Third Times The Funk!!! :)

24K Magic (2016)

1. "24K Magic"

Opening up this party album is this late 2016 lead single with it's funky synthesizers and vintage 80s beat.  Can you not get into this song??? It's so much fun and LIT!!! With contemporary themes mixed with an old school feel good vibe, it's so infectious and near flawless in it's delivery. I just love that breakdown toward the middle of the song. Even now, this song could create a frenzy at a party or club slowly on the relentless energy it brings to the room. Some songs are just that timeless and this perfectly timed title track certainly is!!! :)

(A+) 

2. "Chunky"

Ohhh this album is gonna be soooo much fun!!! :) "Chucky"is another funk fest with a beat that you can't help but dance to as well as follow Bruno's directions as he even tells you to slide.  Bruno even gives a phenomenal vocal performance that is just soothing and smooth.  I can imagine this song getting a lot of air play in the late 80s; it just has that party anthem that makes for a tremendously awesome atmosphere.  If you can't tell, I love this song!! I can just play this on a nice summer day with the windows done and the sun shining in my face! Sigh. :)

(A)

3. "Perm"

Now, this song takes me back to the 70s funk and soul as Bruno brings some needed excitement to 21st Century culture. I love how he demands to put listeners to put their phones down and stop posting on their Instagram to just have some fun!! What a great message; not to mention his vocal performance is powerful and raw; channeling the ridiculous soul and otherworldly funk of James Brown.  I love it!! It's another fun and ferocious party anthem that just has so much incredible energy; it's also maddening how much of a jolt you'll get out of it! Superb!

(A)

4. "That's What I Like"

Now this is more of a late 90s R&B joint and it made for a successful second single off the album. I really enjoy it because it brings back such nostalgia for a era I fondly remember and grew up in.  Bruno of course captures the era so well with that heavy beat, sweet harmonies and a lead vocal I'm sure would garner him a Grammy nod for the 2018 Grammys.  If not, I'll be really surprised. O_O  This really is a great jam to chill to or just have fun at a party too. Many this album is just so freakin' good so far! :)

(B+)

5. "Versace On The Floor"

Ballad time!!!  And a romantic one at that!!! This is one of those classic slow jams from the 80s and 90s which just makes you want to lock eyes with the person you're interested in and dance with them all night under the moonlight. Ok, it sounds cheesy but that's the visuals the song gives to me.  Another song that captures it's era of music so properly and has such a great smooth beat with incorporating 80s synth, "Versace On The Floor" is a pretty stunning slow down of your feet after the high energy of the album so far. 

(A-)

6. "Straight Up & Down"

Ooooo, this is so catchy and reminds me of the cool, silk R&B of the early 90s. Kinda reminds of a song Ralph Tresvant of New Edition would sing or New Edition themselves would sing.  It's so beautifully produced and the chorus is a melodic masterwork.  Bruno sings lyrics of romance and promises so sweetly over that throwback beat so well. Love the assisted background vocals as it makes me smile just listening to it. That's what good music should do man! Nice!

(A-)

7. "Calling All My Lovelies"

Ehhhhh, this album is just setting such great vibes for the listeners as this song is giving me Jodeci feels!!! Omg and Bruno's vocals are sharp and so soulful. My goodness that boy can sing some old school like no other contemporary artists now. I just can't with how smooth and chill this song is. My good this could be one of my favorite songs from the album. My goodness, this takes me back!! Oh and what's up with the Halle Berry cameo!! Lol so random but hilarious!!!

(A)

8. "Finesse"

It's time for me to review Bruno's latest single off of this album and it's one of the album's finest tracks; bar none. I say the only thing that tops it is the remix with Cardi B as she adds that old school hip hop feel to the song that makes it damn near perfect. This is some great New Jack Swing music right here!! I really wish this era of music would come back because it brings a smile on my face instantly and is such a timeless party anthem.  It reminds me of "Poison" by BellBivDevoe as well as so many classic from the late 80s/early 90s!!! Sigh, I can listen to this one non-stop. I actually think I will! :) "Out here drippin' in Finesse/It don't make no sense"!!! 

(A+)

9. "Too Good To Say Goodbye"

Awwww, this song is a tearjerker for me. :_(  It definitely touches me in the feels man.  The lyrics are somber and full of regret as Bruno sings of a former lover he did wrong.  He sings with such desperate as he tries to make things right by wanting to rekindle what they had.  I love songs like this; sweet songs that strike the right balance between sentimental and sappy. Bruno really sings this song with sooo much heart and it's breathtaking soul done oh so right.

(A)

Wow, this maybe my favorite Bruno Mars album so far!!! Maybe it's because out of his three studio albums, this one is composed of an era of music I'm most fond of: The 90s.  After the highly successful "Uptown Funk" dominated the airwaves for a good chunk of late 2014 and half of 2015, Bruno went back into the studio to make another throwback album. After tackling the likes of 50s rock, 60s blues and 70s funk; it was time for Bruno and his producers to explore the R&B/pop essentials of the 80s and New Jack Swing of the early 90s as well as bumping beats of late 90s R&B.  The results for me are Bruno's best album thus far. If there is one thing you can say about music now a days is that the majority of it feels soulless and cold. Like everyone is trying so hard to be serious and aggressive when it come to R&B and pop in particular. That's why "24K Magic" is so refreshing.  The sound of those eras of music is no only authentic but the feeling of those eras ooze of off your speakers.  I dare you to find a contemporary song as colorful and vibrant as "Finesse" or has the ultimate party anthem down to a T like the title track.  "Perm" sounds like a left over from her first two albums but certainly one that appropriately fits the high octane, pulsing beats of a time when music was just "fun" and extremely "lighthearted".  Sure there was darker material, but Bruno set out to prove that music doesn't always have to be somber or depressing to bring such strong emotion out of you.  This album just has such a joyous, festive feel that you'll grinning from era to ear as well as letting out a few tears of happiness as well.  Once again, the album was a success for Bruno; landing at number #2 on the charts and selling upwards of 2 million copies in the US alone! But what I really love most about the album is that Bruno is so unapologetic about sticking to his style of music and not being afraid to stay away from contemporary trends. Sure, there are plenty of references but he does it in a way that is so fresh and cool. Also, his vocals on this album are some of the best of his career so far.; especially on ballads like "Too Good To Say Goodbye" and especially "Versace On The Floor".

"As the pre-"21st Century" sound of pop music perfectionist he is, Bruno delivers his thirsty for throwback vibes "24K Magic"; an album high off feel good grooves, effervescent productions and spectacular vocals that will leave you dancing until the album is complete!" :)

(A-)