Unorthodox Jukebox

Title: Unorthodox Jukebox (CD)

Artist: Bruno Mars

Record Label: Atlantic Records

Copyright: 2012

Genre: Pop/R&B

Age Range: 15+

Listener’s Annotation: Bruno Mars’ wonderful mix of multi-decade sounds that takes us to past while looking to the future.

Summary: As Mars’ second album, Unorthodox Jukebox was intended to have the sound of a pop and R&B album, but it uses a lot of the rock, reggae, and soul sounds of the 1970s. It also has the feeling of a modernized soul album that uses the sounds of 1980s synthesizer. It also has a few songs, like “Locked out of Heaven” that use of a heavy brass section with a rocking beat straight out of the 1980s The Police times. It also has a few songs that have a very similar sound to the French Daft Punk duo with the electronic sounds and beats used. Mar’s lyrics osculate between traditional romance, “When I Was Your Man,” to more contemporary male chauvinistic statements in “Natalie.” His song “Gorilla” makes a reference to his 2010 arrest for cocaine possession. Often, Mars’ songs have a narrative story to them. Mars’ album is a darker look at the world around us and the performance world. This dangerous aspect has been compared to Michael Jackson and Prince.

Critical Evaluation: While some of the subject material within the album could be questioned, Unorthodox Jukebox won the Best Pop Vocal Album Grammy for 2013. Additionally, “Locked Out of Heaven” was nominated for Song of the year, and “When I Was Your Man” was nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance. Libraries can choose to get the unedited or edited version of this album. It has received many awards and topped the charts across the world for a brief time. Mars’ album shows a depth of performance types as he incorporates together the sounds of the 70s and 80s with current sounds.

Artist Information: Singer-songwriter Bruno Mars was born on October 8, 1985, in Honolulu, Hawaii. By the early 2000s, he had begun to find success by writing songs for popular artists, including K'Naan's "Wavin' Flag," the theme song for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. After several years as one of the pop music's premier songwriters, Mars broke out as a singer in his own right with the 2010 hit "Nothin' on You." Other popular songs by Mars include "Just the Way You Are" (2010) and "Locked Out of Heaven" (2012).  Source - http://www.biography.com/people/bruno-mars-17162400#awesm=~oDN3WJDIh4F3aE

Challenge Issues: Sexual Content; Language; Drugs