30 Under 30: Bruno Mars And Music's Brightest Young Stars
From Cereal To Super Bowl: The Evolution of Bruno Mars
I first sat down with Bruno Mars three years ago, when he was probably still best known for “Billionaire,” his catchy collaboration with Travie McCoy. The song had sold 2 million copies in two months—and helped lift Mars’ own finances out of the place that inspired him to write the tune.
“I wouldn’t have to worry about, you know, ‘I can’t afford to get breakfast, so I’ll wait until lunchtime to eat,’” he said, explaining the song’s origins at his manager’s Hollywood Hills home. “If I was a billionaire, none of that would matter. I’d be eating diamond cereal.”
He’s still got a ways to go before he joins Oprah and Queen Elizabeth, but he’s a heck of a lot closer. His inclusion as the featured musician on this year’s 30 Under 30 list is just the latest in a long line of accolades that have helped transform him from a struggling songwriter into an international superstar
“There’s diamonds in my cereal,” he now jokes. “24-carat Kellogg’s.”
Though Mars’ rise is largely the product of his talents as a singer and songwriter, it’s also the result of a carefully executed plan by the singer, his team and his label, Atlantic Records. Mars’ manager, Brandon Creed, laid out his strategy for FORBES back in 2011: build a fan base by “underplaying”—deliberately performing gigs at smaller, more intimate venues.
That year, Mars turned down multiple offers to open for famous pop artists on arena tours, instead opting to tour alongside fellow Atlantic artist (and 30 Under 30 member) Janelle Monae. The move may have limited his earnings in the short term—he has never cracked FORBES’ list of the world’s highest-paid musicians—but likely helped enable him to launch his current tour, a lucrative affair that has taken him to arenas around the world as a solo act.
Creed wasn’t Mars’ only prescient advisor. Lyor Cohen, Warner’s former recorded music chief, offered the following prediction for the young star: “The experience of going from obscurity to celebrity is going to make for a very rich and exciting new album.”
Indeed, Unorthodox Jukebox, released a little over a year ago, has enjoyed success on the same level as his debut, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, if not more. Mars’ latest effort was partly inspired by his last tour; now, it’s giving him enough material to fill up a solo show.
“I remember touring Doo-Wops & Hooligans, and I was like, ‘Man, the next time around, I want a song that feels like ‘Locked out of Heaven,’” he says. “I feel like live instrumentation is such a big part of our tour and what we do. Maybe there was a void in that for me on the first album, and that’s why I kind of pushed it more on Unorthodox Jukebox.”
These days, life on the road once again has Mars thinking about new material.
“I’m already starting to get excited about going back in the studio and creating more, now that I’m out on the road and basically playing my entire catalogue,” he says. “I feel like there’s definitely some other creative places I haven’t journeyed into yet that I’d like to take the next album to.”
He’ll have to wait until at least the third quarter of the Super Bowl.
In honor of his name finally gracing the cover of Forbes, Bruno Mars agreed to serve as guest DJ for the latest 30 Under 30 issue. He handpicked 22 songs, running the gamut from soul sensations to recent R&B hits—a great recipe for anyone looking to become a billionaire.
Songs of the playlist:
Animal by Miike Snow
Devil’s Pie by D’Angelo
Somebody To Love Me by Mark Ronson & The Business Intl
Midnight Rider by The Allman Brothers Band
Waters Of Nazareth by Justice
All Me by Drake
Move On Up (Extended LP Version) by Curtis Mayfield
Mirror In The Bathroom by The English Beat
Me Name Jr. Gong by Damian Marley
Am I High by N.E.R.D.
Sweat (A La La La La Long) by Inner Circle
Get On The Floor by Michael Jackson
Salute To Kareem (Demo) by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas
Little Red Rooster by Luther Allison
More Than A Woman by Bee Gees
Da’ Dip (Original) by Freak Nasty
Young Girls by Bruno Mars
Shake A Lil’ Somethin’ by 2 Live Crew
Butter by A Tribe Called Quest
God Only Knows by The Beach Boys
UJ should be 2x plat in the US
UJ should crass 6 million WW
LOOH might go 5x plat (his 3rd)
Should win another grammy, or two
Natalie is the last official single and becomes a 7 week #1 5x plat. Selling smash
We have new info on Album #3 and the slayage that awaits for us in 2015
His concert tickets go on sale Feb 3rd...... My life
This!!! I was so pissed when I missed him in Denver last time he came and he was here two nights and I didn't find out until the day of the second date.
I am stanning for "If I Knew" like crazy, I freaking go OFF when singing that
BTW am I the only one who likes the acoustic version of Young Girls better, the performance at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show slayed
This!!! I was so pissed when I missed him in Denver last time he came and he was here two nights and I didn't find out until the day of the second date.
I am stanning for "If I Knew" like crazy, I freaking go OFF when singing that
BTW am I the only one who likes the acoustic version of Young Girls better, the performance at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show slayed
It's not just you. Everybody said the same thing.
Young Girls version on VSFS and SNL sounds classic and touch my soul.
That's the thing about Bruno. He should've never re-arranged his song when he performed it for the first time. He'd just ruin the studio version for us because we'd like his live version more.
