Welcome back to The Deep Dive, the show where
we take a giant stack of sources, research and
data and impress it into the absolute sharpest
insights just for you. And today we are strapping
in. We really are. We're doing a genre hopping
adventure dedicated to unpacking the, well, the
absolute anatomy of a modern pop icon, Peter
Gene Hernandez, who you almost certainly know
better as Bruno Mars. And this is, I think, not
just a necessary deep dive, but a critically
important one if you want to understand modern
music. I mean, modern musical commerce, really.
Right. Few artists of the 21st century have managed
to get to his unique level of commercial dominance
while also keeping these deep, specific roots
in music history. So our mission today is to
trace that trajectory, you know, from this small
town, precocious kid in Hawaii doing pitch perfect
Elvis impersonations. All the way to becoming
a global phenomenon whose showmanship is. frankly
revered worldwide exactly we'll be analyzing
the intentional choices he made both as the sort
of hidden relentless hit songwriter and of course
as the magnetic versatile solo performer we all
know and the scale of his success i mean we really
need to frame this properly he's enormous it's
just staggering you're talking about one of the
best -selling music artists of all time we're
looking at over 150 million records sold worldwide
a cabinet full of 16 grammy awards But there's
this one current stat that just blows my mind.
It puts his reach into perfect perspective. The
Spotify number. The Spotify number. He is the
first. artists ever to surpass 150 million monthly
listeners i mean think about that that's an astonishing
multi -platform global figure that shows this
undeniable consistent cultural reach across every
single demographic and that versatility is absolutely
foundational you have to understand to understand
him he has mastered and uh synthesized multiple
musical aesthetics which lets him just seamlessly
switch between what the nostalgia of new jack
swing the grid of funk the polish of r b Easy
bounce of reggae pop. Yeah. And he has that famously
powerful three octave tenor vocal range coupled
with an indefatigable classical stage presence.
But what's so fascinating here and what we're
going to unpack is that the creation of Bruno
Mars, this universally appealing craftsman, it
wasn't a fluke. It wasn't just raw talent. No,
not at all. It required immense disciplined dedication
to songwriting fundamentals and these. highly
intentional strategic decisions about his professional
identity and his brand. Exactly. This wasn't
an accident. This was a calculated five -decade
deep appreciation for musical structure put into
practice. It's an intellectual pursuit disguised
as a pop performance. Okay, let's unpack this
and start right at the beginning. Let's do it.
Back in Honolulu, looking at the influences that
shaped this extraordinary work ethic. Okay, so
we have to start in Hawaii because his foundation
is, I mean, it's unlike... Unlike almost any
other mainstream pop star you could name. Right.
Peter Gene Hernandez was born on October 8, 1985,
in Honolulu. And his family was musical by trade
and, well, by necessity. Born into it. Literally.
His mother, Bernadette, was a hula dancer and
a singer. And his father, Peter, was a percussionist
and entertainer. They actually met while performing
in a show together, so he was born directly into
the professional performance world. And the name
Bruno that we all know him by today is purely
accidental, right? It is. It's a childhood thing.
At two years old, his father nicknamed him Bruno
because the toddler was apparently so stocky
he looked like the professional wrestling champion
Bruno Sammartino. That's amazing. It's an almost
absurd origin for a future pop prince, but it
clearly stuck. It did. But what's really critical
here is the musical immersion he experienced
from infancy. He was one of six kids, and the
family exposed him to just a constant flow of
diverse genres. Rock and roll, reggae, hip -hop,
R &B. And his dad was a big influence there.
A huge one. His father, Peter, specifically performed
the music of Little Richard. And his uncle, who
was an Elvis impersonator, was the one who encouraged
the young boy to start performing songs by Elvis
Presley and Michael Jackson. So this wasn't just
listening to records in the living room. This
was an education. This was active training. Which
brings us to the Little Elvis period, as it's
now known. And this sounds less like a sweet
hobby and more like a full -time professional
grind. It was a job. Starting at age four, he
was performing five days a week with his family's
band, The Love Notes, at major venues like the
Sheraton Waikiki Hotel. Wow. He gained serious
local fame for the Elvis impersonation. He appeared
in the Hawaiian tabloid Midweek in 1990 and famously
performed in the halftime show of the 1990 Aloha
Bowl. So he was a local celebrity before he was
in kindergarten? Pretty much. And that early
intense performance training profoundly impacted
his musical evolution and his performing technique.
I mean, just think about the discipline required.
Oh, yeah. Performing two shows a night, five
nights a week. all through his grade school years.
He was covering complex material by artists like
Frankie Lyman and Little Anthony. And there's
that one amazing anecdote. Right. The sources
note this remarkable story where once, when he
was only five, he actually urinated on himself
during a performance of Elvis' Can't Help Falling
in Love. But he kept going. He never stopped
or broke character. That level of dedication,
that absolute commitment to the stage is why
he possesses the showmanship he does today. It
was instilled in him before he was 10 years old.
It's that core lesson, right? The show must always
go on. It's a foundational piece of his professional
durability. Absolutely. But this idyllic, performance
-filled childhood was... Soon shattered by family
hardship. His parents divorced when he was about
12. Yeah, and that essentially ended the Love
Notes band. And his father's various businesses
then failed. And the contrast between, you know,
the glitz of the Waikiki stage and the reality
of their living situation is just, it's stark.
It is. He and his brother and father ended up
living in extremely difficult circumstances.
Sometimes in a car or on rooftops. And the bird
zoo. And most famously, for a period in a closed,
dilapidated bird zoo called Paradise Park. his
father had previously worked. It's a very gritty,
real foundation for someone who would later sing
exclusively about the decadence of 24K magic.
It really is. It shows that the hustle and that
survival instinct were just always there right
from the beginning. And that grit absolutely
defined his next chapter. In 2003, shortly after
graduating high school, he makes the big move.
To Los Angeles, to pursue music professionally.
He was chasing that Hollywood dream. But he was
immediately surprised by the poverty and squalor
on Mansfield Avenue. he realized the struggle
was far from over. So he had to hustle immediately
to survive. He struggled financially, did every
odd job he could find, including lying to get
a $75 DJ job. Which he lost pretty quickly, right?
Yeah, he admitted he lost it fast because he
couldn't actually DJ. But these small failures
and the constant rejections just became the fuel
for his ambition. And this brings us to a really
crucial moment of identity creation. adopting
the stage name. Yes. He was Peter Gene Hernandez,
but he felt he lacked the necessary pizzazz for
stardom. The sources say girls often told him
he was out of this world. So the nickname Bruno
got the astronomical edition and he became Bruno
Mars. But there's a much deeper, more strategic,
professional motivation behind this decision
that goes way beyond just a cool sound. And this
is the essential insight here. It is. The name
change was fundamentally an effort to avoid being
stereotyped. By the music machine. Because when
the industry looked at Peter Hernandez. They
immediately tried to pigeonhole him. Yeah. Strictly
as a Latin artist. They strongly encouraged him
to sing solely in Spanish. So by creating the
identity of Bruno Mars, he completely broke free
of that predefined restrictive box. He bought
himself the artistic freedom and the versatility
he craved. He made sure he could fuse the rock,
hip hop, R &B and pop genres he loved equally.
It was a preemptive strike against industry control.
Which speaks volumes about his understanding
of the business from the very start. He knew
that if he was going to be the pop historian
he is today, he couldn't be confined to one lane,
even if that lane was financially lucrative.
Exactly. The name change was an act of artistic
self -determination. So that transition from
Peter Gene Hernandez, the Hawaiian hustler, to
Bruno Mars, the Martian pop star, it really sets
the stage for what came next. The factory phase.
The factory phase. This is that six year period
where he laid the intellectual groundwork for
being a hit maker. And it's maybe the most important
and least known chapter of his story. This is
truly where the professional craft was forged,
you know, away from the spotlight. He arrived
in L .A., had an early failed contract with Motown
Records in 2004, a deal that just went nowhere.
Which must have been a massive setback. Huge.
But less than a year later, in 2005, he lands
this crucial music publishing deal with Steve
Lindsay and Cameron Strang. And that partnership
focused purely on writing. That was the inflection
point. And the role of Steve Lindsay, the mentor,
is legendary in his story. It is. He didn't just
sign Mars. He essentially acted as a gatekeeper.
He famously held Mars back for five years while
painstakingly teaching him the deep intricacies
of writing pop music. So this wasn't about performing.
It was about understanding the architecture of
a global system. smash hit. Exactly. Lindsay
told him it wasn't about raw talent. It was about
understanding what makes a hip hop song. It's
the difference between being a great musician
and being a professional, marketable hit maker.
That's it. Lindsay mentored Mars. along with
future collaborators Brody Brown and Jeff Basker,
and he forced them to internalize this extensive
catalog of hit music. Basker noted that, you
know, having talent is common. Right. But understanding
the discipline science and the mechanics of a
hip -hop song, the structure, the melody, where
the hook goes, that's a whole other endeavor
that takes time. A five -year pop music boot
camp? Essentially. This slow burn allowed Mars
to mature behind the scenes until he was truly
ready. And that detail about being held back
for five years is just fascinating. It shows
immense patience and a rare dedication to delayed
gratification. Especially for someone who had
already been a professional performer since he
was four years old. Right. He was basically unlearning
the stage kid habits and learning the discipline
of the studio. And during this period, he was
constantly building his network. He met Brody
Brown and Jeff Basker through Mike Lynn. And
critically, he met Philip Lawrence, who would
become his key collaborator. And the story of
their first meeting just underscores that early
struggle. Oh, yeah. Lawrence was initially reluctant
to meet Mars because he didn't even have bus
fare. A friend had to promise to reimburse him
the $5. From a humble $5 starting point, that
collaboration blossomed. It did. Lawrence and
Mars started the Smeezington's production unit,
and they faced rejection after rejection from
labels. They were financially strapped. So let's
zoom in on that turning point. What was the moment
that allowed them to just keep the lights on?
The sale that truly saved them was in 2008. Brandon
Creed, who would eventually become Mars' long
-term manager, bought their song Lost. For a
seemingly small sum, $20 ,000. $20 ,000 split
between the team. Right. But that small cash
infusion provided the necessary oxygen to pay
rent and continue working together. It proved
they could sell their product and allowed them
to continue the intensive writing work that eventually,
you know. coalesced into the Smeasingtons production
powerhouse. And the Smeasingtons didn't stay
small for long. They weren't just writing songs
for Mars' eventual solo career. No, they were
becoming a major industry force, a genuine hit
factory. Their first big hit, in Mars' own words,
was co -writing Flo Rida's massive 2009 single
Right Round. And he said that was their first
taste of what could really happen with a hit
we 100 %ed. They became a machine. They were
capable of spanning genres and catering to diverse
talent. They wrote for Alexander Burke, Adam
Levine, Sean Kingston. And, crucially, they composed
CeeLo Green's enormously successful 2010 single,
Fuck You. Which demonstrates this crucial strategic
genius. They established widespread credibility
and financial stability by producing and writing
guaranteed hits for other people before attempting
to launch Mars' own face to the world. It's a
brilliant strategy. He spent years mastering
the rules of pop behind the scenes, paying his
dues in the factory, so that when he finally
stepped into the spotlight, he wasn't an unknown.
Exactly. That foundation of behind the scenes
work allowed him to step into the spotlight not
as a struggling newcomer, but as an already established,
versatile, bankable talent. He rose to fame initially
as a feature artist, not a solo headliner. Right.
You think about his breakthrough on B .O .B.'s
Nothing on You and Trevi McCoy's Billionaire
in 2010. Both of those top charts globally. And
this wasn't accidental either. Mars was very
conscious of this calculated soft launch. He
said those songs weren't meant to be full sung
songs. And they gave him massive immediate exposure
without forcing him to commit to one genre or
carry the full commercial weight of a solo debut
yet. It was a strategic way to dip his toe into
different pools. Hip hop, reggae, acoustic pop
testing the market and flexing his versatility.
Proving his universal donor voice could fit anywhere
before the world heard his definitive solo sound.
Hashtag tag three. The album eras and pop dominance.
2010 -2018. That careful, methodical build brings
us to the actual album eras and his, well, his
total pop dominance, starting in 2010 with the
debut album Doo Wops and Hooligans. This was
the moment that five -year factory phase finally
paid off. It was the culmination of everything
he learned from Steve Lindsay. The album's core
sound was... Deliberately approachable, right?
Primarily pop, reggae, pop, and R &B. Very approachable.
And lyrically, it balanced those upbeat, feel
-good, optimistic sentiments like Just the Way
You Are with themes that explored his darker,
more vulnerable side. You know, failed relationships,
pain, loneliness, which you can hear in tracks
like Grenade. It proved he could master both
sides of the emotional spectrum. It did. And
it delivered massive, defining hits of the early
2010s, Just the Way You Are. which won him his
first Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
along with Grenade and the playful The Lazy Song.
The numbers were just staggering for a debut
that felt so complete. It sold 15 .5 million
copies worldwide. But here's the critical strategic
decision that underlines his long -term planning.
Look at the touring strategy he used for the
Doo -Wops and Hooligans tour. He actively turned
down offers to open for these huge, lucrative
arena tours. He did. Instead, he opted to headline
small venues, theaters, and ballrooms. So why
do that? I mean, opening for a massive arena
act is instant exposure and instant money. Why
sacrifice that? Because he was playing the long
game. That move was less lucrative up front,
but it allowed him to achieve three things. Okay.
First, he could build a dedicated, intimate fan
base who felt connected to him. Second, it allowed
him to perfect his craft as a headliner, managing
a full stage show and two hours of material.
And third, it established his artistic identity
without being overshadowed by a larger act. He
was investing in performance mastery, not just
piggybacking on someone else's success. Exactly.
Two years later, he released Unorthodox Jukebox
in 2012. And this is where he really started
leaning into that genre explorer title that he
earned with the name change. Right. He deliberately
made this album musically varied. He was mixing
disco, funk, rock, reggae, soul, balladry. It
was an overt attempt to showcase that encyclopedic
mastery of musical history he'd acquired during
his mentorship. And while doo -wops was generally
romantic and innocent, unorthodox jukebox got
more explicit and complex lyrically. Addressing
not just romance, but also, you know, male chauvinism
and sexuality with songs like the controversial
Gorilla. Yeah, which, due to its explicit content,
actually sparked debates about airplay in places
like Australia. But the commercial momentum was
just unstoppable. You have singles like Locked
Out of Heaven, which had that very noticeable
police influence, and the sweeping ballad When
I Was Your Man. And that latter song is historically
significant. It made him the fastest male artist,
aside from Elvis Presley, of course, to score
five number one singles. That is a truly elite
metric of early career dominance. It places him
in the highest echelon of pop history almost
immediately. And the album won him the Grammy
for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2014. That level
of success led directly to the ultimate stage
for American performers, the Super Bowl halftime
show. In 2014, he headlined Super Bowl XL8. He
was the first performer under 30 in a decade
to do so. And he cemented his versatility by
bringing out the legendary rock band the Red
Hot Chili Peppers as his guests, lending that
rock and funk energy with his own pop sensibilities.
The cultural moment was huge. That halftime show
attracted 115 .3 million viewers, making it at
the time the most watched halftime show in Super
Bowl history. It drew more viewers than the game
itself. It proved he was a transcendent cross
-platform showman capable of commanding the largest
possible audience. But maybe his biggest musical
moment came shortly. after that in late 2014
with Mark Ronson's single Uptown Funk featuring
Mars. That track wasn't just a hit. It became
the definition of a cultural phenomenon. It topped
charts globally and was officially named Billboard's
best performing song of the entire 2010s decade.
It's the perfect blend of Mars' deep knowledge
of funk and R &B and Ronson's masterful production.
But this incredible success also brought with
it some intense legal scrutiny. It did. It opened
up that complex query of whether Mars is a...
pop historian or something more problematic.
Because when you draw so deeply from past genres,
especially funk and soul, you open yourself up
to challenge. Absolutely. The song was cited
for copyright infringement multiple times. This
led to the Gap Band being officially added as
co -writers in 2015, receiving publishing royalties
due to the similarity of Uptown Funk to their
1979 hit Oops Upside Your Head. And that wasn't
the end of it. There were lawsuits from the electro
-funk band Collage and the rap group the sequence,
though those were later dropped. And there was
a lawsuit regarding the similarity to Zapp's
more bounce to the ounce, which was settled.
This really highlights the paradox of the pop
historian. The music industry and critics praised
Mars for bringing back these vintage sounds,
yet legally, the line between homage and appropriation
becomes incredibly thin when money's involved.
It raises the question, is it possible to be
a deep diver into music history without facing
these structural challenges of who owns the foundation
you're building on? It's a tough question. Yeah.
But, you know, Uptown Funk was an indisputable
success, winning record of the year and best
pop duo group performance at the 2016 Grammys.
And then we arrive at the peak of his retro mastery,
24K Magic in 2016. The album signaled this clear,
unified pivot, leaning heavily into the smooth,
aggressive sounds of 1980s R &B, funk, pop and
a specific subgenre. New Jack Swing. And for
you listeners who might not be familiar with
that era, New Jack Swing was this incredibly
important, unique blend in the late 1980s, pioneered
by producers like Teddy Riley. Right. It took
the slick, smooth vocal arrangements of traditional
R &B and married them seamlessly to the sharp,
aggressive, syncopated drum machine beats and
bass lines of early hip hop. It's the sound of
Bobby Brown and Guy. And Mars and his team absolutely
nailed this aesthetic. And the creative environment
for this album is just as fascinating as the
sound itself. Mars and his co -writers now operating
under the names Shampoo Press and Curl. Replacing
the Smeezingtons. Right. They consciously created
an aesthetic that channeled the entire 1980s
and 1990s vibe. And that dedication to the vibe
was total. Mars imposed a now -famous dress code
in the studio. He insisted on fine clothes and
jewelry over sweatpants. And why? The reason
was he wanted to foster a specific, groovy, smooth,
and soulful energy for the songs. They were channeling
the spirit of a specific era, and the physical
appearance was part of the process of creating
that sound. It was an immersion technique. Talk
about commitment. And this aesthetic produced
enormous hits like the title track 24K Magic,
That's What I Like, and the hugely successful
remix of Finesse with Cardi B. And lyrically,
the album centered explicitly on themes of money,
sex, and opulence, perfectly fitting that throwback,
luxurious aesthetic. The album's critical success
matched its commercial dominance. At the 2018
Grammys, 24K Magic swept every major category
Mars was nominated in. It was a clean sweep.
It won Album of the Year, Record of the Year
for the title track and Song of the Year, Best
R &B Performance and Best R &B Song for That's
What I Like. He made history by being only the
second recipient ever to win Record and Song
of the Year with two different songs from the
same album. It just cemented his status as a
true industry behemoth. And the subsequent 24K
Magic World Tour was a financial behemoth. grossing
well over $300 million, confirming his status
as an arena -level global headliner capable of
bringing that disciplined showmanship to stadiums
all over the world. Hashtag tag white too. The
versatile collaborator in modern milestones.
2018 present. So after conquering the world with
the shiny, aggressive funk of 24K magic, Mars
does something pretty unexpected. Yeah, instead
of doubling down on solo success, he retreats
into this dedicated partnership. Right, demonstrating
his commitment to collaboration and experimentation
by shifting from solo work into the superduo
Silk Sonic, which he formed with Anderson .Paak
in 2021. And this collaboration wasn't just a
side project. This was total immersion into an
even older aesthetic. Their album, An Evening
with Silksonic, was deeply and deliberately rooted
in 1970s R &B, soul, and funk. They even brought
in funk legend Bootsy Collins as a guest host.
They did. And they focused heavily on themes
of seduction and romance, creating a complete
sonic time machine experience. And critics and
audiences just absolutely adored the total commitment
to the bit. Oh, they loved it. It produced the
U .S. number one single, Leave the Door Open.
And the album was a runaway success, the 2022
Grammys. It swept the top categories. Record
of the Year, Song of the Year, Best R &B Performance,
and Best R &B Song for Leave the Door Open. Which
made Mars only the second person in history to
receive the Record of the Year award three times.
I mean, that's a stunning career achievement.
And they successfully translated this 1970s album
aesthetic into a high -grossing dedicated residency,
an evening with Silk Sonic at Park MGM. And his
collaborative magic has continued, reaching stunning
new unprecedented heights in the mid -2020s through
duets that demonstrate his universal appeal.
The sources highlight two huge tracks from 2024.
Die with a Smile with Lady Gaga and APT with
Rosé, which is maybe the most strategic duet
of his career. The statistics tied to these tracks
are just phenomenal. They really cement his current
influence far beyond the traditional American
pop market. Die with a Smile became his first
number one on the powerful Billboard Global 200
chart. And that's a chart designed to measure
consumption worldwide, not just in the U .S.
Exactly. Then just a month later, APT became
his second consecutive Global 200 number one.
That partnership with Rosé, a member of the massively
influential K -pop group Blackpink, is fascinating
because it proves his genre -hopping versatility
works globally. He can move seamlessly from 80s
funk to 70s soul to working within the contemporary
K -pop infrastructure. And the results were historic.
Together... Those duets spent a combined 30 total
weeks atop that Billboard Global 200 chart, making
them the longest reigning act since the chart's
inception in 2020. That is current, indisputable
global domination, and it's driven by intentional,
versatile collaboration with established global
stars. The accolades continued into 2025, with
Die With a Smile winning Best Pop Duo Group Performance
at the Grammys, and APT received the Best Collaboration
video at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan, along
with being named... Song of the Year at the 2024
Asia Artist Awards. It's clear his appeal truly
transcends musical genres and geographic boundaries.
And his touring reflects this continued global
appeal and the financial success of his live
shows. Yeah, the ongoing Bruno Mars live tour
has run internationally since 2022, and it's
set numerous records across Asia. He became the
fastest selling artist in Japan, selling out
seven shows at the 55 ,000 capacity Tokyo Dome.
That's a monumental feat. I think that hasn't
been seen there since Michael Jackson. Correct.
He also performed for the largest audience ever
for a Hyundai Kart Super Concert in Seoul. So
that dedication to the live audience, which started
with that tactical choice to headline small theaters
during his debut era, is just paying off massively.
Massively. His main headlining residency, Bruno
Mars at Park MGM, which began in 2016 and runs
through 2025, has grossed an astounding $154
.8 million as of 2024. And he's concurrently
touring globally, setting records in Asia and
maintaining a highly lucrative, years -long residency
in Las Vegas. That is a taxing, double -duty
professional schedule. And we should note that
even amidst this intense touring schedule and
residency commitment, he continues to work on
new solo material. Reports indicate his fifth
studio album has been in the works since early
2023. He's collaborating with old partners like
Brodie Brown and Lawrence and new ones like D.
Mile and James Fauntleroy. Which suggests yet
another intentional musical shift might be imminent,
proving he never settles into a single comfort
zone. OK, let's shift now to the deep dive into
his artistry and process, because that is where
we find the real intellectual treasure. You know,
the how and why behind the commercial success.
Yeah. He is often called the most valuable pop
historian or the king of retro crooning. And
it's not just a cute title. It's his fundamental
methodology. It really is. Mars isn't just sampling
the past. He's synthesizing decades of music
history into something new and commercially viable.
He was raised on his father's 1950s doo -wop
collection, those simple four -chord songs that
got straight to the point. And for you, the listener,
doo -wop is characterized by simple lyrical melodies
and often nonsense syllables, relying heavily
on vocal harmony and repetition. And Mars takes
that simplicity and that structure and just grafts
modern hooks onto it. And the Elvis impersonation
was instrumental, as we discussed. He loved 1950s
Elvis, describing him as a force who would go
on stage and scare people with his sheer animal
energy. And he carries that raw intensity into
his own showmanship. He's noted he studies Prince
and James Brown for similar reasons, their ability
to control chaos on stage. His core vocal style
is highly influenced by those high voice singers,
the powerful tenors like Stevie Wonder and Freddie
Mercury. For sure. But you also hear a diverse
range of genres he absorbed growing up in Hawaii.
Bob Marley and local bands gave him his reggae
roots, which were so evident in his debut album.
And then overlaying that, he cites hip hop acts
like Jay -Z and The Roots. and R &B masters like
Joe Deci, R. Kelly, and the Neptunes. He successfully
fuses rock, soul, and hip -hop. often in the
space of a single four -minute track. I think
the key distinction here is that he's not just
a singer relying on fantastic production. The
sources confirm he is highly musical, a true
multi -instrumentalist. Oh, absolutely. He plays
instruments including vocals, guitar, piano,
keyboards, drums, bass, ukulele, and congas.
And he typically plays the instrumentation, or
at least part of it, on his albums and for his
production work. This level of instrumental fluency
means he has complete... intimate control over
the musical output. It connects directly to his
songwriting process, which isn't clinical, it's
organic. He doesn't sit down and try to force
a hit. Inspiration, he says, usually comes suddenly,
often when he's just playing the guitar or piano
and stumbles upon a sound. And his music partner,
Brody Brown, credits Mars with the melody and
lyrics for the majority of their tracks, with
Lawrence often contributing foundational concepts
and structure. Mars is the driver of the core
musical and melodic content. Okay, let's talk
about the spectacle. The source material spends
a lot of time on his showmanship, and this is
where the hooligans become so crucial. Mars is
famous for his highly energetic, indefatigable
performances, often earning comparisons to Michael
Jackson and Elvis, specifically that Elvis that
was a force and scared people. And he reportedly
watches videos of James Brown's TMI show. Jimi
Hendrix is live at Woodstock or Prince performing
Purple Rain before he goes on stage specifically
to learn how they interacted with the public
and control the energy. The live show is a total
cinematic throwback experience designed for maximum
impact. It is. He performs with the Hooligans,
and they're not just a backing band. They're
a cohesive nine -piece soul band composed of
instrumentalists who also double as sophisticated
dancers and background singers. Including his
own brother, Eric Hernandez, on drums. Right.
It transforms the concert from a traditional
pop show into a full soul review. Critics consistently
praise how this setup elevates the live versions
of his songs. The shows incorporate intricate,
all -band dancing, complex choreography, including
footwork inspired by James Brown, and even performing
the splits. Alongside heavy use of classic stadium
elements like pyrotechnics, strobe, and laser
lighting, it is classic showmanship perfected
for the modern stadium, bridging the gap between
stadium rock and an R &B review. And this commitment
to a consistent aesthetic extends to his total
control over the visual product, the packaging.
He's emerged as a successful music video director,
co -directing numerous award -nominated videos
with collaborators like Cameron Duddy and Florent
Deschardes. He even did the choreography for
the Treasure video, which earned him a Best Choreography
award at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. So
he's the director, the choreographer, the performer,
and the musician. He is. And the clothing perfectly
compliments the music. We noted earlier how he
used the clothing to enforce the vibe in the
studio for 24K Magic. Right. But his fashion
sense is always an intentional, decade -specific
compliment to the music he's currently making.
You had the 60s -inspired suits for doo -wops,
the loud 80s, 90s aesthetic for 24K Magic, and
then those 70s -wide collars and tailored leisure
suits for Silk Sonic. As one critic perfectly
put it, regardless of the decade he's emulating,
his fashion sense makes him larger than life.
The persona is always integrated with the product.
Hashtag Tag66, other ventures, and public scrutiny.
And beyond the music, Mars has strategically
branched out into other ventures that reinforce
that retro glam brand identity. He's essentially
evolved into a creative director for his own
personalized lifestyle brand, leveraging the
persona he created. We saw this starting early
with specific investments. He had endorsement
deals with Bench and invested in Chromatic, a
company that makes digital sheet music for education.
Tying into his passion for musical pedagogy.
Right. And notably, in 2013, he invested in NJOY
electronic cigarettes, which was motivated by
a deeply personal desire to quit smoking for
his mother. But the most significant brand venture
is undoubtedly his involvement with Selvery Run.
He was introduced to the brand in 2014 and invested
in 2015. But in 2020, he took full creative control.
He redesigned the taste, the branding, the packaging,
all to match that smooth 1970s style he was adopting
with Silk Sonic. Exactly. It wasn't just a business
investment. It was an extension of the Silk Sonic
aesthetic, consciously marketed to feel like
vacation in a glass. And his philanthropic efforts
were often directly tied to this. Until the end
of 2021, he donated all profits from Selvare
Rum to the Honolulu Community College's music
and entertainment learning experience. Connecting
his business success back to his Hawaiian roots
and his passion for music education. He also
established a Grammy Camp Scholarship Fund for
needs -based applicants from Hawaii, later expanding
it nationwide in honor of his late mother. And
this commitment to a curated brand identity led
him to even create a dedicated alter ego for
his collaborations. Ricky Regal. Right. This
persona was used for his luxury 1970s inspired
sportswear line, Lacoste X Ricky Regal, in 2021.
He extended that aesthetic to headwear, partnering
with Stetson in 2024 for a collection of hats
that included a gold -toned horseshoe pin with
rhinestones. The persona is the product. It's
all about total immersion into the lifestyle.
which is why his first major Las Vegas strip
lounge bar, which opened in 2024 at the Bellagio,
is called the Pinky Ring. Named after a lyric
in his hit 24K Magic. Exactly. The venue opened
with the hooligans performing every night for
the first two weeks, reinforcing that commitment
to live classic showmanship right down to his
business ventures. And finally, as a powerful
nod to his musical influences, in 2023, Fender
partnered with Mars to release the limited edition
Bruno Mars Stratocaster. which came in a unique
color called Mars Mocha Heirloom and featured
custom pickups and a leopard print strap, intentionally
paying homage to two of his favorite guitarists
and influences, the revolutionary Jimi Hendrix
and the dynamic Prince. Now we have to address
the intense scrutiny he has faced. Despite his
immense talent and historical sales, his genre
-blending success has attracted controversy,
particularly concerning cultural appropriation.
The accusations first surfaced strongly in 2018
on social media. The claim was that he profited
from black music genres without acknowledging
his influences appropriately, using his racial
ambiguity to gain a commercial advantage that
black artists themselves couldn't achieve. However,
this viewpoint was largely dismissed by prominent
Black artists, including Stevie Wonder, Charlie
Wilson, and 9th Wonder, who saw his work as homage
and continuation. It was. And Mars defended himself
in a 2021 interview, stating clearly, the only
reason why I'm here is because of James Brown,
is because of Prince, Michael Jackson. This music
comes from love. He maintains that he is a student
of the music. And while he maintains he's paying
homage, the accusations did resurface briefly
in 2025 due to the release of the single Bondi
Du Bernon. which drew renewed scrutiny from some
Brazilian listeners regarding the use of local
musical styles. So we simply report that the
debate about the line between historical homage
and commercial appropriation continues to follow
his work. In terms of legal and personal history,
we should also briefly note the 2010 incident
in Las Vegas where he was arrested for felony
cocaine possession. Right. He pleaded guilty,
but the charges were formally dismissed in 2012
after he successfully completed the terms of
his plea deal, which included a fine, community
service, and mandatory drug counseling. And finally,
a highly publicized rumor from early 2024 alleged
he was $50 million in debt due to gambling losses,
which some speculated might explain his highly
lucrative, continuous Vegas residency schedule.
And this is crucial. MGM Resorts, the host of
his residency, publicly denied these claims.
They stated emphatically that Mars has no debt
with MGM. Speculation otherwise is completely
false. And Mars has since even joked about the
rumor during a recent performance, showing he
retains a sense of humor despite the personal
scrutiny. We should also remember the immense
personal tragedy he faced, the loss of his mother
in 2013 from a brain aneurysm, which directly
led to him establishing that scholarship fund
in her honor. Hashtag tag outro. So we've covered
the entire journey, starting with Peter Gene
Hernandez, the child performer who is doing two
shows a night at age five, navigating family
hardship and the pressure to conform. And transforming
into Bruno Mars, the meticulous five -year trained
songwriter and performer who achieved commercial
success on a scale few reach in the modern era.
His status as an icon is built not just on raw
talent, but on a tireless, patient dedication
to studying and synthesizing musical genres spanning
five decades. He is rightly referred to as the
most valuable pop historian and the prince of
pop music, thanks to his ability to take diverse
classic sounds duop, new jack swing, 70s funk,
and package them with spectacular showmanship
and brand consistency for the modern mainstream.
He showed the industry that deep musical knowledge
and intentional performance craft are, in fact,
incredibly viable in a singles -driven landscape.
It makes you wonder about the architecture of
fame in the 21st century. Bruno Mars has repeatedly
shown the critical importance of crafting a complete,
decade -specific persona, whether it's the romantic
crooner of doo -wops, the 24K magic hustler,
or the 70s -infused silk -sonic collaborator
Ricky Regal. to sell music. He proved that authenticity
sometimes means instructing a perfect reality
for the audience to buy into. I mean, considering
that Billboard ranked Uptown Funk the top song
of the entire 2010s, he proved that musical nostalgia,
when executed flawlessly, is the most powerful
engine pop music has. Which raises an important
question for you, the listener, to mull over
as you consider the current pop landscape. If
Mars' dominance across the 2010s and 2020s was
built on this deep, decade -specific immersion
into past aesthetics, what are the true commercial
limits of musical nostalgia? And how will his
focus on these distinct, curated identities influence
the wave of artists trying to break through in
the late 2020s and beyond? Does the modern pop
star need an alter ego and a dedicated historical
decade to succeed in a world already dominated
by a pop historian? A lot to think about as the
Mars mocha heirloom Stratocaster plays on in
the background. That's all the time we have for
this deep dive. We hope you learned something
new today.