By Max Calderone | Sports Writer
Dabbling in multiple genres and bringing retro vibes to his live performances, Bruno Mars is easily the hottest artist in music right now. With nowhere to go but up, we may be looking at the next King of Pop.
While artists like Justin Timberlake and Beyonce are considered living legends, it is Mars who has the most potential to take his career to new heights. After sweeping three main categories at the 2018 Grammy Awards, Mars is on top of the industry.
Mars has won 11 Grammy Awards, including three of the big four in 2018: Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Album of the Year, for multiple songs off “24K Magic.” Since 2016, Mars has been nominated for nine Grammys and has won all of them.
You may be thinking, where can an artist like this go from here? How could he possibly top this? Yet Mars has consistently found new ways to reinvent himself as an artist and continue to up his game. Though we can’t know for sure what his next move will be, there is no question he will continue to amaze us.
He began his career by relying on his smooth vocals, singing the hooks on hits like “Nothin’ On You” by B.o.B and “Billionaire” by Travie McCoy. In 2010, Mars released his first studio album, “Doo-Wops & Hooligans,” which earned him a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for the single “Just The Way You Are.”
He followed that up with deeper, more meaningful lyrics on the 2012 album “Unorthodox Jukebox.” People everywhere were belting out the words to songs like “Locked Out of Heaven” and “When I Was Your Man.” This record contains one of my favorite songs, “Natalie,” which stays on my Spotify playlists thanks to its catchy tune.
These two albums landed him the gig as the headlining performer at halftime of Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014. Mars brought the house down and put on the best halftime show of all time, showing off his vocal range, dancing ability and even delivering a rockstar drum solo.
Though many thought Mars was peaking too soon, he took some time off to work on his next solo project while also appearing on the smash hit “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson, which was named 2015’s Song of the Summer.
That success earned Mars the top spot on Forbes’ 2014 30 Under 30 list, thanks to his estimated $60 million in total earnings. He was also named one of Forbes’ World’s Most Powerful Celebrities.
After joining Beyonce and Coldplay on stage at halftime of Super Bowl 50 for one of the most iconic dance battles of all-time, Mars showed even more of what he could do after dropping “24K Magic” in 2016.
At first, the album’s title track “24K Magic” took off, becoming an instant party anthem. Then “That’s What I Like” hit the radio, quickly becoming a favorite song.
Mars has taken a retro approach to his latest live performances, paying tribute to the television show “In Living Color” with colorful attire and replica sets. His dance breakdowns make the ladies swoon and leave the guys jealous of his slick style.
Right now, Mars is in the prime of his career, enjoying global amounts of success. We are witnessing a legend in the making. It’s time to appreciate what this guy is doing, because nobody is cooler than Bruno Mars.
Max Calderone is a junior communications major from Phoenix.
