Bruno Mars returns in a head-turning, hypnotic fashion, and brings us along for the ride through a Vegas night at its finest, the city of glitz and gambling. Mars returns with “‘24K Magic,” a lead single from his forthcoming LP, scheduled to be released on November 18.
Mars arrives in Vegas like it’s his first time landing and hangs with his entourage before they turn up the night. The song is a grooving dance hit about money to blow magic and Mars proclaims, “I’m a dangerous man with some money in my pocket.” The video is co-directed by Mars and Cameron Duddy into a “feel-good 80s night on the town” vibe.
A four-year music gap didn’t stop Mars from making his mark on and off the charts. His performances at the 2014 and 2016 Super Bowl Halftime shows were just icing on the cake. Co-writing and co-producing Mark Ronson’s 2015 hit single, “Uptown Funk,” Mars and Ronson spent 14 weeks at number one. Duddy worked with Mars on previous singles that include “Locked Out Of Heaven” and “When I Was Your Man.” Mars has written, co-written and co-produced an endless string of songs, from Adele’s “All I Ask” to Cee Lo Green’s “F**k You.” And this time, the collaborators are still in Mars’ corner. Skrillex is said to be working on the new album, but no specifics have been given.
“24K Magic” features Vegas’ endless night lights. In a sin city filled with gold dust and the hopeless, Mars cruises in an old-school convertible, with a familiar jukebox sound. The song could very well be a continuation of his previous album.
It’s carefree black joy. Mars’ “24K Magic,” is much larger than its surface-level concept; it comes at a time when we need validation of happiness the most. Mars reminds us of joy in unity and how far following your dreams can take you; whether it’s being on the Las Vegas Strip or jet skiing in the famous Fountains of Bellagio, joy has taken over. Mars has simply invited us to the party with new age pop, and like we will continue to do for years to come, we will show up and show out.
