August 16, 2023 • 36 mins
Bruno Mars went from impersonating Elvis Presley to living the Presley dream. Now it's time to focus on all the award-winning music that came after. We're talking Unorthodox Jukebox, 24K Magic, and An Evening with Silk Sonic. Don't forget two Super Bowls and a whole lot of style as we also breakdown his killer fashion sense and how enforces a dress code for recordings. Yes, you read that correctly. So what are you waiting for? Listen up and find out what makes Bruno Mars so super duper fly.
Lilliana Vázquez and Joseph Carrillo are the hosts of Becoming an Icon with production support by Josie Meléndez, Daniela Sarquis, and Santiago Sierra of Sonoro Media in partnership with iHeart Radio's My Cultura Podcast network. If you want to support the podcast, please rate and review our show.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You know, I am telling you this on the record,
what I have been converted to a fan of Bruno Mars.
I do like his music. It's just sometimes it's too sexy.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
You know, it's too slow jam for you, Like it's
too slow jammy, like too Jodicy.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
The Quiet Storm. You know, like you just want to
be like like you where you would be eating chocolate
cover Star.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
You know, it's like that's like corny freeze, and.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
I just kind of like, don't be like that. Let's
just get the way, bitch.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
After a long road of rejections and a mistake that
nearly cost him everything, Bruno Mars is living his best life.
He's a star, y'all.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
But being a star's no biggie. We want to get
into what exactly makes him an icon.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
That's right, because he went from impersonating Elvis Presley as
a little kid living the Presley drink.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
He almost lived it a little too closely, methinks.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
But he cleaned up his act quickly and realized that
what he had gained was too good to lose. We
took you on Bruno's journey on the Highway to Hell,
but now we're going to give you a front row
seat to his climb up the stairway to heaven.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
And how that ass didn't get lucked out of it.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
I don't think he was saying about success and stardom
in that song.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Joseph, Let's pretend, kay, for the sake of these metaphors
we got going.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
On, I'm well listen the last decade for him, and
this episode is really all about the music. An orthodox jukebox,
twenty four care magic and one of my all time shaves,
an evening with silk so on it, but of course
a little super Bowl mixed in well two to be exact,
because at this point I feel like it's a rite
(01:50):
of passage for the icons on our podcast one one
hundred and Oh my god, can you believe it?
Speaker 1 (01:55):
If we got an ad spot at the super Bowl,
We're becoming an icon.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
I'm sorry. Do we have those kinds of budgets? I
was highly unaware that we had that kind of cash,
but if we did, I would literally die.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
We'll also give praise, where praise is due to his
killer sense of style and how he enforces that wait
a dress code for his recordings. Shut your butt, No
he doesn't, Oh he does.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
But first, let's take a look at how Bruno Mars
eviscerated the dreaded sophomore set. I'm your host Lilianavosquez.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
And I'm Joseph Carrio and this is Becoming an Icon.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
A weekly podcast where we give you the rundown on
how today's most famous LATINV stars have shaped pop culture.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
And given the world some extra level.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Sit back and get comfortable.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Because we are going in the only way we know
how with when I be with us, unassas.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
And a lot of opinions as we really their greatest
achievements on our journey to find out what makes them
so iconic.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Bruno Mars gained recognition quickly for being a so called
master mixer of disco, funk, rock, reggae and soul.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Joseph so called like stop playing with Bruno, Stop playing
with me?
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Okay, I'm kiddying it.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Douops and Hooligans was a successful album in every aspect, but.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
It wasn't a number one album. The do Ops in
Hooligan's tour is over. What comes next for Bruno?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
This Smeusingtons aka Bruno, Philip Lawrence, and Ari Levine. They
all got together again to start working on Bruno's second
album right after Duops, but they promised to take their
time with this one. They had felt rush with the
first album.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Because they totally were one month.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
I mean, come on, there were two many people from
the label telling him what to do and how the
record should actually sound.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
And if there's one thing Bruno never wants to be,
it's a sellout.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Which is why there's such a notable difference when you
compare the sound of Duops to Unorthodox Juthbox. They couldn't
afford perfection with the first album.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
But with this record, they had time to really sit
with the art, the sound, and the whole vibe.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
It was designed to be more dynamic, more in tune
with how Bruno sees himself as a performer, not just
a songwriter.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
And that meant reconnecting with his heritage.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Between albums, Bruno made a trip to Puerto Rico, his
first visit ever to the island.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
He was shooting for Vogue alongside Puerto Rican model Victoria's
Secret Angel Joan Small's, who by the way, is just
absolutely gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
She's so pretty. And the way that Bruno recalls this moment,
he said it felt like coming home, getting to see
other people with the same features, hair texture, and his
skin color. And when you look at these photos, a
they're in my sane.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
It was a good shoot, I'll say that.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
And what I love so much about this shoot is
it was the first time that I think Bruno was
discovering how powerful and influential Puerto Rico was in his
personal style.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
You know.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
He even said that his dad used to tell him
about fashion, when you walk in a room, let them
know you're there, how you wear your hat, how you
wear your suit, like take up space mehole, like that's
what he was telling him. And being in old San
Juan with the vintage cars and kind of the vintage
styling of the suits and the clothes, I think for
the first time, Bruno was really connecting to this style
(05:45):
that he thought his dad, you know, created, but really
this is like the style of Puerto Rico, like it
was in his DNA, and he was for the first
time finding out the origins of it.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
I'm going to say, I am going to take this
piece of advice from Papa Bruno myself.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
It's true, Like you know, you walk into a room
and it's like shoulders back, head up, own the space
that you're in and let them know you're there. Thank you,
Papa Bruno.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Thanks Papa Bruno.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
And that trip was not just about the style and
about the vague shoot.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Because because he also added a little bit of pr
to his love life.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Bruno met his current partner, Puerto Rican model and actress
Jessica Caabon, back in twenty eleven in a hotel restaurant
in New York City on the Lower East Side.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Caban and Bruno fell so hard for each other because
she packed up all her shit in Spanish Harlem and
made the jump to La with the singer.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
I mean, who wouldn't I would leave Spanish Harlem to
go pretty much anywhere with Bruno, Like, okay, take me away, Bruno,
take me away. But here's a little fun tidbit for you.
Guess who gave Jessica her very first modeling job.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
Mmmmm, I don't know, Wilhelmina.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Good guess, j Lo j Lo.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
On top of everything we talked about in her episodes,
Jlo is also a part time fairy godmother Jaylome.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Gabon and Bruno start was a bumpy one, but they
have been thick as these ever since.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
And much of their time together inspired songs for his
next album, Unorthodox. Jukebox was an uncensored and personal look
at Bruno Mars. When I Was Your Man was inspired
by a rough.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Patch he had with Gabon. She never actually loved him
or found another man, thank god that would treat her better.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
But he envisioned this to remind himself of what he
could lose if he didn't get his shit together.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
To this day, did you guys know that he actually
refuses to talk about what exactly happened to inspire such
raw emotion on the track. He often says, I'm not
answering any questions about this song. It's too close to home.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
And it's that personal touch that he adds to this
music that connected with so many people when Jukebox came out.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Authenticity is what Bruno strives for, Remember you, guys, Bruno
received multiple rejections after he got dropped by Motown.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
He was misunderstood, and it was.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Because he was trying to make music that's in line
with what ultimately ended up on Jukebox. It's a hybrid
of genres.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Rock, reggae, soul, funk.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Disco, inspired by a bevy of musicians.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
The Police, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson parents.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Sounds that feel indescribable yet you.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Need, and that was the winning formula. Those record execs
who initially passed on him and this sound, well, jokes
on you, because jukebox was popping.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
The music industry is a business. Execs don't look at
your potential as an artist. They look at your potential
to make a profit. They want you to appeal to
the masses, even if it means conforming. Bruno had heard this.
You don't know who you are. Your music's all over
the place, and we don't know how to market this stuff.
Hick alane and come back to us. These people called
(09:09):
everything he did quote unquote unorthodox, So, like Lisa Rena says,
he owned it. For his sophomore album, he brought back
Jeff Basker, who's known for working with the likes of
Kanye and Beyonce, and.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
And a few new faces joined the phrase. Well.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
There was Jat singer Esperdanza Spalding, record producer Emily Haney,
ADM artist Diplow, and English DJ Mark Ronson.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Up town Funk, you up, uptown funk, you up.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Not yet, not yet, not yet, Joseph I hold that thought.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Those This project feels like the musical Avengers, and their.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Goal was super simple, keep the silky smooth live instrumentation,
and give priority to the vocals. Unorthodox Jukebox was finally
released in December of twenty twelve. This sound is I'm
gonna call it experimental. It's just such a dichotomy of
sounds because when you think of experimental, you think of
(10:09):
crazy music that you find on SoundCloud, and you're like,
what the hell is that? You don't think of treasure
or when I was your man? But I don't know
the way they blended all of the songs together to
create this one album is what felt experimental extense.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
It totally does. It's just here's the thing. The sound
is so unique. It's throwbacks, but it's now.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
I think that exactly is why Bruno is so hard
to define, because how do you do that?
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Right?
Speaker 2 (10:37):
The sound is inspired greatly by doop, but it feels
so current and fresh when you release this in twenty twelve,
and if you guys are listening to this going wait,
what was on an Orthodox Jukebox? Let me just give
you a little rundown of some of the hits, right, So,
You've got Locked out of Heaven, loved When I Was Your.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Man, Stop it right now, I love.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Dot Com Moneymaker Smile, which was the song that Joseph
usually does his performance to on the poll. That's kidding,
He's not a stripper anymore. And Treasure, Oh my god, Treasure.
I fucking love this song. It's one of my favorites.
It might be my favorite. No, Okay, locked out of
Heaven is my favorite on the album, but Treasure is
(11:18):
so good.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
When I Was Your Man and Locked Out of Heaven
is exactly like. Actually, those were the two that I
listened to the most.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
So the other thing I have to talk about with
this album is, oftentimes with the Bruno Mars albums, there
are so many good songs that I feel like some
get left off the hits list. Natalie is one of
those songs. If you guys have not listened to this song,
please go back and listen to it. It is so
fucking funny. The lyrics are so good. So he basically
talks about this woman Natalie, who I need to know
(11:47):
who Natalie is coded for, like because Natalie ran away
with all his cats.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Okay, I'm Natalie, Natalie.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Is me you're Natalie, and specifically this song. There's like
this quote about it that I read and rollings which
I want to share with you guys. So it was
produced by Benny Blanco, who is this major music producer
like in La He's worked with everyone, and he says this,
it's like some throwback Nina Simone type shit like Cinnerman,
but it's Bruno. He can sing the ABC's and you'd
(12:16):
be like, holy fuck, he knows how to vibe. If
that does not sum up everything that we have said
about Bruno so far, I don't know what.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Does you know what? Yeah, that sentence is just it.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
The album in itself, along with Bruno, has such a range.
It gives you so many feels and it is truly
a vibe. Like there has never been a better way
to describe an album than a vibe. He knows how
to vibe. He delivers a vibe.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
And we are vibing period.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Unorthodox debuted on the second spot of the Billboard two hundred.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
But the next week it dropped to third.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
However, the record did stop selling and suddenly surpassed projected
sales numbers, which man Is eventually made its.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Way to the number one spot on the chart.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
It sold over one point three million copies in the US,
making it the fifth best selling album of twenty thirteen.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Bruno Mars officially had a number one album ab Blaoso
a Blao saw. Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Not only that. With this record, Mars also became the
first male artist since Presley to have five number one
singles in his career.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
You know he loved that shit.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Oh it's like all full circle. I love a full
circle moment. We have so many, but this one feels
really good. Bruno also won the award for Best Pop
Vocal Album for Unorthodox Jukebox at the twenty fourteen Grammys
and earned himself a Juno Award for International Album of
the Year.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
And how's the guy to celebrate so many wins taking
over the super Bowl halftime show.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
That's how Bruno Mars had a number one album.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Now it's time to promote the shizz out of it.
In between his suddenly uber busy schedule, he had to
make a quick pitstop at what has become our favorite
stage on becoming an icon, the super Bowl Halftime Show.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
The show was held on February second, twenty fourteen, at
the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Bruni performed with his band The Hooligans and The Red
Hot Chili Peppers were the halftime special guests.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Brunito made history that night he became the first halftime
headliner under thirty, making him the youngest artist to ever
perform at the super Bowl. So it opens with a
children's choir, which I mean like, talk about all the feels,
give me a choir moment, I heard for it. Then
you see Bruno solo on the stage on the drums.
He's not singing, he is just hitting this killer drum solo,
(14:55):
of course, also reflectively taking us back to his beginnings
as an musician, right. And then it explodes, locked out
of Heaven, it comes over. People are losing their fucking
minds in the stands. Then he goes to Treasure, which
I'm like, here for okay. Then he goes to a
song that I think is so underrated, which is Runaway Baby.
This is one of the best songs that I've ever
(15:18):
seen performed live. And I mean this not just at
the super Bowl, but also in a concert because his band,
like they are part of the routine. I'm talking like
the tuba player can get the fuck down. Everybody is dance.
It's like the music is so fast, it's like it's
on speed. And then he goes into like do you
know the song Shout by the Isley Brothers.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Then shout no, no, no no, then shout a little
bit softeren now right.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Okay, fine, right, yes, that's it. So that little piece
where you say a little bit softer now you know,
he like whispers it and he goes lower and lower.
So Bruno does that with Runaway Baby, and the audience
goes wild. He's such a tease and then he gets
them down and he brings you back up. And then
who comes out Joe your favorite.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Dope red hot chili peppers.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Wow, it was so good. And then like it ends
soft takes you back to like a more reflective place
with just the way you are. There's a special dedication
from the armed forces. And then bam, like mm hmm,
I do remember this the fireworks show?
Speaker 1 (16:19):
The fireworks.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Yes, And by the way, you guys, this is the
most fireworks that have ever been used in a halftime show.
And if you watch halftime shows, that's a hell a
lot of fireworks.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
And he's wearing this like gold jacket.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
What I loved about this style choice for him was
that he was dressed just like his band. There's so
much respect between him and his musicians. And yes it's
his name on the halftime show, it's Bruno Mars, but
he was like, no, it's me and my band. They
were unified and it just signals what respect he has
for his band and how like they don't exist without
(16:53):
each other, like it's a symbiotic relationship. And I like
love him for this, like he's a musician first, he's
a musician first. Icon Second.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Love love that the Red Hot Chili Peppers were just Also,
they stayed true to form in there like ninety they
are still in there. What is it like in Dicky's
and they're just dressed. They're California guys. Like whatever, Now
here's a super Bowl chief man. There was a bunch
of disagreements over how the show should go. The people
in charge of the broadcast wanted to invest in those
(17:20):
trendy little concert light up bracelets.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
But Bruno thought it would be a waste of time
and money. He believed they should just focus the camera
on him and his band and let them do their thing.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
But the production team did what they wanted to do.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Bruno's response to the whole thing was so very unbrand
for him. He said, God bless the super Bowl. They
hooked me up. They took a chance on me. But
I had to keep reminding them why they took a
chance on me. I told them, if you take that
camera off me, you're doing yourself a disservice. And what happened.
They spent all this money on those things and it
didn't work.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Well. Damn Bruno, come and get a little bit of
that confience over here.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
It's next level is undeniable.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
Even Chris Martin from Coldplay was like, get me some
of that facts.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
But we got to talk about uptown Funk before we
get into Super Bowl nou mido loss con.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Chris Mark Ronson, welcome to becoming an.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Icon, Joseph, I know you want to sing it again.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
I better get paid extra for this. Up town funk,
You up, uptown bunk, you up.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Ronson and Mars weren't strangers. They had collaborated before, producing
three songs together on Unorthodox Jukebox. Four months after the
Super Bowl, Ronson announced that Mars and m were back
together making magic, but it would take a minute for
us to hear it. Well, let's be honest, more than
a minute?
Speaker 1 (18:43):
How long?
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Seven months for one song? Let's just say it was
a stressful process. Rumor has it there could literally be
more than one hundred versions of this one song.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
They were total overthinking it, so.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Much so that Ronson literally really fainted. According to an
interview he did with NPR, he couldn't quite nail the
guitar part of the song, and after sixty attempts, he
decided to break and went to lunch, where he passed
out and, in his polite words, yup, he redecorated the
walls in the bathroom of this nice restaurant and had
to be carried out.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
I listen, anxiety, ain't no joke, girl.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Luckily, he nailed the guitar two days later, and the
song finally came out on November tenth, twenty fourteen. Uptown
Song spent over fourteen weeks at the top of the charts.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
It became ictic.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
And I know we over use the word all the time,
but like, let's just be honest, it's exactly what it was. Like,
how else would you describe this dam song?
Speaker 1 (19:43):
It wasn't enough just to listen to the song like
you had to own it, you had to buy it,
like it's just it's yours, it's your song.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
I just feel like this song became a cultural revolution,
and I just have to shout out our sound engineer, Santiago.
Not only was this a cultural revolution here in the
United States, but Santhia attended school in Mexico City and
he made an entire music video with his classmates as
(20:12):
like a senior project, where they were in the streets
dressed up like Bruno Mars dancing to this song.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
And they were uptown funky. They were giving it to you.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
They served Bruno Mars. It was amazing.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
That just shows how much of an impact this was.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
So much so that this song went beyond the cultural moment.
It actually won Ronson and Mars two Grammys Best Pop
Duo Group Performance and Record of the Year. And someone
who was definitely paying attention.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
Mm hmm, Grice Martine, the cold Play frontman, wanted one
thing Bruno performing uptown Funk at his Super Bowl halftime
show with.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
A little guest appearance from none other than Beyonce. Bruno
of course said yes.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
One percent, Yes, no takebacks.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
He turned Chris Martin down, No, You're lying, no, I'm serious.
He turned down b a SI. He had already been
down this road with the NFL. He knew how it
all worked, and he was all, sorry, dude, been there,
done that, Grassies, Biro no gracias.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
But Cristito wasn't going down without a fight.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Martin invited Bruno to his a Malibu studio to pitch
him the show in.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
A person He wanted Nay needed Beyonce and Bruno to
perform the song.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
Martin wanted to give that gift to us to the world,
but Bruno was playing hard to get. He said, you've
got to be careful with those multi artist performances. They
do it a lot on award shows when you've got
so many cameos but nothing solid.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Before he was about to turn it down for the
second time, Bruno had an idea.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
He said, let's call Beyonce and see what she thinks
before we make a decision.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Chris Martin pulled out his phone and was like, shit,
I don't have her number. Just kidding. He got her
on the whole being about a boom she was in.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
And that meant Bruno was on board.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Being in the presence of Beyonce was the masterclass. He
didn't know he needed.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Watching Beyonce prep for the event, you had this to say,
She's not fucking joking around. She's gonna get on stage
and show everybody why she's the best every single time.
She's got that monster in her.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
The show finally went live on February seventh, twenty sixteen,
at the Levi Stadium in Cali, and their hard work
paid off.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Okay, I'm not being shady because I am such a
big Chris Martin fan. Like I love Coldplay, I have
also seen them in concert multiple times, and I feel
like it was like Bruno featuring cold Play.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
When you have that much Pizzazmitch like you take over.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Whether you agree with me or not, it doesn't matter
because all of YouTube agrees with me. When you click
on the video to watch back the performance on YouTube
and you go to the most replayed section, do you
know who pops up?
Speaker 1 (23:06):
I know exactly who.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
You cannot deny his energy, his stage presence, his talent
as a performer, and even when he's standing next to
larger than life Beyonce like one of the most talented
musicians on the planet with his band Chris Martin, It's
like all about Bruno. The camera finds him, like the
(23:28):
audience finds, and he just has a magnetic energy about him.
And what was incredible about this performance is that it
came at a time when what Bruno was dealing with
personally and internally was a little different. Like he had
all of this success and all of this praise, but
inside he was grieving. Right before he set foot on
(23:51):
the NFL's highly coveted stage, he got word that his
mother had unexpectedly passed away. In September twenty fourteen, Mars
began working on his third studio album, twenty four care
(24:12):
at Magic.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
It wasn't until the promotion of this record that he
was able to fully open about the toll that losing
his mom took on him.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
One day in twenty thirteen, he's flying back to Los
Angeles when he gets the call that his mom has
been hospitalized in Honolulu. It was a big surprise for
him because nobody was worried about her health. She was
fine one day and the next she was in the er.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
She suffered a brain aneurysm and was unconscious.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
He didn't even make it out of the airport. He
got right back on a plane and flew all the
way to Hawaii to see her, but she never woke up.
She passed away a day later at the age of
fifty five.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
The last time she spoke with him was through text.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
She'd seen pictures and videos of him performing in Germany
and messaged him this, you need rest. Look at you.
You've got bags under your eyes. Heart broke in, he
admitted to a during an interview to this day, I
don't know how to handle it. That piece of your
heart is just gone forever. I don't know how to
talk about it with you. It's a nightmare. It's literally
a nightmare.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Since then, Bruno jokes that he feels her with him
every time he messes up on stage.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
He hears her saying, you're flat, you missed that move.
Tell your brother to shave his mustache.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Grief can definitely weigh you down, and that night it
must have been especially intense, but at least he didn't
have to go through it alone. He had just got
alein on when things got tough.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Oh and don't forget they're cute, af Rottwiler Geranuo. Eventually,
Bruno would be able to get back in the game
and keep making music to help him heal. When it
came to twenty four Carrot Magic, it was supposed to
be released in March twenty sixteen, Buddy got pushed back
because of the halftime show with Coldplay and Beyonce.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
A worthy sacrifice.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
By the time Coldplay's halftime show came around, Bruno already
had seven songs for twenty four Carrot Magic, but he
didn't feel the album was quite ready.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
Mars the one and twenty four Carrot to be better
in every sense, better singles, better music videos, better ste low.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
And it finally released on November eighteenth, twenty sixteen. Twenty
four care Of Magic was set to be a groove
oriented record. It was full of nineties influences.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
His goal making music so infectious that people can't help
but feel happy and dance.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
The album only ended up having nine songs because his
philosophy was this, if I can't pull you in with
nine songs, I'm not going to pull you in with nineteen.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
His vision for the album was very much visual. He
wanted it to feel like a movie.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
He imagined it following in his words of VERSACEI wearing
camp in New York during a summer night at the
baddest rooftop house party, two thirty in the morning. The
band comes out fucking dipped in versace. The girls are.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
Screaming, Okay, all right, calm down, Spike Lee.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
He wanted to take everyone back to the R and
B of the nineties, taking inspiration from Jimmy jam and
Terry Lewis, Boys to Men and becoming an icon featured
artist Mariah Now yet again. Bruno was pumped for this album,
but Atlantic Records took some convincing still, I know, like,
(27:17):
can we get some new people at Atlantic Records? Like,
what is wrong with y'all? It's okay, though, It's fine
because the album was released with Bruno's vision fully intact.
It debuted on the second spot of the chart with
multiple number one singles, and it's gone on to sell
over five million copies globally. In addition to the nine
(27:38):
songs on the record, a remix of Finess featuring RG
Cardi b and released later with an accompanying music video.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
If you want to hear more about that, tune into
Carti two.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Okay, you guys, the time has come. I'm just so
happy that we have finally arrived at twenty four carat magic.
I remember there was a dime when I was riding
in my car and I sort of got the entire
block was Bruno. Bruno Mars is one of those artists
that is consistent because at the Grammys in twenty eighteen,
he was able to win every single award he was
(28:12):
nominated for.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
It has versace on the floor. How could it not
win anything?
Speaker 2 (28:16):
You mean the music video that you love with Zendeia.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
Don't get me started Lill's Do you remember Lipsync Battle?
Speaker 2 (28:23):
I love that show.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Why do you remember when Zendia performed as Bruno Mars.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
I literally was like, Bruno Mars is tall, it was him.
It was Bruno.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
She became Bruno.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
You're gonna die because I actually and I know it's
I know it's Lipsync Battle, but I actually thought it
was Bruno Mars from just literally how she persona fied
him maximum like the hair, the air spanking, the finesse
and pizzazz, like it really was something. She is a
(28:59):
fucking actress.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
So that's one of my favorite lip Sync Battle episodes.
I was so impressed with it, you were impressed with
the world was impressed with it. But you know who
was really impressed with all of this.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Let me take a guess who Brunito.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Brunito was so blown away by Zendia and enraptured with
her acting and presentation that he calls her and pitches
her the idea of Versace on the floor and was like,
I want you to be a part of it. And
she didn't understand why. She had no idea what she
was in store for. Like this became one of the
(29:34):
most beautiful videos. It was cinematic right, like how cool?
It felt like a feature film. She looked beautiful, he
looked gorgeous, and.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
I actually thought it was kind of cool that Donna
tell Versaci posted on her Instagram the video featuring the song.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Oh we have still not talked about something that is
very close to Bruno's.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
Heart and ours.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
The fashion Bruno Mars's sick sense of style.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
His call it ants, I see what you did there.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
So here's a little detail about Bruno Mars's creative process.
He actually likes to emulate the different decades that he's
channeling in his music through his choice in clothing and yes, Joseph,
that means that the man enforces a dress code, not
just for performances, but also for his.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
Recordings, I still think you're lying.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
I'm happy that I'm not, because this is my kind
of man like. He is all about the aesthetics, so
like for Duop and Huliguans it was sixties inspired suits
and the faded hair or unorthodox jukebox, we got the
faded teas, the gold jewels and his hair, Oh natchial.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
For a super Bowl performance, they in wrote the style
of Michael Jackson, Prince and James Brown.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
They were dressed in those beautiful customs Sant Laurent by
Heidi Slamain. Like it was those cold jackets, the crisp
white shirt, the black trousers, the skinny tie, and.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
The fashion is literally in every single song for twenty
four Karro Magic. That era was especially strict with Mars
preferring everyone to be on their damn best. Bruno Mars
is literally the embodiment of clothes make the man.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
It's so true, and I think his style can best
be described as like it's just over the top, like
it's it's how did a kids say? They say? What
it's like extra?
Speaker 1 (31:24):
He has so much in everything that he does, but
on the carpets, I feel like I've seen his style
just be very timeless.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
I think so because I think he tends to go
more like tuxedo like Saint Laurent looks. But for me,
when I think of Bruno's style, I automatically think of
who he is on stage versus who he is irl.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
I don't know why he doesn't bring that. I personally
don't get upset. I personally don't love him in suits.
I love him in his like streetwear, streetwear.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
I think it's sexier, it's extra extraordinary.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
I love it. But An Evening with Silk Sonic took
it a step further.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Everyone loved twenty four care packet, there's no denying that,
and we wanted more.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Bruno didn't take this anticipation for granted. He wrote music
every day during quarantine.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
And by February twenty twenty one, exactly one year after
the pandemic started, Bruno and Anderson Popp confirmed that they
had an album coming out together under the name silk Sonic.
An Evening with Silk Sonic was released on November twelfth,
twenty twenty one.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
Okay, so an Evening with Silksnic and me, we just
didn't mesh.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
Joseph does not enjoy a slow jam, not yet, Like
he does not want to be like laid down in
a bed with silk sheets and like seduce now it's
too hot.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
I'm not into that. We're not doing that.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
But if that is your vibe, what I'm saying is
that is like not Joseph's vibe, and so I can
understand why Silksnic is like not for you, Okay, leave
the door open to me. Musically, it's like you have
to remember that there is an entire generation of Bruno
Marsh fans that don't know Keith's sweat. There are people
(33:20):
that don't know like Genuine or Joe to see or
oh my god, boys to men, I'll make love to.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
You, like.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
There are people that don't know any of that. So
when they're hearing Silksonic and they're hearing leave the Door Open,
they think this is new and like, ooh, a slow jam.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Know that.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
I don't think they're gyrating. I think it's the opposite
of a slow jam. I am never going to erase
the image of Joseph rating on this podcast. Okay, point
is I feel like it hit the spot like we
were like ooh, it's sensual and soft, like it was.
(33:59):
I love it. I also love that song.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Is that your number one song? Though? We're going to
move on, but I want to know you got to
just pick one. Okay, if you didn't pick leave the
door open, because that one's just going to be obvious
because that one was all over the radio. So pick
another one that you're like, oh damn, this was.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
After last night. Okay, Okay, I'm going to convert you.
I'm going to convert you to know what.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
Actually, when I go on my hot Daddy walks, I'm
going to really just try to listen to this album
a couple of times. Really, I really want to give
a shot because I have been converted to be a
Bruno fan really like I think he's just a cool,
amazing person from his upbringing and all that. So I
feel like I do want to give his music a chance.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
When you go on your hot Daddy walk next time,
just bring a fan, Bring a fan. All I got
to say. Joseph may not have enjoyed an evening with
Silk Sonic, but the critics did, you guys? This album
won them so many awards, to the point that they
bowed out of submitting the album for consideration at the
(34:57):
twenty twenty three Grammy Award. This is what Mars told
Rollingstone about the decision. Silk Sonic would like to gracefully, humbly,
and most importantly sexually bow out of submitting our album
this year.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
In a year that had Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny.
It was a noble sacrifice on their part, despite how
the night ended. We're talking about you, Harry Styles.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Ssh Joseph. We do not need Harry Styles fans boycotting
becoming an icon. I personally love you, Harry. I love
your fashion. Joseph also loves you. Harry. Bruno sometimes laments
that maybe he was born at the wrong time, but
he most certainly has come up to us at a
(35:42):
time when people need to be reminded of what makes
a good performer. Bruno is well aware that anything in life,
especially his career, could all be gone in the blink
of an.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
Eye, so he doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon. In
February twenty twenty three, Mars began working on his four
solo studio album.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
He told eight time Grammy winner Brody Brown to join
him in the studio, saying, ma'am, I'm working on my
fourth album, Let's get It. Let's hurry up and go
on the next.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
Becoming an Icon, we're talking Selina go megs.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
That's right, y'all. From her days with Barney to creating
her own lifestyle empire. We're talking all things wonderful and
admirable about this badass Mexican. Becoming an Icon is presented
by Sonoo and Iheart's Michael Duda podcast Network. Listen to
(36:38):
Becoming an Icon on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or
wherever you get your podcast
You know, I am telling you this on the record,
what I have been converted to a fan of Bruno Mars.
I do like his music. It's just sometimes it's too sexy.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
You know, it's too slow jam for you, Like it's
too slow jammy, like too Jodicy.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
The Quiet Storm. You know, like you just want to
be like like you where you would be eating chocolate
cover Star.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
You know, it's like that's like corny freeze, and.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
I just kind of like, don't be like that. Let's
just get the way, bitch.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
After a long road of rejections and a mistake that
nearly cost him everything, Bruno Mars is living his best life.
He's a star, y'all.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
But being a star's no biggie. We want to get
into what exactly makes him an icon.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
That's right, because he went from impersonating Elvis Presley as
a little kid living the Presley drink.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
He almost lived it a little too closely, methinks.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
But he cleaned up his act quickly and realized that
what he had gained was too good to lose. We
took you on Bruno's journey on the Highway to Hell,
but now we're going to give you a front row
seat to his climb up the stairway to heaven.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
And how that ass didn't get lucked out of it.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
I don't think he was saying about success and stardom
in that song.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Joseph, Let's pretend, kay, for the sake of these metaphors
we got going.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
On, I'm well listen the last decade for him, and
this episode is really all about the music. An orthodox jukebox,
twenty four care magic and one of my all time shaves,
an evening with silk so on it, but of course
a little super Bowl mixed in well two to be exact,
because at this point I feel like it's a rite
(01:50):
of passage for the icons on our podcast one one
hundred and Oh my god, can you believe it?
Speaker 1 (01:55):
If we got an ad spot at the super Bowl,
We're becoming an icon.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
I'm sorry. Do we have those kinds of budgets? I
was highly unaware that we had that kind of cash,
but if we did, I would literally die.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
We'll also give praise, where praise is due to his
killer sense of style and how he enforces that wait
a dress code for his recordings. Shut your butt, No
he doesn't, Oh he does.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
But first, let's take a look at how Bruno Mars
eviscerated the dreaded sophomore set. I'm your host Lilianavosquez.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
And I'm Joseph Carrio and this is Becoming an Icon.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
A weekly podcast where we give you the rundown on
how today's most famous LATINV stars have shaped pop culture.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
And given the world some extra level.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Sit back and get comfortable.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Because we are going in the only way we know
how with when I be with us, unassas.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
And a lot of opinions as we really their greatest
achievements on our journey to find out what makes them
so iconic.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Bruno Mars gained recognition quickly for being a so called
master mixer of disco, funk, rock, reggae and soul.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Joseph so called like stop playing with Bruno, Stop playing
with me?
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Okay, I'm kiddying it.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Douops and Hooligans was a successful album in every aspect, but.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
It wasn't a number one album. The do Ops in
Hooligan's tour is over. What comes next for Bruno?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
This Smeusingtons aka Bruno, Philip Lawrence, and Ari Levine. They
all got together again to start working on Bruno's second
album right after Duops, but they promised to take their
time with this one. They had felt rush with the
first album.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Because they totally were one month.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
I mean, come on, there were two many people from
the label telling him what to do and how the
record should actually sound.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
And if there's one thing Bruno never wants to be,
it's a sellout.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Which is why there's such a notable difference when you
compare the sound of Duops to Unorthodox Juthbox. They couldn't
afford perfection with the first album.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
But with this record, they had time to really sit
with the art, the sound, and the whole vibe.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
It was designed to be more dynamic, more in tune
with how Bruno sees himself as a performer, not just
a songwriter.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
And that meant reconnecting with his heritage.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Between albums, Bruno made a trip to Puerto Rico, his
first visit ever to the island.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
He was shooting for Vogue alongside Puerto Rican model Victoria's
Secret Angel Joan Small's, who by the way, is just
absolutely gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
She's so pretty. And the way that Bruno recalls this moment,
he said it felt like coming home, getting to see
other people with the same features, hair texture, and his
skin color. And when you look at these photos, a
they're in my sane.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
It was a good shoot, I'll say that.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
And what I love so much about this shoot is
it was the first time that I think Bruno was
discovering how powerful and influential Puerto Rico was in his
personal style.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
You know.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
He even said that his dad used to tell him
about fashion, when you walk in a room, let them
know you're there, how you wear your hat, how you
wear your suit, like take up space mehole, like that's
what he was telling him. And being in old San
Juan with the vintage cars and kind of the vintage
styling of the suits and the clothes, I think for
the first time, Bruno was really connecting to this style
(05:45):
that he thought his dad, you know, created, but really
this is like the style of Puerto Rico, like it
was in his DNA, and he was for the first
time finding out the origins of it.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
I'm going to say, I am going to take this
piece of advice from Papa Bruno myself.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
It's true, Like you know, you walk into a room
and it's like shoulders back, head up, own the space
that you're in and let them know you're there. Thank you,
Papa Bruno.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Thanks Papa Bruno.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
And that trip was not just about the style and
about the vague shoot.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Because because he also added a little bit of pr
to his love life.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Bruno met his current partner, Puerto Rican model and actress
Jessica Caabon, back in twenty eleven in a hotel restaurant
in New York City on the Lower East Side.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Caban and Bruno fell so hard for each other because
she packed up all her shit in Spanish Harlem and
made the jump to La with the singer.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
I mean, who wouldn't I would leave Spanish Harlem to
go pretty much anywhere with Bruno, Like, okay, take me away, Bruno,
take me away. But here's a little fun tidbit for you.
Guess who gave Jessica her very first modeling job.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
Mmmmm, I don't know, Wilhelmina.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Good guess, j Lo j Lo.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
On top of everything we talked about in her episodes,
Jlo is also a part time fairy godmother Jaylome.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Gabon and Bruno start was a bumpy one, but they
have been thick as these ever since.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
And much of their time together inspired songs for his
next album, Unorthodox. Jukebox was an uncensored and personal look
at Bruno Mars. When I Was Your Man was inspired
by a rough.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Patch he had with Gabon. She never actually loved him
or found another man, thank god that would treat her better.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
But he envisioned this to remind himself of what he
could lose if he didn't get his shit together.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
To this day, did you guys know that he actually
refuses to talk about what exactly happened to inspire such
raw emotion on the track. He often says, I'm not
answering any questions about this song. It's too close to home.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
And it's that personal touch that he adds to this
music that connected with so many people when Jukebox came out.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Authenticity is what Bruno strives for, Remember you, guys, Bruno
received multiple rejections after he got dropped by Motown.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
He was misunderstood, and it was.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Because he was trying to make music that's in line
with what ultimately ended up on Jukebox. It's a hybrid
of genres.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Rock, reggae, soul, funk.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Disco, inspired by a bevy of musicians.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
The Police, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson parents.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Sounds that feel indescribable yet you.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Need, and that was the winning formula. Those record execs
who initially passed on him and this sound, well, jokes
on you, because jukebox was popping.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
The music industry is a business. Execs don't look at
your potential as an artist. They look at your potential
to make a profit. They want you to appeal to
the masses, even if it means conforming. Bruno had heard this.
You don't know who you are. Your music's all over
the place, and we don't know how to market this stuff.
Hick alane and come back to us. These people called
(09:09):
everything he did quote unquote unorthodox, So, like Lisa Rena says,
he owned it. For his sophomore album, he brought back
Jeff Basker, who's known for working with the likes of
Kanye and Beyonce, and.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
And a few new faces joined the phrase. Well.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
There was Jat singer Esperdanza Spalding, record producer Emily Haney,
ADM artist Diplow, and English DJ Mark Ronson.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Up town Funk, you up, uptown funk, you up.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Not yet, not yet, not yet, Joseph I hold that thought.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Those This project feels like the musical Avengers, and their.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Goal was super simple, keep the silky smooth live instrumentation,
and give priority to the vocals. Unorthodox Jukebox was finally
released in December of twenty twelve. This sound is I'm
gonna call it experimental. It's just such a dichotomy of
sounds because when you think of experimental, you think of
(10:09):
crazy music that you find on SoundCloud, and you're like,
what the hell is that? You don't think of treasure
or when I was your man? But I don't know
the way they blended all of the songs together to
create this one album is what felt experimental extense.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
It totally does. It's just here's the thing. The sound
is so unique. It's throwbacks, but it's now.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
I think that exactly is why Bruno is so hard
to define, because how do you do that?
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Right?
Speaker 2 (10:37):
The sound is inspired greatly by doop, but it feels
so current and fresh when you release this in twenty twelve,
and if you guys are listening to this going wait,
what was on an Orthodox Jukebox? Let me just give
you a little rundown of some of the hits, right, So,
You've got Locked out of Heaven, loved When I Was Your.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Man, Stop it right now, I love.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Dot Com Moneymaker Smile, which was the song that Joseph
usually does his performance to on the poll. That's kidding,
He's not a stripper anymore. And Treasure, Oh my god, Treasure.
I fucking love this song. It's one of my favorites.
It might be my favorite. No, Okay, locked out of
Heaven is my favorite on the album, but Treasure is
(11:18):
so good.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
When I Was Your Man and Locked Out of Heaven
is exactly like. Actually, those were the two that I
listened to the most.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
So the other thing I have to talk about with
this album is, oftentimes with the Bruno Mars albums, there
are so many good songs that I feel like some
get left off the hits list. Natalie is one of
those songs. If you guys have not listened to this song,
please go back and listen to it. It is so
fucking funny. The lyrics are so good. So he basically
talks about this woman Natalie, who I need to know
(11:47):
who Natalie is coded for, like because Natalie ran away
with all his cats.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Okay, I'm Natalie, Natalie.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Is me you're Natalie, and specifically this song. There's like
this quote about it that I read and rollings which
I want to share with you guys. So it was
produced by Benny Blanco, who is this major music producer
like in La He's worked with everyone, and he says this,
it's like some throwback Nina Simone type shit like Cinnerman,
but it's Bruno. He can sing the ABC's and you'd
(12:16):
be like, holy fuck, he knows how to vibe. If
that does not sum up everything that we have said
about Bruno so far, I don't know what.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Does you know what? Yeah, that sentence is just it.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
The album in itself, along with Bruno, has such a range.
It gives you so many feels and it is truly
a vibe. Like there has never been a better way
to describe an album than a vibe. He knows how
to vibe. He delivers a vibe.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
And we are vibing period.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Unorthodox debuted on the second spot of the Billboard two hundred.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
But the next week it dropped to third.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
However, the record did stop selling and suddenly surpassed projected
sales numbers, which man Is eventually made its.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Way to the number one spot on the chart.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
It sold over one point three million copies in the US,
making it the fifth best selling album of twenty thirteen.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Bruno Mars officially had a number one album ab Blaoso
a Blao saw. Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Not only that. With this record, Mars also became the
first male artist since Presley to have five number one
singles in his career.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
You know he loved that shit.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Oh it's like all full circle. I love a full
circle moment. We have so many, but this one feels
really good. Bruno also won the award for Best Pop
Vocal Album for Unorthodox Jukebox at the twenty fourteen Grammys
and earned himself a Juno Award for International Album of
the Year.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
And how's the guy to celebrate so many wins taking
over the super Bowl halftime show.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
That's how Bruno Mars had a number one album.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Now it's time to promote the shizz out of it.
In between his suddenly uber busy schedule, he had to
make a quick pitstop at what has become our favorite
stage on becoming an icon, the super Bowl Halftime Show.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
The show was held on February second, twenty fourteen, at
the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Bruni performed with his band The Hooligans and The Red
Hot Chili Peppers were the halftime special guests.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Brunito made history that night he became the first halftime
headliner under thirty, making him the youngest artist to ever
perform at the super Bowl. So it opens with a
children's choir, which I mean like, talk about all the feels,
give me a choir moment, I heard for it. Then
you see Bruno solo on the stage on the drums.
He's not singing, he is just hitting this killer drum solo,
(14:55):
of course, also reflectively taking us back to his beginnings
as an musician, right. And then it explodes, locked out
of Heaven, it comes over. People are losing their fucking
minds in the stands. Then he goes to Treasure, which
I'm like, here for okay. Then he goes to a
song that I think is so underrated, which is Runaway Baby.
This is one of the best songs that I've ever
(15:18):
seen performed live. And I mean this not just at
the super Bowl, but also in a concert because his band,
like they are part of the routine. I'm talking like
the tuba player can get the fuck down. Everybody is dance.
It's like the music is so fast, it's like it's
on speed. And then he goes into like do you
know the song Shout by the Isley Brothers.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Then shout no, no, no no, then shout a little
bit softeren now right.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Okay, fine, right, yes, that's it. So that little piece
where you say a little bit softer now you know,
he like whispers it and he goes lower and lower.
So Bruno does that with Runaway Baby, and the audience
goes wild. He's such a tease and then he gets
them down and he brings you back up. And then
who comes out Joe your favorite.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Dope red hot chili peppers.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Wow, it was so good. And then like it ends
soft takes you back to like a more reflective place
with just the way you are. There's a special dedication
from the armed forces. And then bam, like mm hmm,
I do remember this the fireworks show?
Speaker 1 (16:19):
The fireworks.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Yes, And by the way, you guys, this is the
most fireworks that have ever been used in a halftime show.
And if you watch halftime shows, that's a hell a
lot of fireworks.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
And he's wearing this like gold jacket.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
What I loved about this style choice for him was
that he was dressed just like his band. There's so
much respect between him and his musicians. And yes it's
his name on the halftime show, it's Bruno Mars, but
he was like, no, it's me and my band. They
were unified and it just signals what respect he has
for his band and how like they don't exist without
(16:53):
each other, like it's a symbiotic relationship. And I like
love him for this, like he's a musician first, he's
a musician first. Icon Second.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Love love that the Red Hot Chili Peppers were just Also,
they stayed true to form in there like ninety they
are still in there. What is it like in Dicky's
and they're just dressed. They're California guys. Like whatever, Now
here's a super Bowl chief man. There was a bunch
of disagreements over how the show should go. The people
in charge of the broadcast wanted to invest in those
(17:20):
trendy little concert light up bracelets.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
But Bruno thought it would be a waste of time
and money. He believed they should just focus the camera
on him and his band and let them do their thing.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
But the production team did what they wanted to do.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Bruno's response to the whole thing was so very unbrand
for him. He said, God bless the super Bowl. They
hooked me up. They took a chance on me. But
I had to keep reminding them why they took a
chance on me. I told them, if you take that
camera off me, you're doing yourself a disservice. And what happened.
They spent all this money on those things and it
didn't work.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Well. Damn Bruno, come and get a little bit of
that confience over here.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
It's next level is undeniable.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
Even Chris Martin from Coldplay was like, get me some
of that facts.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
But we got to talk about uptown Funk before we
get into Super Bowl nou mido loss con.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Chris Mark Ronson, welcome to becoming an.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Icon, Joseph, I know you want to sing it again.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
I better get paid extra for this. Up town funk,
You up, uptown bunk, you up.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Ronson and Mars weren't strangers. They had collaborated before, producing
three songs together on Unorthodox Jukebox. Four months after the
Super Bowl, Ronson announced that Mars and m were back
together making magic, but it would take a minute for
us to hear it. Well, let's be honest, more than
a minute?
Speaker 1 (18:43):
How long?
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Seven months for one song? Let's just say it was
a stressful process. Rumor has it there could literally be
more than one hundred versions of this one song.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
They were total overthinking it, so.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Much so that Ronson literally really fainted. According to an
interview he did with NPR, he couldn't quite nail the
guitar part of the song, and after sixty attempts, he
decided to break and went to lunch, where he passed
out and, in his polite words, yup, he redecorated the
walls in the bathroom of this nice restaurant and had
to be carried out.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
I listen, anxiety, ain't no joke, girl.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Luckily, he nailed the guitar two days later, and the
song finally came out on November tenth, twenty fourteen. Uptown
Song spent over fourteen weeks at the top of the charts.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
It became ictic.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
And I know we over use the word all the time,
but like, let's just be honest, it's exactly what it was. Like,
how else would you describe this dam song?
Speaker 1 (19:43):
It wasn't enough just to listen to the song like
you had to own it, you had to buy it,
like it's just it's yours, it's your song.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
I just feel like this song became a cultural revolution,
and I just have to shout out our sound engineer, Santiago.
Not only was this a cultural revolution here in the
United States, but Santhia attended school in Mexico City and
he made an entire music video with his classmates as
(20:12):
like a senior project, where they were in the streets
dressed up like Bruno Mars dancing to this song.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
And they were uptown funky. They were giving it to you.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
They served Bruno Mars. It was amazing.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
That just shows how much of an impact this was.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
So much so that this song went beyond the cultural moment.
It actually won Ronson and Mars two Grammys Best Pop
Duo Group Performance and Record of the Year. And someone
who was definitely paying attention.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
Mm hmm, Grice Martine, the cold Play frontman, wanted one
thing Bruno performing uptown Funk at his Super Bowl halftime
show with.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
A little guest appearance from none other than Beyonce. Bruno
of course said yes.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
One percent, Yes, no takebacks.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
He turned Chris Martin down, No, You're lying, no, I'm serious.
He turned down b a SI. He had already been
down this road with the NFL. He knew how it
all worked, and he was all, sorry, dude, been there,
done that, Grassies, Biro no gracias.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
But Cristito wasn't going down without a fight.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Martin invited Bruno to his a Malibu studio to pitch
him the show in.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
A person He wanted Nay needed Beyonce and Bruno to
perform the song.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
Martin wanted to give that gift to us to the world,
but Bruno was playing hard to get. He said, you've
got to be careful with those multi artist performances. They
do it a lot on award shows when you've got
so many cameos but nothing solid.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Before he was about to turn it down for the
second time, Bruno had an idea.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
He said, let's call Beyonce and see what she thinks
before we make a decision.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Chris Martin pulled out his phone and was like, shit,
I don't have her number. Just kidding. He got her
on the whole being about a boom she was in.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
And that meant Bruno was on board.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Being in the presence of Beyonce was the masterclass. He
didn't know he needed.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Watching Beyonce prep for the event, you had this to say,
She's not fucking joking around. She's gonna get on stage
and show everybody why she's the best every single time.
She's got that monster in her.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
The show finally went live on February seventh, twenty sixteen,
at the Levi Stadium in Cali, and their hard work
paid off.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Okay, I'm not being shady because I am such a
big Chris Martin fan. Like I love Coldplay, I have
also seen them in concert multiple times, and I feel
like it was like Bruno featuring cold Play.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
When you have that much Pizzazmitch like you take over.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Whether you agree with me or not, it doesn't matter
because all of YouTube agrees with me. When you click
on the video to watch back the performance on YouTube
and you go to the most replayed section, do you
know who pops up?
Speaker 1 (23:06):
I know exactly who.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
You cannot deny his energy, his stage presence, his talent
as a performer, and even when he's standing next to
larger than life Beyonce like one of the most talented
musicians on the planet with his band Chris Martin, It's
like all about Bruno. The camera finds him, like the
(23:28):
audience finds, and he just has a magnetic energy about him.
And what was incredible about this performance is that it
came at a time when what Bruno was dealing with
personally and internally was a little different. Like he had
all of this success and all of this praise, but
inside he was grieving. Right before he set foot on
(23:51):
the NFL's highly coveted stage, he got word that his
mother had unexpectedly passed away. In September twenty fourteen, Mars
began working on his third studio album, twenty four care
(24:12):
at Magic.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
It wasn't until the promotion of this record that he
was able to fully open about the toll that losing
his mom took on him.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
One day in twenty thirteen, he's flying back to Los
Angeles when he gets the call that his mom has
been hospitalized in Honolulu. It was a big surprise for
him because nobody was worried about her health. She was
fine one day and the next she was in the er.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
She suffered a brain aneurysm and was unconscious.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
He didn't even make it out of the airport. He
got right back on a plane and flew all the
way to Hawaii to see her, but she never woke up.
She passed away a day later at the age of
fifty five.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
The last time she spoke with him was through text.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
She'd seen pictures and videos of him performing in Germany
and messaged him this, you need rest. Look at you.
You've got bags under your eyes. Heart broke in, he
admitted to a during an interview to this day, I
don't know how to handle it. That piece of your
heart is just gone forever. I don't know how to
talk about it with you. It's a nightmare. It's literally
a nightmare.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Since then, Bruno jokes that he feels her with him
every time he messes up on stage.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
He hears her saying, you're flat, you missed that move.
Tell your brother to shave his mustache.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Grief can definitely weigh you down, and that night it
must have been especially intense, but at least he didn't
have to go through it alone. He had just got
alein on when things got tough.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Oh and don't forget they're cute, af Rottwiler Geranuo. Eventually,
Bruno would be able to get back in the game
and keep making music to help him heal. When it
came to twenty four Carrot Magic, it was supposed to
be released in March twenty sixteen, Buddy got pushed back
because of the halftime show with Coldplay and Beyonce.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
A worthy sacrifice.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
By the time Coldplay's halftime show came around, Bruno already
had seven songs for twenty four Carrot Magic, but he
didn't feel the album was quite ready.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
Mars the one and twenty four Carrot to be better
in every sense, better singles, better music videos, better ste low.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
And it finally released on November eighteenth, twenty sixteen. Twenty
four care Of Magic was set to be a groove
oriented record. It was full of nineties influences.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
His goal making music so infectious that people can't help
but feel happy and dance.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
The album only ended up having nine songs because his
philosophy was this, if I can't pull you in with
nine songs, I'm not going to pull you in with nineteen.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
His vision for the album was very much visual. He
wanted it to feel like a movie.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
He imagined it following in his words of VERSACEI wearing
camp in New York during a summer night at the
baddest rooftop house party, two thirty in the morning. The
band comes out fucking dipped in versace. The girls are.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
Screaming, Okay, all right, calm down, Spike Lee.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
He wanted to take everyone back to the R and
B of the nineties, taking inspiration from Jimmy jam and
Terry Lewis, Boys to Men and becoming an icon featured
artist Mariah Now yet again. Bruno was pumped for this album,
but Atlantic Records took some convincing still, I know, like,
(27:17):
can we get some new people at Atlantic Records? Like,
what is wrong with y'all? It's okay, though, It's fine
because the album was released with Bruno's vision fully intact.
It debuted on the second spot of the chart with
multiple number one singles, and it's gone on to sell
over five million copies globally. In addition to the nine
(27:38):
songs on the record, a remix of Finess featuring RG
Cardi b and released later with an accompanying music video.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
If you want to hear more about that, tune into
Carti two.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Okay, you guys, the time has come. I'm just so
happy that we have finally arrived at twenty four carat magic.
I remember there was a dime when I was riding
in my car and I sort of got the entire
block was Bruno. Bruno Mars is one of those artists
that is consistent because at the Grammys in twenty eighteen,
he was able to win every single award he was
(28:12):
nominated for.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
It has versace on the floor. How could it not
win anything?
Speaker 2 (28:16):
You mean the music video that you love with Zendeia.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
Don't get me started Lill's Do you remember Lipsync Battle?
Speaker 2 (28:23):
I love that show.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Why do you remember when Zendia performed as Bruno Mars.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
I literally was like, Bruno Mars is tall, it was him.
It was Bruno.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
She became Bruno.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
You're gonna die because I actually and I know it's
I know it's Lipsync Battle, but I actually thought it
was Bruno Mars from just literally how she persona fied
him maximum like the hair, the air spanking, the finesse
and pizzazz, like it really was something. She is a
(28:59):
fucking actress.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
So that's one of my favorite lip Sync Battle episodes.
I was so impressed with it, you were impressed with
the world was impressed with it. But you know who
was really impressed with all of this.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Let me take a guess who Brunito.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Brunito was so blown away by Zendia and enraptured with
her acting and presentation that he calls her and pitches
her the idea of Versace on the floor and was like,
I want you to be a part of it. And
she didn't understand why. She had no idea what she
was in store for. Like this became one of the
(29:34):
most beautiful videos. It was cinematic right, like how cool?
It felt like a feature film. She looked beautiful, he
looked gorgeous, and.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
I actually thought it was kind of cool that Donna
tell Versaci posted on her Instagram the video featuring the song.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Oh we have still not talked about something that is
very close to Bruno's.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
Heart and ours.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
The fashion Bruno Mars's sick sense of style.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
His call it ants, I see what you did there.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
So here's a little detail about Bruno Mars's creative process.
He actually likes to emulate the different decades that he's
channeling in his music through his choice in clothing and yes, Joseph,
that means that the man enforces a dress code, not
just for performances, but also for his.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
Recordings, I still think you're lying.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
I'm happy that I'm not, because this is my kind
of man like. He is all about the aesthetics, so
like for Duop and Huliguans it was sixties inspired suits
and the faded hair or unorthodox jukebox, we got the
faded teas, the gold jewels and his hair, Oh natchial.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
For a super Bowl performance, they in wrote the style
of Michael Jackson, Prince and James Brown.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
They were dressed in those beautiful customs Sant Laurent by
Heidi Slamain. Like it was those cold jackets, the crisp
white shirt, the black trousers, the skinny tie, and.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
The fashion is literally in every single song for twenty
four Karro Magic. That era was especially strict with Mars
preferring everyone to be on their damn best. Bruno Mars
is literally the embodiment of clothes make the man.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
It's so true, and I think his style can best
be described as like it's just over the top, like
it's it's how did a kids say? They say? What
it's like extra?
Speaker 1 (31:24):
He has so much in everything that he does, but
on the carpets, I feel like I've seen his style
just be very timeless.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
I think so because I think he tends to go
more like tuxedo like Saint Laurent looks. But for me,
when I think of Bruno's style, I automatically think of
who he is on stage versus who he is irl.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
I don't know why he doesn't bring that. I personally
don't get upset. I personally don't love him in suits.
I love him in his like streetwear, streetwear.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
I think it's sexier, it's extra extraordinary.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
I love it. But An Evening with Silk Sonic took
it a step further.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Everyone loved twenty four care packet, there's no denying that,
and we wanted more.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Bruno didn't take this anticipation for granted. He wrote music
every day during quarantine.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
And by February twenty twenty one, exactly one year after
the pandemic started, Bruno and Anderson Popp confirmed that they
had an album coming out together under the name silk Sonic.
An Evening with Silk Sonic was released on November twelfth,
twenty twenty one.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
Okay, so an Evening with Silksnic and me, we just
didn't mesh.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
Joseph does not enjoy a slow jam, not yet, Like
he does not want to be like laid down in
a bed with silk sheets and like seduce now it's
too hot.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
I'm not into that. We're not doing that.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
But if that is your vibe, what I'm saying is
that is like not Joseph's vibe, and so I can
understand why Silksnic is like not for you, Okay, leave
the door open to me. Musically, it's like you have
to remember that there is an entire generation of Bruno
Marsh fans that don't know Keith's sweat. There are people
(33:20):
that don't know like Genuine or Joe to see or
oh my god, boys to men, I'll make love to.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
You, like.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
There are people that don't know any of that. So
when they're hearing Silksonic and they're hearing leave the Door Open,
they think this is new and like, ooh, a slow jam.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Know that.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
I don't think they're gyrating. I think it's the opposite
of a slow jam. I am never going to erase
the image of Joseph rating on this podcast. Okay, point
is I feel like it hit the spot like we
were like ooh, it's sensual and soft, like it was.
(33:59):
I love it. I also love that song.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Is that your number one song? Though? We're going to
move on, but I want to know you got to
just pick one. Okay, if you didn't pick leave the
door open, because that one's just going to be obvious
because that one was all over the radio. So pick
another one that you're like, oh damn, this was.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
After last night. Okay, Okay, I'm going to convert you.
I'm going to convert you to know what.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
Actually, when I go on my hot Daddy walks, I'm
going to really just try to listen to this album
a couple of times. Really, I really want to give
a shot because I have been converted to be a
Bruno fan really like I think he's just a cool,
amazing person from his upbringing and all that. So I
feel like I do want to give his music a chance.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
When you go on your hot Daddy walk next time,
just bring a fan, Bring a fan. All I got
to say. Joseph may not have enjoyed an evening with
Silk Sonic, but the critics did, you guys? This album
won them so many awards, to the point that they
bowed out of submitting the album for consideration at the
(34:57):
twenty twenty three Grammy Award. This is what Mars told
Rollingstone about the decision. Silk Sonic would like to gracefully, humbly,
and most importantly sexually bow out of submitting our album
this year.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
In a year that had Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny.
It was a noble sacrifice on their part, despite how
the night ended. We're talking about you, Harry Styles.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Ssh Joseph. We do not need Harry Styles fans boycotting
becoming an icon. I personally love you, Harry. I love
your fashion. Joseph also loves you. Harry. Bruno sometimes laments
that maybe he was born at the wrong time, but
he most certainly has come up to us at a
(35:42):
time when people need to be reminded of what makes
a good performer. Bruno is well aware that anything in life,
especially his career, could all be gone in the blink
of an.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
Eye, so he doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon. In
February twenty twenty three, Mars began working on his four
solo studio album.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
He told eight time Grammy winner Brody Brown to join
him in the studio, saying, ma'am, I'm working on my
fourth album, Let's get It. Let's hurry up and go
on the next.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
Becoming an Icon, we're talking Selina go megs.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
That's right, y'all. From her days with Barney to creating
her own lifestyle empire. We're talking all things wonderful and
admirable about this badass Mexican. Becoming an Icon is presented
by Sonoo and Iheart's Michael Duda podcast Network. Listen to
(36:38):
Becoming an Icon on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or
wherever you get your podcast
Hosts And Creators
Lilliana Vazquez
Joseph Carrillo
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