04:08.629 --> 00:04:10.629 the young boy to start performing songs by Elvis 00:04:10.629 --> 00:04:12.770 Presley and Michael Jackson. So this wasn't just 00:04:12.770 --> 00:04:14.770 listening to records in the living room. This 00:04:14.770 --> 00:04:18.050 was an education. This was active training. Which 00:04:18.050 --> 00:04:21.050 brings us to the Little Elvis period, as it's 00:04:21.050 --> 00:04:23.230 now known. And this sounds less like a sweet 00:04:23.230 --> 00:04:25.350 hobby and more like a full -time professional 00:04:25.350 --> 00:04:29.370 grind. It was a job. Starting at age four, he 00:04:29.370 --> 00:04:31.389 was performing five days a week with his family's 00:04:31.389 --> 00:04:34.209 band, The Love Notes, at major venues like the 00:04:34.209 --> 00:04:37.290 Sheraton Waikiki Hotel. Wow. He gained serious 00:04:37.290 --> 00:04:41.230 local fame for the Elvis impersonation. He appeared 00:04:41.230 --> 00:04:45.149 in the Hawaiian tabloid Midweek in 1990 and famously 00:04:45.149 --> 00:04:48.850 performed in the halftime show of the 1990 Aloha 00:04:48.850 --> 00:04:51.389 Bowl. So he was a local celebrity before he was 00:04:51.389 --> 00:04:54.069 in kindergarten? Pretty much. And that early 00:04:54.069 --> 00:04:56.990 intense performance training profoundly impacted 00:04:56.990 --> 00:04:59.230 his musical evolution and his performing technique. 00:04:59.470 --> 00:05:01.129 I mean, just think about the discipline required. 00:05:01.370 --> 00:05:03.490 Oh, yeah. Performing two shows a night, five 00:05:03.490 --> 00:05:05.670 nights a week. all through his grade school years. 00:05:05.889 --> 00:05:08.329 He was covering complex material by artists like 00:05:08.329 --> 00:05:10.490 Frankie Lyman and Little Anthony. And there's 00:05:10.490 --> 00:05:13.290 that one amazing anecdote. Right. The sources 00:05:13.290 --> 00:05:15.970 note this remarkable story where once, when he 00:05:15.970 --> 00:05:18.730 was only five, he actually urinated on himself 00:05:18.730 --> 00:05:22.310 during a performance of Elvis' Can't Help Falling 00:05:22.310 --> 00:05:24.689 in Love. But he kept going. He never stopped 00:05:24.689 --> 00:05:27.699 or broke character. That level of dedication, 00:05:27.939 --> 00:05:30.639 that absolute commitment to the stage is why 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:33.319 he possesses the showmanship he does today. It 00:05:33.319 --> 00:05:35.639 was instilled in him before he was 10 years old. 00:05:35.779 --> 00:05:38.040 It's that core lesson, right? The show must always 00:05:38.040 --> 00:05:40.560 go on. It's a foundational piece of his professional 00:05:40.560 --> 00:05:43.939 durability. Absolutely. But this idyllic, performance 00:05:43.939 --> 00:05:48.019 -filled childhood was... Soon shattered by family 00:05:48.019 --> 00:05:50.240 hardship. His parents divorced when he was about 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:52.600 12. Yeah, and that essentially ended the Love 00:05:52.600 --> 00:05:55.319 Notes band. And his father's various businesses 00:05:55.319 --> 00:05:57.600 then failed. And the contrast between, you know, 00:05:57.620 --> 00:05:59.819 the glitz of the Waikiki stage and the reality 00:05:59.819 --> 00:06:02.420 of their living situation is just, it's stark. 00:06:02.699 --> 00:06:04.660 It is. He and his brother and father ended up 00:06:04.660 --> 00:06:06.779 living in extremely difficult circumstances. 00:06:07.120 --> 00:06:09.699 Sometimes in a car or on rooftops. And the bird 00:06:09.699 --> 00:06:13.240 zoo. And most famously, for a period in a closed, 00:06:13.339 --> 00:06:16.160 dilapidated bird zoo called Paradise Park. his 00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:18.939 father had previously worked. It's a very gritty, 00:06:18.939 --> 00:06:22.259 real foundation for someone who would later sing 00:06:22.259 --> 00:06:25.339 exclusively about the decadence of 24K magic. 00:06:25.699 --> 00:06:28.379 It really is. It shows that the hustle and that 00:06:28.379 --> 00:06:31.199 survival instinct were just always there right 00:06:31.199 --> 00:06:33.779 from the beginning. And that grit absolutely 00:06:33.779 --> 00:06:37.279 defined his next chapter. In 2003, shortly after 00:06:37.279 --> 00:06:39.600 graduating high school, he makes the big move. 00:06:39.819 --> 00:06:42.459 To Los Angeles, to pursue music professionally. 00:06:42.779 --> 00:06:46.089 He was chasing that Hollywood dream. But he was 00:06:46.089 --> 00:06:49.509 immediately surprised by the poverty and squalor 00:06:49.509 --> 00:06:52.129 on Mansfield Avenue. he realized the struggle 00:06:52.129 --> 00:06:54.250 was far from over. So he had to hustle immediately 00:06:54.250 --> 00:06:57.149 to survive. He struggled financially, did every 00:06:57.149 --> 00:07:00.389 odd job he could find, including lying to get 00:07:00.389 --> 00:07:04.029 a $75 DJ job. Which he lost pretty quickly, right? 00:07:04.230 --> 00:07:05.829 Yeah, he admitted he lost it fast because he 00:07:05.829 --> 00:07:08.350 couldn't actually DJ. But these small failures 00:07:08.350 --> 00:07:10.870 and the constant rejections just became the fuel 00:07:10.870 --> 00:07:13.329 for his ambition. And this brings us to a really 00:07:13.329 --> 00:07:15.889 crucial moment of identity creation. adopting 00:07:15.889 --> 00:07:18.550 the stage name. Yes. He was Peter Gene Hernandez, 00:07:18.790 --> 00:07:21.689 but he felt he lacked the necessary pizzazz for 00:07:21.689 --> 00:07:24.170 stardom. The sources say girls often told him 00:07:24.170 --> 00:07:26.250 he was out of this world. So the nickname Bruno 00:07:26.250 --> 00:07:28.930 got the astronomical edition and he became Bruno 00:07:28.930 --> 00:07:32.569 Mars. But there's a much deeper, more strategic, 00:07:32.629 --> 00:07:34.829 professional motivation behind this decision 00:07:34.829 --> 00:07:37.889 that goes way beyond just a cool sound. And this 00:07:37.889 --> 00:07:40.470 is the essential insight here. It is. The name 00:07:40.470 --> 00:07:43.810 change was fundamentally an effort to avoid being 00:07:43.810 --> 00:07:46.769 stereotyped. By the music machine. Because when 00:07:46.769 --> 00:07:48.709 the industry looked at Peter Hernandez. They 00:07:48.709 --> 00:07:51.170 immediately tried to pigeonhole him. Yeah. Strictly 00:07:51.170 --> 00:07:53.209 as a Latin artist. They strongly encouraged him 00:07:53.209 --> 00:07:55.949 to sing solely in Spanish. So by creating the 00:07:55.949 --> 00:07:59.029 identity of Bruno Mars, he completely broke free 00:07:59.029 --> 00:08:01.949 of that predefined restrictive box. He bought 00:08:01.949 --> 00:08:04.149 himself the artistic freedom and the versatility 00:08:04.149 --> 00:08:07.329 he craved. He made sure he could fuse the rock, 00:08:07.389 --> 00:08:10.430 hip hop, R &B and pop genres he loved equally. 00:08:11.060 --> 00:08:13.860 It was a preemptive strike against industry control. 00:08:14.060 --> 00:08:15.959 Which speaks volumes about his understanding 00:08:15.959 --> 00:08:18.100 of the business from the very start. He knew 00:08:18.100 --> 00:08:20.199 that if he was going to be the pop historian 00:08:20.199 --> 00:08:23.180 he is today, he couldn't be confined to one lane, 00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:25.160 even if that lane was financially lucrative. 00:08:25.420 --> 00:08:27.519 Exactly. The name change was an act of artistic 00:08:27.519 --> 00:08:30.319 self -determination. So that transition from 00:08:30.319 --> 00:08:33.759 Peter Gene Hernandez, the Hawaiian hustler, to 00:08:33.759 --> 00:08:37.559 Bruno Mars, the Martian pop star, it really sets 00:08:37.559 --> 00:08:40.299 the stage for what came next. The factory phase. 00:08:40.440 --> 00:08:43.500 The factory phase. This is that six year period 00:08:43.500 --> 00:08:46.019 where he laid the intellectual groundwork for 00:08:46.019 --> 00:08:48.840 being a hit maker. And it's maybe the most important 00:08:48.840 --> 00:08:51.600 and least known chapter of his story. This is 00:08:51.600 --> 00:08:53.779 truly where the professional craft was forged, 00:08:53.879 --> 00:08:56.379 you know, away from the spotlight. He arrived 00:08:56.379 --> 00:08:59.179 in L .A., had an early failed contract with Motown 00:08:59.179 --> 00:09:02.840 Records in 2004, a deal that just went nowhere. 00:09:03.100 --> 00:09:05.720 Which must have been a massive setback. Huge. 00:09:06.159 --> 00:09:09.080 But less than a year later, in 2005, he lands 00:09:09.080 --> 00:09:11.419 this crucial music publishing deal with Steve 00:09:11.419 --> 00:09:14.159 Lindsay and Cameron Strang. And that partnership 00:09:14.159 --> 00:09:16.820 focused purely on writing. That was the inflection 00:09:16.820 --> 00:09:19.000 point. And the role of Steve Lindsay, the mentor, 00:09:19.179 --> 00:09:21.940 is legendary in his story. It is. He didn't just 00:09:21.940 --> 00:09:24.340 sign Mars. He essentially acted as a gatekeeper. 00:09:24.440 --> 00:09:27.860 He famously held Mars back for five years while 00:09:27.860 --> 00:09:30.299 painstakingly teaching him the deep intricacies 00:09:30.299 --> 00:09:32.740 of writing pop music. So this wasn't about performing. 00:09:32.860 --> 00:09:35.000 It was about understanding the architecture of 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:37.720 a global system. smash hit. Exactly. Lindsay 00:09:37.720 --> 00:09:39.980 told him it wasn't about raw talent. It was about 00:09:39.980 --> 00:09:43.460 understanding what makes a hip hop song. It's 00:09:43.460 --> 00:09:45.179 the difference between being a great musician 00:09:45.179 --> 00:09:48.700 and being a professional, marketable hit maker. 00:09:48.980 --> 00:09:52.110 That's it. Lindsay mentored Mars. along with 00:09:52.110 --> 00:09:54.789 future collaborators Brody Brown and Jeff Basker, 00:09:54.830 --> 00:09:57.669 and he forced them to internalize this extensive 00:09:57.669 --> 00:10:01.070 catalog of hit music. Basker noted that, you 00:10:01.070 --> 00:10:04.029 know, having talent is common. Right. But understanding 00:10:04.029 --> 00:10:06.309 the discipline science and the mechanics of a 00:10:06.309 --> 00:10:08.970 hip -hop song, the structure, the melody, where 00:10:08.970 --> 00:10:11.009 the hook goes, that's a whole other endeavor 00:10:11.009 --> 00:10:13.529 that takes time. A five -year pop music boot 00:10:13.529 --> 00:10:16.909 camp? Essentially. This slow burn allowed Mars 00:10:16.909 --> 00:10:19.230 to mature behind the scenes until he was truly 00:10:19.230 --> 00:10:21.830 ready. And that detail about being held back 00:10:21.830 --> 00:10:24.149 for five years is just fascinating. It shows 00:10:24.149 --> 00:10:26.889 immense patience and a rare dedication to delayed 00:10:26.889 --> 00:10:28.929 gratification. Especially for someone who had 00:10:28.929 --> 00:10:30.350 already been a professional performer since he 00:10:30.350 --> 00:10:32.690 was four years old. Right. He was basically unlearning 00:10:32.690 --> 00:10:34.909 the stage kid habits and learning the discipline 00:10:34.909 --> 00:10:37.649 of the studio. And during this period, he was 00:10:37.649 --> 00:10:40.799 constantly building his network. He met Brody 00:10:40.799 --> 00:10:43.779 Brown and Jeff Basker through Mike Lynn. And 00:10:43.779 --> 00:10:46.360 critically, he met Philip Lawrence, who would 00:10:46.360 --> 00:10:48.820 become his key collaborator. And the story of 00:10:48.820 --> 00:10:51.220 their first meeting just underscores that early 00:10:51.220 --> 00:10:54.379 struggle. Oh, yeah. Lawrence was initially reluctant 00:10:54.379 --> 00:10:56.539 to meet Mars because he didn't even have bus 00:10:56.539 --> 00:10:59.340 fare. A friend had to promise to reimburse him 00:10:59.340 --> 00:11:02.960 the $5. From a humble $5 starting point, that 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:05.539 collaboration blossomed. It did. Lawrence and 00:11:05.539 --> 00:11:07.740 Mars started the Smeezington's production unit, 00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:10.179 and they faced rejection after rejection from 00:11:10.179 --> 00:11:12.740 labels. They were financially strapped. So let's 00:11:12.740 --> 00:11:15.200 zoom in on that turning point. What was the moment 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:17.159 that allowed them to just keep the lights on? 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:21.500 The sale that truly saved them was in 2008. Brandon 00:11:21.500 --> 00:11:23.919 Creed, who would eventually become Mars' long 00:11:23.919 --> 00:11:27.019 -term manager, bought their song Lost. For a 00:11:27.019 --> 00:11:31.120 seemingly small sum, $20 ,000. $20 ,000 split 00:11:31.120 --> 00:11:34.039 between the team. Right. But that small cash 00:11:34.039 --> 00:11:36.700 infusion provided the necessary oxygen to pay 00:11:36.700 --> 00:11:39.419 rent and continue working together. It proved 00:11:39.419 --> 00:11:41.820 they could sell their product and allowed them 00:11:41.820 --> 00:11:44.019 to continue the intensive writing work that eventually, 00:11:44.179 --> 00:11:47.590 you know. coalesced into the Smeasingtons production 00:11:47.590 --> 00:11:50.009 powerhouse. And the Smeasingtons didn't stay 00:11:50.009 --> 00:11:52.490 small for long. They weren't just writing songs 00:11:52.490 --> 00:11:55.250 for Mars' eventual solo career. No, they were 00:11:55.250 --> 00:11:58.549 becoming a major industry force, a genuine hit 00:11:58.549 --> 00:12:02.129 factory. Their first big hit, in Mars' own words, 00:12:02.269 --> 00:12:06.049 was co -writing Flo Rida's massive 2009 single 00:12:06.049 --> 00:12:08.750 Right Round. And he said that was their first 00:12:08.750 --> 00:12:10.870 taste of what could really happen with a hit 00:12:10.870 --> 00:12:13.539 we 100 %ed. They became a machine. They were 00:12:13.539 --> 00:12:15.840 capable of spanning genres and catering to diverse 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:18.240 talent. They wrote for Alexander Burke, Adam 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:21.019 Levine, Sean Kingston. And, crucially, they composed 00:12:21.019 --> 00:12:23.919 CeeLo Green's enormously successful 2010 single, 00:12:24.120 --> 00:12:26.799 Fuck You. Which demonstrates this crucial strategic 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:29.639 genius. They established widespread credibility 00:12:29.639 --> 00:12:32.360 and financial stability by producing and writing 00:12:32.360 --> 00:12:34.840 guaranteed hits for other people before attempting 00:12:34.840 --> 00:12:37.519 to launch Mars' own face to the world. It's a 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:40.210 brilliant strategy. He spent years mastering 00:12:40.210 --> 00:12:42.990 the rules of pop behind the scenes, paying his 00:12:42.990 --> 00:12:45.529 dues in the factory, so that when he finally 00:12:45.529 --> 00:12:47.809 stepped into the spotlight, he wasn't an unknown. 00:12:48.190 --> 00:12:51.070 Exactly. That foundation of behind the scenes 00:12:51.070 --> 00:12:53.990 work allowed him to step into the spotlight not 00:12:53.990 --> 00:12:57.309 as a struggling newcomer, but as an already established, 00:12:57.529 --> 00:13:00.370 versatile, bankable talent. He rose to fame initially 00:13:00.370 --> 00:13:03.809 as a feature artist, not a solo headliner. Right. 00:13:04.269 --> 00:13:06.450 You think about his breakthrough on B .O .B.'s 00:13:06.450 --> 00:13:09.809 Nothing on You and Trevi McCoy's Billionaire 00:13:09.809 --> 00:13:13.309 in 2010. Both of those top charts globally. And 00:13:13.309 --> 00:13:15.230 this wasn't accidental either. Mars was very 00:13:15.230 --> 00:13:17.610 conscious of this calculated soft launch. He 00:13:17.610 --> 00:13:19.309 said those songs weren't meant to be full sung 00:13:19.309 --> 00:13:21.769 songs. And they gave him massive immediate exposure 00:13:21.769 --> 00:13:24.269 without forcing him to commit to one genre or 00:13:24.269 --> 00:13:26.389 carry the full commercial weight of a solo debut 00:13:26.389 --> 00:13:28.809 yet. It was a strategic way to dip his toe into 00:13:28.809 --> 00:13:31.370 different pools. Hip hop, reggae, acoustic pop 00:13:31.370 --> 00:13:33.490 testing the market and flexing his versatility. 00:13:33.580 --> 00:13:36.379 Proving his universal donor voice could fit anywhere 00:13:36.379 --> 00:13:39.120 before the world heard his definitive solo sound. 00:13:39.580 --> 00:13:42.700 Hashtag tag three. The album eras and pop dominance. 00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:46.379 2010 -2018. That careful, methodical build brings 00:13:46.379 --> 00:13:49.360 us to the actual album eras and his, well, his 00:13:49.360 --> 00:13:52.500 total pop dominance, starting in 2010 with the 00:13:52.500 --> 00:13:55.179 debut album Doo Wops and Hooligans. This was 00:13:55.179 --> 00:13:57.480 the moment that five -year factory phase finally 00:13:57.480 --> 00:13:59.899 paid off. It was the culmination of everything 00:13:59.899 --> 00:14:01.919 he learned from Steve Lindsay. The album's core 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:04.279 sound was... Deliberately approachable, right? 00:14:04.320 --> 00:14:07.659 Primarily pop, reggae, pop, and R &B. Very approachable. 00:14:07.840 --> 00:14:10.940 And lyrically, it balanced those upbeat, feel 00:14:10.940 --> 00:14:13.139 -good, optimistic sentiments like Just the Way 00:14:13.139 --> 00:14:15.559 You Are with themes that explored his darker, 00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:18.860 more vulnerable side. You know, failed relationships, 00:14:19.200 --> 00:14:21.480 pain, loneliness, which you can hear in tracks 00:14:21.480 --> 00:14:23.659 like Grenade. It proved he could master both 00:14:23.659 --> 00:14:26.000 sides of the emotional spectrum. It did. And 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:28.259 it delivered massive, defining hits of the early 00:14:28.259 --> 00:14:31.580 2010s, Just the Way You Are. which won him his 00:14:31.580 --> 00:14:33.899 first Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance 00:14:33.899 --> 00:14:37.120 along with Grenade and the playful The Lazy Song. 00:14:37.379 --> 00:14:39.940 The numbers were just staggering for a debut 00:14:39.940 --> 00:14:43.059 that felt so complete. It sold 15 .5 million 00:14:43.059 --> 00:14:46.200 copies worldwide. But here's the critical strategic 00:14:46.200 --> 00:14:48.740 decision that underlines his long -term planning. 00:14:49.620 --> 00:14:51.840 Look at the touring strategy he used for the 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:54.720 Doo -Wops and Hooligans tour. He actively turned 00:14:54.720 --> 00:14:57.639 down offers to open for these huge, lucrative 00:14:57.639 --> 00:15:00.980 arena tours. He did. Instead, he opted to headline 00:15:00.980 --> 00:15:04.620 small venues, theaters, and ballrooms. So why 00:15:04.620 --> 00:15:06.980 do that? I mean, opening for a massive arena 00:15:06.980 --> 00:15:09.879 act is instant exposure and instant money. Why 00:15:09.879 --> 00:15:12.179 sacrifice that? Because he was playing the long 00:15:12.179 --> 00:15:14.799 game. That move was less lucrative up front, 00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:17.820 but it allowed him to achieve three things. Okay. 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:20.679 First, he could build a dedicated, intimate fan 00:15:20.679 --> 00:15:23.860 base who felt connected to him. Second, it allowed 00:15:23.860 --> 00:15:26.559 him to perfect his craft as a headliner, managing 00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:28.899 a full stage show and two hours of material. 00:15:29.259 --> 00:15:31.840 And third, it established his artistic identity 00:15:31.840 --> 00:15:34.399 without being overshadowed by a larger act. He 00:15:34.399 --> 00:15:36.500 was investing in performance mastery, not just 00:15:36.500 --> 00:15:38.340 piggybacking on someone else's success. Exactly. 00:15:38.440 --> 00:15:41.139 Two years later, he released Unorthodox Jukebox 00:15:41.139 --> 00:15:43.340 in 2012. And this is where he really started 00:15:43.340 --> 00:15:45.820 leaning into that genre explorer title that he 00:15:45.820 --> 00:15:48.330 earned with the name change. Right. He deliberately 00:15:48.330 --> 00:15:51.529 made this album musically varied. He was mixing 00:15:51.529 --> 00:15:57.570 disco, funk, rock, reggae, soul, balladry. It 00:15:57.570 --> 00:16:00.129 was an overt attempt to showcase that encyclopedic 00:16:00.129 --> 00:16:02.289 mastery of musical history he'd acquired during 00:16:02.289 --> 00:16:05.210 his mentorship. And while doo -wops was generally 00:16:05.210 --> 00:16:07.830 romantic and innocent, unorthodox jukebox got 00:16:07.830 --> 00:16:10.580 more explicit and complex lyrically. Addressing 00:16:10.580 --> 00:16:13.139 not just romance, but also, you know, male chauvinism 00:16:13.139 --> 00:16:15.419 and sexuality with songs like the controversial 00:16:15.419 --> 00:16:18.820 Gorilla. Yeah, which, due to its explicit content, 00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:21.039 actually sparked debates about airplay in places 00:16:21.039 --> 00:16:23.200 like Australia. But the commercial momentum was 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:25.399 just unstoppable. You have singles like Locked 00:16:25.399 --> 00:16:27.320 Out of Heaven, which had that very noticeable 00:16:27.320 --> 00:16:30.120 police influence, and the sweeping ballad When 00:16:30.120 --> 00:16:32.919 I Was Your Man. And that latter song is historically 00:16:32.919 --> 00:16:35.679 significant. It made him the fastest male artist, 00:16:35.840 --> 00:16:37.980 aside from Elvis Presley, of course, to score 00:16:37.980 --> 00:16:40.759 five number one singles. That is a truly elite 00:16:40.759 --> 00:16:43.460 metric of early career dominance. It places him 00:16:43.460 --> 00:16:45.559 in the highest echelon of pop history almost 00:16:45.559 --> 00:16:48.159 immediately. And the album won him the Grammy 00:16:48.159 --> 00:16:52.240 for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2014. That level 00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:55.120 of success led directly to the ultimate stage 00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:58.259 for American performers, the Super Bowl halftime 00:16:58.259 --> 00:17:02.080 show. In 2014, he headlined Super Bowl XL8. He 00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:04.299 was the first performer under 30 in a decade 00:17:04.299 --> 00:17:06.920 to do so. And he cemented his versatility by 00:17:06.920 --> 00:17:09.019 bringing out the legendary rock band the Red 00:17:09.019 --> 00:17:12.019 Hot Chili Peppers as his guests, lending that 00:17:12.019 --> 00:17:14.940 rock and funk energy with his own pop sensibilities. 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:17.799 The cultural moment was huge. That halftime show 00:17:17.799 --> 00:17:21.740 attracted 115 .3 million viewers, making it at 00:17:21.740 --> 00:17:24.119 the time the most watched halftime show in Super 00:17:24.119 --> 00:17:27.059 Bowl history. It drew more viewers than the game 00:17:27.059 --> 00:17:29.180 itself. It proved he was a transcendent cross 00:17:29.180 --> 00:17:31.440 -platform showman capable of commanding the largest 00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:33.599 possible audience. But maybe his biggest musical 00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:35.759 moment came shortly. after that in late 2014 00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:38.559 with Mark Ronson's single Uptown Funk featuring 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:41.539 Mars. That track wasn't just a hit. It became 00:17:41.539 --> 00:17:44.299 the definition of a cultural phenomenon. It topped 00:17:44.299 --> 00:17:47.039 charts globally and was officially named Billboard's 00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:49.359 best performing song of the entire 2010s decade. 00:17:49.559 --> 00:17:52.519 It's the perfect blend of Mars' deep knowledge 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:56.140 of funk and R &B and Ronson's masterful production. 00:17:56.420 --> 00:17:59.339 But this incredible success also brought with 00:17:59.339 --> 00:18:02.940 it some intense legal scrutiny. It did. It opened 00:18:02.940 --> 00:18:05.160 up that complex query of whether Mars is a... 00:18:05.450 --> 00:18:08.009 pop historian or something more problematic. 00:18:08.410 --> 00:18:10.849 Because when you draw so deeply from past genres, 00:18:11.069 --> 00:18:13.970 especially funk and soul, you open yourself up 00:18:13.970 --> 00:18:16.170 to challenge. Absolutely. The song was cited 00:18:16.170 --> 00:18:19.190 for copyright infringement multiple times. This 00:18:19.190 --> 00:18:21.410 led to the Gap Band being officially added as 00:18:21.410 --> 00:18:24.549 co -writers in 2015, receiving publishing royalties 00:18:24.549 --> 00:18:27.589 due to the similarity of Uptown Funk to their 00:18:27.589 --> 00:18:30.430 1979 hit Oops Upside Your Head. And that wasn't 00:18:30.430 --> 00:18:32.569 the end of it. There were lawsuits from the electro 00:18:32.569 --> 00:18:35.210 -funk band Collage and the rap group the sequence, 00:18:35.410 --> 00:18:37.349 though those were later dropped. And there was 00:18:37.349 --> 00:18:39.210 a lawsuit regarding the similarity to Zapp's 00:18:39.210 --> 00:18:41.009 more bounce to the ounce, which was settled. 00:18:41.170 --> 00:18:42.710 This really highlights the paradox of the pop 00:18:42.710 --> 00:18:45.309 historian. The music industry and critics praised 00:18:45.309 --> 00:18:47.150 Mars for bringing back these vintage sounds, 00:18:47.250 --> 00:18:50.430 yet legally, the line between homage and appropriation 00:18:50.430 --> 00:18:52.569 becomes incredibly thin when money's involved. 00:18:52.970 --> 00:18:55.430 It raises the question, is it possible to be 00:18:55.430 --> 00:18:57.509 a deep diver into music history without facing 00:18:57.509 --> 00:19:00.289 these structural challenges of who owns the foundation 00:19:00.289 --> 00:19:02.619 you're building on? It's a tough question. Yeah. 00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:05.460 But, you know, Uptown Funk was an indisputable 00:19:05.460 --> 00:19:08.660 success, winning record of the year and best 00:19:08.660 --> 00:19:11.200 pop duo group performance at the 2016 Grammys. 00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:13.740 And then we arrive at the peak of his retro mastery, 00:19:14.019 --> 00:19:18.000 24K Magic in 2016. The album signaled this clear, 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:20.859 unified pivot, leaning heavily into the smooth, 00:19:20.900 --> 00:19:24.980 aggressive sounds of 1980s R &B, funk, pop and 00:19:24.980 --> 00:19:28.160 a specific subgenre. New Jack Swing. And for 00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:29.740 you listeners who might not be familiar with 00:19:29.740 --> 00:19:32.160 that era, New Jack Swing was this incredibly 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:36.160 important, unique blend in the late 1980s, pioneered 00:19:36.160 --> 00:19:38.299 by producers like Teddy Riley. Right. It took 00:19:38.299 --> 00:19:40.640 the slick, smooth vocal arrangements of traditional 00:19:40.640 --> 00:19:43.039 R &B and married them seamlessly to the sharp, 00:19:43.099 --> 00:19:45.680 aggressive, syncopated drum machine beats and 00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:48.200 bass lines of early hip hop. It's the sound of 00:19:48.200 --> 00:19:50.759 Bobby Brown and Guy. And Mars and his team absolutely 00:19:50.759 --> 00:19:53.019 nailed this aesthetic. And the creative environment 00:19:53.019 --> 00:19:55.000 for this album is just as fascinating as the 00:19:55.000 --> 00:19:57.539 sound itself. Mars and his co -writers now operating 00:19:57.539 --> 00:20:00.259 under the names Shampoo Press and Curl. Replacing 00:20:00.259 --> 00:20:02.900 the Smeezingtons. Right. They consciously created 00:20:02.900 --> 00:20:06.359 an aesthetic that channeled the entire 1980s 00:20:06.359 --> 00:20:09.460 and 1990s vibe. And that dedication to the vibe 00:20:09.460 --> 00:20:12.940 was total. Mars imposed a now -famous dress code 00:20:12.940 --> 00:20:16.359 in the studio. He insisted on fine clothes and 00:20:16.359 --> 00:20:19.799 jewelry over sweatpants. And why? The reason 00:20:19.799 --> 00:20:23.099 was he wanted to foster a specific, groovy, smooth, 00:20:23.180 --> 00:20:26.599 and soulful energy for the songs. They were channeling 00:20:26.599 --> 00:20:28.980 the spirit of a specific era, and the physical 00:20:28.980 --> 00:20:31.019 appearance was part of the process of creating 00:20:31.019 --> 00:20:33.430 that sound. It was an immersion technique. Talk 00:20:33.430 --> 00:20:35.309 about commitment. And this aesthetic produced 00:20:35.309 --> 00:20:38.109 enormous hits like the title track 24K Magic, 00:20:38.230 --> 00:20:40.230 That's What I Like, and the hugely successful 00:20:40.230 --> 00:20:43.109 remix of Finesse with Cardi B. And lyrically, 00:20:43.210 --> 00:20:45.710 the album centered explicitly on themes of money, 00:20:45.789 --> 00:20:48.589 sex, and opulence, perfectly fitting that throwback, 00:20:48.609 --> 00:20:50.890 luxurious aesthetic. The album's critical success 00:20:50.890 --> 00:20:53.450 matched its commercial dominance. At the 2018 00:20:53.450 --> 00:20:56.609 Grammys, 24K Magic swept every major category 00:20:56.609 --> 00:20:58.950 Mars was nominated in. It was a clean sweep. 00:20:59.259 --> 00:21:00.940 It won Album of the Year, Record of the Year 00:21:00.940 --> 00:21:02.980 for the title track and Song of the Year, Best 00:21:02.980 --> 00:21:05.940 R &B Performance and Best R &B Song for That's 00:21:05.940 --> 00:21:08.500 What I Like. He made history by being only the 00:21:08.500 --> 00:21:10.579 second recipient ever to win Record and Song 00:21:10.579 --> 00:21:12.279 of the Year with two different songs from the 00:21:12.279 --> 00:21:14.900 same album. It just cemented his status as a 00:21:14.900 --> 00:21:18.220 true industry behemoth. And the subsequent 24K 00:21:18.220 --> 00:21:21.690 Magic World Tour was a financial behemoth. grossing 00:21:21.690 --> 00:21:24.430 well over $300 million, confirming his status 00:21:24.430 --> 00:21:27.289 as an arena -level global headliner capable of 00:21:27.289 --> 00:21:29.369 bringing that disciplined showmanship to stadiums 00:21:29.369 --> 00:21:32.509 all over the world. Hashtag tag white too. The 00:21:32.509 --> 00:21:34.250 versatile collaborator in modern milestones. 00:21:34.970 --> 00:21:38.160 2018 present. So after conquering the world with 00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:41.420 the shiny, aggressive funk of 24K magic, Mars 00:21:41.420 --> 00:21:43.440 does something pretty unexpected. Yeah, instead 00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:45.880 of doubling down on solo success, he retreats 00:21:45.880 --> 00:21:47.940 into this dedicated partnership. Right, demonstrating 00:21:47.940 --> 00:21:50.059 his commitment to collaboration and experimentation 00:21:50.059 --> 00:21:52.960 by shifting from solo work into the superduo 00:21:52.960 --> 00:21:55.420 Silk Sonic, which he formed with Anderson .Paak 00:21:55.420 --> 00:21:58.039 in 2021. And this collaboration wasn't just a 00:21:58.039 --> 00:22:00.740 side project. This was total immersion into an 00:22:00.740 --> 00:22:03.980 even older aesthetic. Their album, An Evening 00:22:03.980 --> 00:22:06.880 with Silksonic, was deeply and deliberately rooted 00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:11.099 in 1970s R &B, soul, and funk. They even brought 00:22:11.099 --> 00:22:13.380 in funk legend Bootsy Collins as a guest host. 00:22:13.599 --> 00:22:16.079 They did. And they focused heavily on themes 00:22:16.079 --> 00:22:18.920 of seduction and romance, creating a complete 00:22:18.920 --> 00:22:21.779 sonic time machine experience. And critics and 00:22:21.779 --> 00:22:24.920 audiences just absolutely adored the total commitment 00:22:24.920 --> 00:22:27.640 to the bit. Oh, they loved it. It produced the 00:22:27.640 --> 00:22:29.759 U .S. number one single, Leave the Door Open. 00:22:29.819 --> 00:22:32.240 And the album was a runaway success, the 2022 00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:34.980 Grammys. It swept the top categories. Record 00:22:34.980 --> 00:22:37.400 of the Year, Song of the Year, Best R &B Performance, 00:22:37.799 --> 00:22:40.380 and Best R &B Song for Leave the Door Open. Which 00:22:40.380 --> 00:22:43.579 made Mars only the second person in history to 00:22:43.579 --> 00:22:46.480 receive the Record of the Year award three times. 00:22:47.259 --> 00:22:49.079 I mean, that's a stunning career achievement. 00:22:49.339 --> 00:22:51.900 And they successfully translated this 1970s album 00:22:51.900 --> 00:22:54.359 aesthetic into a high -grossing dedicated residency, 00:22:54.700 --> 00:22:57.920 an evening with Silk Sonic at Park MGM. And his 00:22:57.920 --> 00:23:00.599 collaborative magic has continued, reaching stunning 00:23:00.599 --> 00:23:04.019 new unprecedented heights in the mid -2020s through 00:23:04.019 --> 00:23:06.059 duets that demonstrate his universal appeal. 00:23:06.359 --> 00:23:08.920 The sources highlight two huge tracks from 2024. 00:23:09.720 --> 00:23:12.980 Die with a Smile with Lady Gaga and APT with 00:23:12.980 --> 00:23:15.140 Rosé, which is maybe the most strategic duet 00:23:15.140 --> 00:23:17.339 of his career. The statistics tied to these tracks 00:23:17.339 --> 00:23:20.279 are just phenomenal. They really cement his current 00:23:20.279 --> 00:23:22.599 influence far beyond the traditional American 00:23:22.599 --> 00:23:26.339 pop market. Die with a Smile became his first 00:23:26.339 --> 00:23:29.099 number one on the powerful Billboard Global 200 00:23:29.099 --> 00:23:31.460 chart. And that's a chart designed to measure 00:23:31.460 --> 00:23:33.680 consumption worldwide, not just in the U .S. 00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:36.940 Exactly. Then just a month later, APT became 00:23:36.940 --> 00:23:39.839 his second consecutive Global 200 number one. 00:23:39.960 --> 00:23:43.019 That partnership with Rosé, a member of the massively 00:23:43.019 --> 00:23:45.940 influential K -pop group Blackpink, is fascinating 00:23:45.940 --> 00:23:48.140 because it proves his genre -hopping versatility 00:23:48.140 --> 00:23:51.680 works globally. He can move seamlessly from 80s 00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:54.660 funk to 70s soul to working within the contemporary 00:23:54.660 --> 00:23:57.759 K -pop infrastructure. And the results were historic. 00:23:58.319 --> 00:24:01.200 Together... Those duets spent a combined 30 total 00:24:01.200 --> 00:24:04.099 weeks atop that Billboard Global 200 chart, making 00:24:04.099 --> 00:24:06.079 them the longest reigning act since the chart's 00:24:06.079 --> 00:24:09.079 inception in 2020. That is current, indisputable 00:24:09.079 --> 00:24:11.299 global domination, and it's driven by intentional, 00:24:11.480 --> 00:24:13.640 versatile collaboration with established global 00:24:13.640 --> 00:24:17.220 stars. The accolades continued into 2025, with 00:24:17.220 --> 00:24:20.420 Die With a Smile winning Best Pop Duo Group Performance 00:24:20.420 --> 00:24:24.240 at the Grammys, and APT received the Best Collaboration 00:24:24.240 --> 00:24:27.539 video at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan, along 00:24:27.539 --> 00:24:29.740 with being named... Song of the Year at the 2024 00:24:29.740 --> 00:24:33.640 Asia Artist Awards. It's clear his appeal truly 00:24:33.640 --> 00:24:36.359 transcends musical genres and geographic boundaries. 00:24:36.599 --> 00:24:39.039 And his touring reflects this continued global 00:24:39.039 --> 00:24:41.119 appeal and the financial success of his live 00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:43.160 shows. Yeah, the ongoing Bruno Mars live tour 00:24:43.160 --> 00:24:45.640 has run internationally since 2022, and it's 00:24:45.640 --> 00:24:48.099 set numerous records across Asia. He became the 00:24:48.099 --> 00:24:50.339 fastest selling artist in Japan, selling out 00:24:50.339 --> 00:24:53.140 seven shows at the 55 ,000 capacity Tokyo Dome. 00:24:53.259 --> 00:24:55.359 That's a monumental feat. I think that hasn't 00:24:55.359 --> 00:24:56.880 been seen there since Michael Jackson. Correct. 00:24:57.319 --> 00:24:59.380 He also performed for the largest audience ever 00:24:59.380 --> 00:25:02.240 for a Hyundai Kart Super Concert in Seoul. So 00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:04.380 that dedication to the live audience, which started 00:25:04.380 --> 00:25:06.740 with that tactical choice to headline small theaters 00:25:06.740 --> 00:25:09.460 during his debut era, is just paying off massively. 00:25:09.700 --> 00:25:12.359 Massively. His main headlining residency, Bruno 00:25:12.359 --> 00:25:15.619 Mars at Park MGM, which began in 2016 and runs 00:25:15.619 --> 00:25:19.119 through 2025, has grossed an astounding $154 00:25:19.119 --> 00:25:23.140 .8 million as of 2024. And he's concurrently 00:25:23.140 --> 00:25:25.700 touring globally, setting records in Asia and 00:25:25.700 --> 00:25:28.920 maintaining a highly lucrative, years -long residency 00:25:28.920 --> 00:25:33.200 in Las Vegas. That is a taxing, double -duty 00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:35.359 professional schedule. And we should note that 00:25:35.359 --> 00:25:37.599 even amidst this intense touring schedule and 00:25:37.599 --> 00:25:40.400 residency commitment, he continues to work on 00:25:40.400 --> 00:25:43.380 new solo material. Reports indicate his fifth 00:25:43.380 --> 00:25:45.619 studio album has been in the works since early 00:25:45.619 --> 00:25:48.740 2023. He's collaborating with old partners like 00:25:48.740 --> 00:25:51.160 Brodie Brown and Lawrence and new ones like D. 00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:53.900 Mile and James Fauntleroy. Which suggests yet 00:25:53.900 --> 00:25:56.420 another intentional musical shift might be imminent, 00:25:56.619 --> 00:25:59.099 proving he never settles into a single comfort 00:25:59.099 --> 00:26:02.140 zone. OK, let's shift now to the deep dive into 00:26:02.140 --> 00:26:04.680 his artistry and process, because that is where 00:26:04.680 --> 00:26:07.039 we find the real intellectual treasure. You know, 00:26:07.039 --> 00:26:09.140 the how and why behind the commercial success. 00:26:09.420 --> 00:26:11.619 Yeah. He is often called the most valuable pop 00:26:11.619 --> 00:26:14.819 historian or the king of retro crooning. And 00:26:14.819 --> 00:26:16.759 it's not just a cute title. It's his fundamental 00:26:16.759 --> 00:26:20.500 methodology. It really is. Mars isn't just sampling 00:26:20.500 --> 00:26:23.440 the past. He's synthesizing decades of music 00:26:23.440 --> 00:26:25.660 history into something new and commercially viable. 00:26:26.279 --> 00:26:29.359 He was raised on his father's 1950s doo -wop 00:26:29.359 --> 00:26:32.240 collection, those simple four -chord songs that 00:26:32.240 --> 00:26:34.400 got straight to the point. And for you, the listener, 00:26:34.619 --> 00:26:37.559 doo -wop is characterized by simple lyrical melodies 00:26:37.559 --> 00:26:40.279 and often nonsense syllables, relying heavily 00:26:40.279 --> 00:26:43.000 on vocal harmony and repetition. And Mars takes 00:26:43.000 --> 00:26:45.460 that simplicity and that structure and just grafts 00:26:45.460 --> 00:26:48.079 modern hooks onto it. And the Elvis impersonation 00:26:48.079 --> 00:26:51.500 was instrumental, as we discussed. He loved 1950s 00:26:51.500 --> 00:26:53.579 Elvis, describing him as a force who would go 00:26:53.579 --> 00:26:56.180 on stage and scare people with his sheer animal 00:26:56.180 --> 00:26:58.779 energy. And he carries that raw intensity into 00:26:58.779 --> 00:27:01.740 his own showmanship. He's noted he studies Prince 00:27:01.740 --> 00:27:04.160 and James Brown for similar reasons, their ability 00:27:04.160 --> 00:27:06.940 to control chaos on stage. His core vocal style 00:27:06.940 --> 00:27:09.160 is highly influenced by those high voice singers, 00:27:09.380 --> 00:27:11.859 the powerful tenors like Stevie Wonder and Freddie 00:27:11.859 --> 00:27:13.859 Mercury. For sure. But you also hear a diverse 00:27:13.859 --> 00:27:16.279 range of genres he absorbed growing up in Hawaii. 00:27:16.740 --> 00:27:19.359 Bob Marley and local bands gave him his reggae 00:27:19.359 --> 00:27:21.519 roots, which were so evident in his debut album. 00:27:21.720 --> 00:27:24.900 And then overlaying that, he cites hip hop acts 00:27:24.900 --> 00:27:28.420 like Jay -Z and The Roots. and R &B masters like 00:27:28.420 --> 00:27:31.240 Joe Deci, R. Kelly, and the Neptunes. He successfully 00:27:31.240 --> 00:27:34.890 fuses rock, soul, and hip -hop. often in the 00:27:34.890 --> 00:27:37.049 space of a single four -minute track. I think 00:27:37.049 --> 00:27:39.049 the key distinction here is that he's not just 00:27:39.049 --> 00:27:41.769 a singer relying on fantastic production. The 00:27:41.769 --> 00:27:44.589 sources confirm he is highly musical, a true 00:27:44.589 --> 00:27:47.650 multi -instrumentalist. Oh, absolutely. He plays 00:27:47.650 --> 00:27:50.190 instruments including vocals, guitar, piano, 00:27:50.349 --> 00:27:53.769 keyboards, drums, bass, ukulele, and congas. 00:27:53.869 --> 00:27:56.029 And he typically plays the instrumentation, or 00:27:56.029 --> 00:27:57.990 at least part of it, on his albums and for his 00:27:57.990 --> 00:28:00.490 production work. This level of instrumental fluency 00:28:00.490 --> 00:28:03.089 means he has complete... intimate control over 00:28:03.089 --> 00:28:05.410 the musical output. It connects directly to his 00:28:05.410 --> 00:28:07.589 songwriting process, which isn't clinical, it's 00:28:07.589 --> 00:28:09.829 organic. He doesn't sit down and try to force 00:28:09.829 --> 00:28:12.549 a hit. Inspiration, he says, usually comes suddenly, 00:28:12.750 --> 00:28:14.809 often when he's just playing the guitar or piano 00:28:14.809 --> 00:28:17.390 and stumbles upon a sound. And his music partner, 00:28:17.549 --> 00:28:19.869 Brody Brown, credits Mars with the melody and 00:28:19.869 --> 00:28:22.130 lyrics for the majority of their tracks, with 00:28:22.130 --> 00:28:24.490 Lawrence often contributing foundational concepts 00:28:24.490 --> 00:28:27.230 and structure. Mars is the driver of the core 00:28:27.230 --> 00:28:29.789 musical and melodic content. Okay, let's talk 00:28:29.789 --> 00:28:32.440 about the spectacle. The source material spends 00:28:32.440 --> 00:28:34.920 a lot of time on his showmanship, and this is 00:28:34.920 --> 00:28:38.579 where the hooligans become so crucial. Mars is 00:28:38.579 --> 00:28:41.559 famous for his highly energetic, indefatigable 00:28:41.559 --> 00:28:44.660 performances, often earning comparisons to Michael 00:28:44.660 --> 00:28:47.559 Jackson and Elvis, specifically that Elvis that 00:28:47.559 --> 00:28:50.039 was a force and scared people. And he reportedly 00:28:50.039 --> 00:28:53.160 watches videos of James Brown's TMI show. Jimi 00:28:53.160 --> 00:28:55.940 Hendrix is live at Woodstock or Prince performing 00:28:55.940 --> 00:28:58.460 Purple Rain before he goes on stage specifically 00:28:58.460 --> 00:29:00.519 to learn how they interacted with the public 00:29:00.519 --> 00:29:03.240 and control the energy. The live show is a total 00:29:03.240 --> 00:29:06.539 cinematic throwback experience designed for maximum 00:29:06.539 --> 00:29:08.819 impact. It is. He performs with the Hooligans, 00:29:08.980 --> 00:29:11.259 and they're not just a backing band. They're 00:29:11.259 --> 00:29:13.740 a cohesive nine -piece soul band composed of 00:29:13.740 --> 00:29:16.359 instrumentalists who also double as sophisticated 00:29:16.359 --> 00:29:18.579 dancers and background singers. Including his 00:29:18.579 --> 00:29:20.960 own brother, Eric Hernandez, on drums. Right. 00:29:21.059 --> 00:29:22.819 It transforms the concert from a traditional 00:29:22.819 --> 00:29:26.039 pop show into a full soul review. Critics consistently 00:29:26.039 --> 00:29:28.960 praise how this setup elevates the live versions 00:29:28.960 --> 00:29:31.319 of his songs. The shows incorporate intricate, 00:29:31.519 --> 00:29:34.099 all -band dancing, complex choreography, including 00:29:34.099 --> 00:29:36.859 footwork inspired by James Brown, and even performing 00:29:36.859 --> 00:29:40.000 the splits. Alongside heavy use of classic stadium 00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:43.420 elements like pyrotechnics, strobe, and laser 00:29:43.420 --> 00:29:46.380 lighting, it is classic showmanship perfected 00:29:46.380 --> 00:29:48.779 for the modern stadium, bridging the gap between 00:29:48.779 --> 00:29:52.410 stadium rock and an R &B review. And this commitment 00:29:52.410 --> 00:29:55.690 to a consistent aesthetic extends to his total 00:29:55.690 --> 00:29:58.329 control over the visual product, the packaging. 00:29:58.589 --> 00:30:01.250 He's emerged as a successful music video director, 00:30:01.450 --> 00:30:03.930 co -directing numerous award -nominated videos 00:30:03.930 --> 00:30:06.509 with collaborators like Cameron Duddy and Florent 00:30:06.509 --> 00:30:08.970 Deschardes. He even did the choreography for 00:30:08.970 --> 00:30:11.650 the Treasure video, which earned him a Best Choreography 00:30:11.650 --> 00:30:15.430 award at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. So 00:30:15.430 --> 00:30:17.509 he's the director, the choreographer, the performer, 00:30:17.710 --> 00:30:20.609 and the musician. He is. And the clothing perfectly 00:30:21.000 --> 00:30:23.299 compliments the music. We noted earlier how he 00:30:23.299 --> 00:30:25.579 used the clothing to enforce the vibe in the 00:30:25.579 --> 00:30:28.619 studio for 24K Magic. Right. But his fashion 00:30:28.619 --> 00:30:30.880 sense is always an intentional, decade -specific 00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:32.819 compliment to the music he's currently making. 00:30:32.980 --> 00:30:35.680 You had the 60s -inspired suits for doo -wops, 00:30:35.880 --> 00:30:39.480 the loud 80s, 90s aesthetic for 24K Magic, and 00:30:39.480 --> 00:30:42.160 then those 70s -wide collars and tailored leisure 00:30:42.160 --> 00:30:45.039 suits for Silk Sonic. As one critic perfectly 00:30:45.039 --> 00:30:47.359 put it, regardless of the decade he's emulating, 00:30:47.500 --> 00:30:49.940 his fashion sense makes him larger than life. 00:30:50.700 --> 00:30:53.319 The persona is always integrated with the product. 00:30:53.640 --> 00:30:57.099 Hashtag Tag66, other ventures, and public scrutiny. 00:30:57.319 --> 00:30:59.359 And beyond the music, Mars has strategically 00:30:59.359 --> 00:31:01.599 branched out into other ventures that reinforce 00:31:01.599 --> 00:31:04.460 that retro glam brand identity. He's essentially 00:31:04.460 --> 00:31:07.140 evolved into a creative director for his own 00:31:07.140 --> 00:31:09.700 personalized lifestyle brand, leveraging the 00:31:09.700 --> 00:31:12.019 persona he created. We saw this starting early 00:31:12.019 --> 00:31:14.420 with specific investments. He had endorsement 00:31:14.420 --> 00:31:16.900 deals with Bench and invested in Chromatic, a 00:31:16.900 --> 00:31:18.819 company that makes digital sheet music for education. 00:31:19.240 --> 00:31:21.180 Tying into his passion for musical pedagogy. 00:31:21.380 --> 00:31:25.240 Right. And notably, in 2013, he invested in NJOY 00:31:25.240 --> 00:31:27.720 electronic cigarettes, which was motivated by 00:31:27.720 --> 00:31:29.920 a deeply personal desire to quit smoking for 00:31:29.920 --> 00:31:32.400 his mother. But the most significant brand venture 00:31:32.400 --> 00:31:35.059 is undoubtedly his involvement with Selvery Run. 00:31:35.440 --> 00:31:38.619 He was introduced to the brand in 2014 and invested 00:31:38.619 --> 00:31:42.980 in 2015. But in 2020, he took full creative control. 00:31:43.240 --> 00:31:46.380 He redesigned the taste, the branding, the packaging, 00:31:46.480 --> 00:31:49.900 all to match that smooth 1970s style he was adopting 00:31:49.900 --> 00:31:53.200 with Silk Sonic. Exactly. It wasn't just a business 00:31:53.200 --> 00:31:55.599 investment. It was an extension of the Silk Sonic 00:31:55.599 --> 00:31:58.299 aesthetic, consciously marketed to feel like 00:31:58.299 --> 00:32:01.119 vacation in a glass. And his philanthropic efforts 00:32:01.119 --> 00:32:03.480 were often directly tied to this. Until the end 00:32:03.480 --> 00:32:06.000 of 2021, he donated all profits from Selvare 00:32:06.000 --> 00:32:08.240 Rum to the Honolulu Community College's music 00:32:08.240 --> 00:32:10.480 and entertainment learning experience. Connecting 00:32:10.480 --> 00:32:12.460 his business success back to his Hawaiian roots 00:32:12.460 --> 00:32:15.299 and his passion for music education. He also 00:32:15.299 --> 00:32:17.400 established a Grammy Camp Scholarship Fund for 00:32:17.400 --> 00:32:20.539 needs -based applicants from Hawaii, later expanding 00:32:20.539 --> 00:32:22.799 it nationwide in honor of his late mother. And 00:32:22.799 --> 00:32:25.299 this commitment to a curated brand identity led 00:32:25.299 --> 00:32:28.099 him to even create a dedicated alter ego for 00:32:28.099 --> 00:32:31.730 his collaborations. Ricky Regal. Right. This 00:32:31.730 --> 00:32:34.769 persona was used for his luxury 1970s inspired 00:32:34.769 --> 00:32:38.609 sportswear line, Lacoste X Ricky Regal, in 2021. 00:32:39.210 --> 00:32:41.930 He extended that aesthetic to headwear, partnering 00:32:41.930 --> 00:32:44.869 with Stetson in 2024 for a collection of hats 00:32:44.869 --> 00:32:47.789 that included a gold -toned horseshoe pin with 00:32:47.789 --> 00:32:50.309 rhinestones. The persona is the product. It's 00:32:50.309 --> 00:32:52.150 all about total immersion into the lifestyle. 00:32:52.799 --> 00:32:55.200 which is why his first major Las Vegas strip 00:32:55.200 --> 00:32:58.140 lounge bar, which opened in 2024 at the Bellagio, 00:32:58.259 --> 00:33:01.200 is called the Pinky Ring. Named after a lyric 00:33:01.200 --> 00:33:04.819 in his hit 24K Magic. Exactly. The venue opened 00:33:04.819 --> 00:33:06.700 with the hooligans performing every night for 00:33:06.700 --> 00:33:09.099 the first two weeks, reinforcing that commitment 00:33:09.099 --> 00:33:11.500 to live classic showmanship right down to his 00:33:11.500 --> 00:33:13.500 business ventures. And finally, as a powerful 00:33:13.500 --> 00:33:17.059 nod to his musical influences, in 2023, Fender 00:33:17.059 --> 00:33:19.299 partnered with Mars to release the limited edition 00:33:19.299 --> 00:33:22.390 Bruno Mars Stratocaster. which came in a unique 00:33:22.390 --> 00:33:24.970 color called Mars Mocha Heirloom and featured 00:33:24.970 --> 00:33:27.529 custom pickups and a leopard print strap, intentionally 00:33:27.529 --> 00:33:29.809 paying homage to two of his favorite guitarists 00:33:29.809 --> 00:33:32.190 and influences, the revolutionary Jimi Hendrix 00:33:32.190 --> 00:33:34.769 and the dynamic Prince. Now we have to address 00:33:34.769 --> 00:33:37.450 the intense scrutiny he has faced. Despite his 00:33:37.450 --> 00:33:40.470 immense talent and historical sales, his genre 00:33:40.470 --> 00:33:42.369 -blending success has attracted controversy, 00:33:42.710 --> 00:33:45.210 particularly concerning cultural appropriation. 00:33:45.349 --> 00:33:48.650 The accusations first surfaced strongly in 2018 00:33:48.650 --> 00:33:52.150 on social media. The claim was that he profited 00:33:52.150 --> 00:33:54.430 from black music genres without acknowledging 00:33:54.430 --> 00:33:57.589 his influences appropriately, using his racial 00:33:57.589 --> 00:33:59.990 ambiguity to gain a commercial advantage that 00:33:59.990 --> 00:34:03.259 black artists themselves couldn't achieve. However, 00:34:03.440 --> 00:34:05.819 this viewpoint was largely dismissed by prominent 00:34:05.819 --> 00:34:08.139 Black artists, including Stevie Wonder, Charlie 00:34:08.139 --> 00:34:11.219 Wilson, and 9th Wonder, who saw his work as homage 00:34:11.219 --> 00:34:14.639 and continuation. It was. And Mars defended himself 00:34:14.639 --> 00:34:17.679 in a 2021 interview, stating clearly, the only 00:34:17.679 --> 00:34:19.579 reason why I'm here is because of James Brown, 00:34:19.739 --> 00:34:22.079 is because of Prince, Michael Jackson. This music 00:34:22.079 --> 00:34:24.500 comes from love. He maintains that he is a student 00:34:24.500 --> 00:34:26.360 of the music. And while he maintains he's paying 00:34:26.360 --> 00:34:28.639 homage, the accusations did resurface briefly 00:34:28.639 --> 00:34:31.679 in 2025 due to the release of the single Bondi 00:34:31.679 --> 00:34:34.119 Du Bernon. which drew renewed scrutiny from some 00:34:34.119 --> 00:34:36.179 Brazilian listeners regarding the use of local 00:34:36.179 --> 00:34:38.599 musical styles. So we simply report that the 00:34:38.599 --> 00:34:41.260 debate about the line between historical homage 00:34:41.260 --> 00:34:44.579 and commercial appropriation continues to follow 00:34:44.579 --> 00:34:47.489 his work. In terms of legal and personal history, 00:34:47.710 --> 00:34:50.309 we should also briefly note the 2010 incident 00:34:50.309 --> 00:34:52.710 in Las Vegas where he was arrested for felony 00:34:52.710 --> 00:34:55.130 cocaine possession. Right. He pleaded guilty, 00:34:55.250 --> 00:34:57.489 but the charges were formally dismissed in 2012 00:34:57.489 --> 00:34:59.690 after he successfully completed the terms of 00:34:59.690 --> 00:35:02.110 his plea deal, which included a fine, community 00:35:02.110 --> 00:35:05.239 service, and mandatory drug counseling. And finally, 00:35:05.360 --> 00:35:08.539 a highly publicized rumor from early 2024 alleged 00:35:08.539 --> 00:35:11.699 he was $50 million in debt due to gambling losses, 00:35:12.000 --> 00:35:14.599 which some speculated might explain his highly 00:35:14.599 --> 00:35:17.199 lucrative, continuous Vegas residency schedule. 00:35:17.380 --> 00:35:20.739 And this is crucial. MGM Resorts, the host of 00:35:20.739 --> 00:35:22.880 his residency, publicly denied these claims. 00:35:23.019 --> 00:35:26.059 They stated emphatically that Mars has no debt 00:35:26.059 --> 00:35:28.880 with MGM. Speculation otherwise is completely 00:35:28.880 --> 00:35:31.239 false. And Mars has since even joked about the 00:35:31.239 --> 00:35:33.179 rumor during a recent performance, showing he 00:35:33.179 --> 00:35:35.039 retains a sense of humor despite the personal 00:35:35.039 --> 00:35:37.219 scrutiny. We should also remember the immense 00:35:37.219 --> 00:35:40.199 personal tragedy he faced, the loss of his mother 00:35:40.199 --> 00:35:43.380 in 2013 from a brain aneurysm, which directly 00:35:43.380 --> 00:35:45.500 led to him establishing that scholarship fund 00:35:45.500 --> 00:35:48.940 in her honor. Hashtag tag outro. So we've covered 00:35:48.940 --> 00:35:51.000 the entire journey, starting with Peter Gene 00:35:51.000 --> 00:35:53.360 Hernandez, the child performer who is doing two 00:35:53.360 --> 00:35:56.039 shows a night at age five, navigating family 00:35:56.039 --> 00:35:58.860 hardship and the pressure to conform. And transforming 00:35:58.860 --> 00:36:02.260 into Bruno Mars, the meticulous five -year trained 00:36:02.260 --> 00:36:04.300 songwriter and performer who achieved commercial 00:36:04.300 --> 00:36:07.659 success on a scale few reach in the modern era. 00:36:08.000 --> 00:36:10.659 His status as an icon is built not just on raw 00:36:10.659 --> 00:36:13.400 talent, but on a tireless, patient dedication 00:36:13.400 --> 00:36:16.199 to studying and synthesizing musical genres spanning 00:36:16.199 --> 00:36:18.760 five decades. He is rightly referred to as the 00:36:18.760 --> 00:36:21.320 most valuable pop historian and the prince of 00:36:21.320 --> 00:36:23.579 pop music, thanks to his ability to take diverse 00:36:23.579 --> 00:36:26.679 classic sounds duop, new jack swing, 70s funk, 00:36:26.780 --> 00:36:28.679 and package them with spectacular showmanship 00:36:28.679 --> 00:36:30.599 and brand consistency for the modern mainstream. 00:36:31.079 --> 00:36:33.199 He showed the industry that deep musical knowledge 00:36:33.199 --> 00:36:35.760 and intentional performance craft are, in fact, 00:36:35.760 --> 00:36:38.059 incredibly viable in a singles -driven landscape. 00:36:38.320 --> 00:36:40.139 It makes you wonder about the architecture of 00:36:40.139 --> 00:36:43.280 fame in the 21st century. Bruno Mars has repeatedly 00:36:43.280 --> 00:36:45.619 shown the critical importance of crafting a complete, 00:36:45.820 --> 00:36:48.739 decade -specific persona, whether it's the romantic 00:36:48.739 --> 00:36:51.599 crooner of doo -wops, the 24K magic hustler, 00:36:51.679 --> 00:36:54.199 or the 70s -infused silk -sonic collaborator 00:36:54.199 --> 00:36:57.260 Ricky Regal. to sell music. He proved that authenticity 00:36:57.260 --> 00:36:59.360 sometimes means instructing a perfect reality 00:36:59.360 --> 00:37:02.039 for the audience to buy into. I mean, considering 00:37:02.039 --> 00:37:04.500 that Billboard ranked Uptown Funk the top song 00:37:04.500 --> 00:37:07.679 of the entire 2010s, he proved that musical nostalgia, 00:37:07.820 --> 00:37:10.699 when executed flawlessly, is the most powerful 00:37:10.699 --> 00:37:13.599 engine pop music has. Which raises an important 00:37:13.599 --> 00:37:15.460 question for you, the listener, to mull over 00:37:15.460 --> 00:37:18.780 as you consider the current pop landscape. If 00:37:18.780 --> 00:37:21.579 Mars' dominance across the 2010s and 2020s was 00:37:21.579 --> 00:37:24.380 built on this deep, decade -specific immersion 00:37:24.380 --> 00:37:27.280 into past aesthetics, what are the true commercial 00:37:27.280 --> 00:37:29.480 limits of musical nostalgia? And how will his 00:37:29.480 --> 00:37:32.320 focus on these distinct, curated identities influence 00:37:32.320 --> 00:37:34.380 the wave of artists trying to break through in 00:37:34.380 --> 00:37:36.559 the late 2020s and beyond? Does the modern pop 00:37:36.559 --> 00:37:38.940 star need an alter ego and a dedicated historical 00:37:38.940 --> 00:37:41.159 decade to succeed in a world already dominated 00:37:41.159 --> 00:37:43.900 by a pop historian? A lot to think about as the 00:37:43.900 --> 00:37:47.239 Mars mocha heirloom Stratocaster plays on in 00:37:47.239 --> 00:37:49.219 the background. That's all the time we have for 00:37:49.219 --> 00:37:50.719 this deep dive. We hope you learned something 00:37:50.719 --> 00:37:51.280 new today.