Graycap23 said:

namepeace said:

I'm with you. I don't understand the intensity of the blowback against him.

People say they want "real music" performed by talented musicians.

Whatever his shortcomings, Bruno gives them that.

And they hate him.

He's never going to produce a Songs In The Key of Life, but that's okay.

U do realize that people still have 2 actually like the work.

I'm still waiting on a single song that I like from this guy.

Dude is straight paint by numbers......which simply bores me 2 tears.

He has zero SOUL or FUNK or feeling in his work.

[Edited 2/1/18 11:13am]

A lot of folks do, a lot of folks don't. But those of us of a certain age have been spoiled. We could find that kind of feeling in artists we don't feel with Bruno, but we can also find it in other artists below the radar.

His music is derivative and formulaic, and I don't buy it, though I do like his last single. But he's got a modicum of talent and I won't knock his hustle.

Yeah, he may paint by numbers, but unlike so many other acts in 2018, he can at least use the brush.

EmmaMcG said:

kitbradley said:

Yes. Usher or Tank could have released the exact same kind of album Bruno did and they would have went no where and been quickly forgotten. R&B fans claim to want real R&B from black artists. But when they get it (outside of Kem), they dont support it.

Fans of RnB will support it alright. The problem is that there's not many fans of real RnB left anymore. The pop charts are full of generic dance beats and nonsense lyrics by people who can't sing. That's the kind of music that sells now. 24k Magic felt like a breath of fresh air in comparison to modern pop and RnB. Which is probably why it won all those awards.

That's an indictment of the industry.

Shawy89 said:

MotownSubdivision said:

SoulAlive said: There was nothing 'new' or special about the other nominees either. I'd hardly put him in the same league of overratedness as Beyonce. When he can lose an award and the winner makes a pathetic attempt to apologize to him then we'll talk.

Exactly. Kendrick is overrated musically. People say his stuff is groundbreaking, it's not. A Tribe Called Quest, Madvillainy (MF Doom), Danny Brown, Kanye West, all made albums that literally sounded "new and fresh" like nobody has heard before. It's true he's an accomplished rapper and lyricist.

To me, 24K Magic is the equivalent of La La Land (2016) or The Artist (2011), movies that stuff all the Hollywood/Musical/Show Tune clichés in a brilliant way, pay homage to many eras and remind the contemporary audience of how wonderful popular cinema was at some point. Wheras DAMN. is more like Moonlight (2016), very daring and powerful in its message, but stems from the exact zeitgeist that oriented a thousand other undershadowed LGBT independant movies before that weren't recognized due to how challenging they were. It's all good. Both DAMN. and 24K Magic will remain important albums for their time, and also we should start giving props to Bruno for keeping R&B radio alive. Mark my words, from now on, female R&B singers for example will make classic R&B songs and still get played on Urban radio without having to rent-a-rapper or do the trap sound, because of the revival that Bruno was responsible for.

Bruno transforming radio is wishing thinking on your part. Urban AC already plays traditional female R&B singers (with no rappers) as they have always done. Urban radio is basically rap & trap with very few females regardless of whether they are R&B or not and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

Your statement reminds of when Uptown Funk was out and certain people convinced themselves that the song would be a game changer. Of course nothing of the sort happened.

BTW these are the R&B Usher songs that failed to ignite:

namepeace said:

Graycap23 said:

U do realize that people still have 2 actually like the work.

I'm still waiting on a single song that I like from this guy.

Dude is straight paint by numbers......which simply bores me 2 tears.

He has zero SOUL or FUNK or feeling in his work.

[Edited 2/1/18 11:13am]

A lot of folks do, a lot of folks don't. But those of us of a certain age have been spoiled. We could find that kind of feeling in artists we don't feel with Bruno, but we can also find it in other artists below the radar.

His music is derivative and formulaic, and I don't buy it, though I do like his last single. But he's got a modicum of talent and I won't knock his hustle.

Yeah, he may paint by numbers, but unlike so many other acts in 2018, he can at least use the brush.

Dude is a novelty act......unfortunately, so is the music business in 2018. They have killed it off.

Graycap23 said:

Graycap23 said:

namepeace said:

A lot of folks do, a lot of folks don't. But those of us of a certain age have been spoiled. We could find that kind of feeling in artists we don't feel with Bruno, but we can also find it in other artists below the radar.

His music is derivative and formulaic, and I don't buy it, though I do like his last single. But he's got a modicum of talent and I won't knock his hustle.

Yeah, he may paint by numbers, but unlike so many other acts in 2018, he can at least use the brush.

Dude is a novelty act......unfortunately, so is the music business in 2018. They have killed it off.

Music is still around, though. I have faith.

namepeace said:

Graycap23 said:

Dude is a novelty act......unfortunately, so is the music business in 2018. They have killed it off.

Music is still around, though. I have faith.

It will always be around but it has been devalued 2 the point of no return.

Hell.......it's FREE.

babynoz said:

I was not instantly sold on Bruno but I was inclined to give him a chance, so I watched and listened to him extensively, with an open mind. Consequently I learned a great deal about him. He writes, composes, plays multiple instruments, sings and dances his ass off. If he isn't your thing then fine. Bey isn't my thing but I would never be so stupid as to say she isn't talented and hard working because she is. Bruno works even harder than she does.

Bruno never claimed to re invent the wheel or make deep, navel gazing music. He brings the party and the fun and people are sooooo ready for that right now. So many are sick of all the angry, angsty, rachet shit that appeals to the lowest common denominator being shoved down their throats. People are getting tired of [N word - luv4u] this and b--ch that.

Bruno Mars is a breath of fresh air to a lot of people. Consider this. A whole family can go to his shows together from grandma to fifth graders and have a great time as I witnessed when I saw him live in October. In a world of nonstop filth that means a lot. There are not many artists left that have such broad appeal and the idiots in the industry are finally starting to see that.

Not only do we need the industry to recognize black artists work, the artists need to elevate their game instead of whining and helping to debase their own culture instead of upholding it. It isn't Bruno's fault that too many of our artists are producing garbage because they have no respect for their own legacy.

The hate needs to stop.

PREACH!

jjhunsecker said:

paisleypark4 said:

Well, we all have to admit beyonce shitted for that album, all the videos and work put into it. Although Adele was the diamond seller. I liked beyonce's album better...only so much sad singing I can listen to.

I personally think Beyonce is extremely overrated. Actually, I preferred her in Destiny's Child- at least those songs had hooks and melodies...

just my opinion. I know I'm in the minority here...

I understand that though. I thought the DC albums are bubblegum in comparison with the strorytelling and emotions in Beyonces last several albums. The DC albums are not really 'about' anything and do not have personality...but that is okay considering they were a product than a personality. They have some good songs though. Survivor and Writings On The Wall my two favorite albums of theirs.

kitbradley said:

CynicKill said:

I'm thinking of the time when everyone was belly aching over Usher moving away from his R&B roots after so many years of charting with EDM smashes.

So Usher answers the call and releases a couple very good R&B tracks that he hoped would launch a new album. They went nowhere where in another time they would've been smashes.

Has black artists singing black music and charting gone out of fashion?

Yes. Usher or Tank could have released the exact same kind of album Bruno did and they would have went no where and been quickly forgotten. R&B fans claim to want real R&B from black artists. But when they get it (outside of Kem), they dont support it.

They been around for too long. Bruno is still breathing new celebrity life . He has the YOUTH behind him. Usher is 40. Tank 40. Tank and Kem spent too much time doing "baby making slow jam r&b / soul" when that is played out. Where are the dancers? The uptempo r&b party jams? Its like...finally someone is trying to sweat out here instead of taking all their clothes off for the ladies.

Its good for that audience, but we been having to listen to that shit for 20 years, time for a change.

namepeace said:

Graycap23 said:

Dude is a novelty act......unfortunately, so is the music business in 2018. They have killed it off.

Music is still around, though. I have faith.

Bruno's latest output just reminds me of the Whispers. You could just impose Bruno's head of all them and you wouldn't know the difference. Not only is he copying the musical structures of the early 80s, he is also emulating the production. It's too on the nose. Prince's 1999 has a very similar feel in composition to Sly Stone, but the production is all Prince. That's what make it sound fresh and new. Even the band Stray Cats who heavily borrowed from 50s rockabilly made their sound more punk, harder, and grittier to make sound new. The early 80s Briitsh sound was Motown with synths and a European flair. I don't see a reinterpreting of old sounds in this music, but just mere facsimile.

[Edited 2/2/18 12:51pm]

^^^ That was some good music!!

paisleypark4 said:

MotownSubdivision said:

paisleypark4 said:

They been around for too long. Bruno is still breathing new celebrity life . He has the YOUTH behind him. Usher is 40. Tank 40. Tank and Kem spent too much time doing "baby making slow jam r&b / soul" when that is played out. Where are the dancers? The uptempo r&b party jams? Its like...finally someone is trying to sweat out here instead of taking all their clothes off for the ladies.

Its good for that audience, but we been having to listen to that shit for 20 years, time for a change.

Sums up how I've been feeling. R&B has been slow and sexy for too long with little deviation. Here comes someone reminding us of the good old days where the genre was multifaceted and vibrant. By the time Usher finally dropped the EDM and started to latch on it was too little to late for him; Bruno was in. Morris Day said it best: Brothers, don't be cool Women like it sometimes when you act a fool R&B has been too cool for too long. Bruno brought the "fool" back to the music. All he needs to do is distinguish himself more while retaining that spot-on classic production.

Like I said in my very first post in a Bruno thread, we were languishing in mid-tempo hell.

babynoz said:

lrn36 said:

namepeace said:

Music is still around, though. I have faith.

Bruno's latest output just reminds me of the Whispers. You could just impose Bruno's head of all them and you wouldn't know the difference. Not only is he copying the musical structures of the early 80s, he is also emulating the production. It's too on the nose. Prince's 1999 has a very similar feel in composition to Sly Stone, but the production is all Prince. That's what make it sound fresh and new. Even the band Stray Cats who heavily borrowed from 50s rockabilly made their sound more punk, harder, and grittier to make sound new. The early 80s Briitsh sound was Motown with synths and a European flair. I don't see a reinterpreting of old sounds in this music, but just mere facsimile.

[Edited 2/2/18 12:51pm]

You know, people who say groups like the Gap Band, Whispers, ect sounds like Bruno I think they just listened to 2 seconds of 24K Magic (the single not the album) and UF and that's it.

Really, though. I can't take you and other people's criticism seriously if you're not even getting your eras right. Bruno's production style of his latest album emulates the early/mid 90s. Teddy Riley, Babyface (who actually worked on the album) Not the early 80s. Are you for real?

[Edited 2/4/18 21:35pm]

[Edited 2/4/18 21:38pm]

edit

[Edited 2/5/18 0:55am]

bigblunda said:

lrn36 said:

Bruno's latest output just reminds me of the Whispers. You could just impose Bruno's head of all them and you wouldn't know the difference. Not only is he copying the musical structures of the early 80s, he is also emulating the production. It's too on the nose. Prince's 1999 has a very similar feel in composition to Sly Stone, but the production is all Prince. That's what make it sound fresh and new. Even the band Stray Cats who heavily borrowed from 50s rockabilly made their sound more punk, harder, and grittier to make sound new. The early 80s Briitsh sound was Motown with synths and a European flair. I don't see a reinterpreting of old sounds in this music, but just mere facsimile.

[Edited 2/2/18 12:51pm]

You know, people who say groups like the Gap Band, Whispers, ect sounds like Bruno I think they just listened to 2 seconds of 24K Magic (the single not the album) and UF and that's it.

Really, though. I can't take you and other people's criticism seriously if you're not even getting your eras right. Bruno's production style of his latest album emulates the early/mid 90s. Teddy Riley, Babyface (who actually worked on the album) Not the early 80s. Are you for real?

[Edited 2/4/18 21:35pm]

[Edited 2/4/18 21:38pm]

Yeah. So what. Babyface and La wrote Rock Steady for the Whispers in 1987 which also sounds like a song Bruno Mars would rip. Babyface and Teddy Riley both borrowed heavily from that late 70s and early 80s r and b vibe pioneered by Leon Slyvers. A lot of artists did up until the early 90s when we saw Mary J Blige mix hiphop beats with r and b melodies. Hell, Leon worked with Teddy Riley on the Blackstreet's debut album. It's all the same sound and influences. At least, you do admit Bruno is only emulating old sounds rather than bring something new to the table.

namepeace said:

Graycap23 said:

U do realize that people still have 2 actually like the work.

I'm still waiting on a single song that I like from this guy.

Dude is straight paint by numbers......which simply bores me 2 tears.

He has zero SOUL or FUNK or feeling in his work.

[Edited 2/1/18 11:13am]

A lot of folks do, a lot of folks don't. But those of us of a certain age have been spoiled. We could find that kind of feeling in artists we don't feel with Bruno, but we can also find it in other artists below the radar.

His music is derivative and formulaic, and I don't buy it, though I do like his last single. But he's got a modicum of talent and I won't knock his hustle.

Yeah, he may paint by numbers, but unlike so many other acts in 2018, he can at least use the brush.

He's also purposely emulating those sounds. He's paying homage and having fun

I'm more annoyed with Chris Brown making a double album of the same 3 songs and singing about "hoes" and drugs and the lines between hip hop and R&b being blurred to the point you can't tell them apart now

edit

[Edited 2/5/18 0:55am]

RJOrion said:

Graycap23 said:

U do realize that people still have 2 actually like the work.

I'm still waiting on a single song that I like from this guy.

Dude is straight paint by numbers......which simply bores me 2 tears.

He has zero SOUL or FUNK or feeling in his work.

[Edited 2/1/18 11:13am]

"zero SOUL or FUNK or feeling..." exactly...every word

"I don't like it so therefore it doesn't have an arbitary measure of standard, because I don't like it"

Old people are so annoying.

lrn36 said:

bigblunda said:

You know, people who say groups like the Gap Band, Whispers, ect sounds like Bruno I think they just listened to 2 seconds of 24K Magic (the single not the album) and UF and that's it.

Really, though. I can't take you and other people's criticism seriously if you're not even getting your eras right. Bruno's production style of his latest album emulates the early/mid 90s. Teddy Riley, Babyface (who actually worked on the album) Not the early 80s. Are you for real?

[Edited 2/4/18 21:35pm]

[Edited 2/4/18 21:38pm]

Yeah. So what. Babyface and La wrote Rock Steady for the Whispers in 1987 which also sounds like a song Bruno Mars would rip. Babyface and Teddy Riley both borrowed heavily from that late 70s and early 80s r and b vibe pioneered by Leon Slyvers. A lot of artists did up until the early 90s when we saw Mary J Blige mix hiphop beats with r and b melodies. Hell, Leon worked with Teddy Riley on the Blackstreet's debut album. It's all the same sound and influences. At least, you do admit Bruno is only emulating old sounds rather than bring something new to the table.

So Babyface ripped off Babyface? Hilarious.

People are always naming several groups and several artists that supposedly Bruno sounds like, even though all of these groups and artists have different stylistic origins with the only similarity being that they belong to a certain era, which had a very distinguished and certain style of music.

He uses the song structures... in an eighties and nineties style. But so what? So you're telling me the 2000s and 2010s song structure style is superior? lol

There's actual musicians that Bruno has said, yes I'm influenced by, and you can hear it in his music but the Whispers ain't one of em.

No mainstream artist in the past fifteen years has brought anything new to the table, literally none of them. Bruno is the one that's far less subtle in this, though, and he definitely doesn't pretend about it. He doesn't act like he invented any genre like J.T, he almost does it in a self-aware ironic way, and he's talented and intelligent enough to pull it off in an tasteful and interesting manner. And let's not act like a lot of new mainstream artists havent' attempted to recapture that old style, but failing miserably. Seriously, Bruno is the only one who can do that. Maybe Pharrell.

Good luck wanting more "innovation" when the closest we get to is ear-bleeding trap.Unless recording technology SERIOUSLY advances like the leap from the 70s to the 90s, then serious musical innovation is not gonna happen for decaaaddes.

[Edited 2/5/18 1:07am]

bboy87 said:

namepeace said:

A lot of folks do, a lot of folks don't. But those of us of a certain age have been spoiled. We could find that kind of feeling in artists we don't feel with Bruno, but we can also find it in other artists below the radar.

His music is derivative and formulaic, and I don't buy it, though I do like his last single. But he's got a modicum of talent and I won't knock his hustle.

Yeah, he may paint by numbers, but unlike so many other acts in 2018, he can at least use the brush.

He's also purposely emulating those sounds. He's paying homage and having fun

I'm more annoyed with Chris Brown making a double album of the same 3 songs and singing about "hoes" and drugs and the lines between hip hop and R&b being blurred to the point you can't tell them apart now

Yeah god forbid someone purposely emulates those sounds. It's his god damned third album and he can do whatever he wants.

And the people who have a prejudice over his music because he's non-black really irk me. I find them racist and yes, blacks can be racist.

bigblunda said:

bboy87 said:

He's also purposely emulating those sounds. He's paying homage and having fun

I'm more annoyed with Chris Brown making a double album of the same 3 songs and singing about "hoes" and drugs and the lines between hip hop and R&b being blurred to the point you can't tell them apart now

Yeah god forbid someone purposely emulates those sounds. It's his god damned third album and he can do whatever he wants.

And the people who have a prejudice over his music because he's non-black really irk me. I find them racist and yes, blacks can be racist.

Black people who do not like what he is doing are not being racist. They are just tired of non-whites appropriating our music and style.

I am black and I do not have a problem with Bruno because I want to see good RnB music come back strong as I believe it was killed by racist whites in the music industry. I wish a young black man and women would be allowed to do what Mars is doing but that is unlikely to happen. The music industry loves to promote ignorent and untlatented rappers over actual musicians and singers. We have watched this over the last 20 years time and time again. For goodness sake they ran Prince out so what does that tell you.

Wish there was more outrage about the lack of black bands even having record deals .

laurarichardson said:

bigblunda said:

Yeah god forbid someone purposely emulates those sounds. It's his god damned third album and he can do whatever he wants.

And the people who have a prejudice over his music because he's non-black really irk me. I find them racist and yes, blacks can be racist.

Black people who do not like what he is doing are not being racist. They are just tired of non-whites appropriating our music and style.

I am black and I do not have a problem with Bruno because I want to see good RnB music come back strong as I believe it was killed by racist whites in the music industry. I wish a young black man and women would be allowed to do what Mars is doing but that is unlikely to happen. The music industry loves to promote ignorent and untlatented rappers over actual musicians and singers. We have watched this over the last 20 years time and time again. For goodness sake they ran Prince out so what does that tell you.

Wish there was more outrage about the lack of black bands even having record deals .

Yes. The industry IS wiping out black talent. It is partially our fault. We brand dudes who aren't singing about drugs, sex, and bullshit over shitty overplayed trap beats as "corny" and applaud ignorance in our community. For god's sake, black men have been putting non black women in their videos for decades, marrying them even, and bashing black women on platforms everyone can see, and effectively replacing black women with women like J-Lo and Kim K, NOW black men want to say something about it since they see non black dudes like Bruno with as much swagger as they got, the same swagger they abandoned for shitty trap and played out hip hop. Black men lead sooo many divisiveness in our community so I have to say, I don't give a damn.

All the recent popular black male musicians, yall ignore them too cause white people like them. Weeknd? Miguel? You know what a woman said to me who complains about black people not being in the industry anymore? She said they weren't "black" enough. SMH.

I do agree that black talent needs to make a comeback, but black people insult our people, mock and disrespect our legends, support ratchetness, while then complaining people are taking our spots.

bigblunda said:

laurarichardson said:

Black people who do not like what he is doing are not being racist. They are just tired of non-whites appropriating our music and style.

I am black and I do not have a problem with Bruno because I want to see good RnB music come back strong as I believe it was killed by racist whites in the music industry. I wish a young black man and women would be allowed to do what Mars is doing but that is unlikely to happen. The music industry loves to promote ignorent and untlatented rappers over actual musicians and singers. We have watched this over the last 20 years time and time again. For goodness sake they ran Prince out so what does that tell you.

Wish there was more outrage about the lack of black bands even having record deals .

Yes. The industry IS wiping out black talent. It is partially our fault. We brand dudes who aren't singing about drugs, sex, and bullshit over shitty overplayed trap beats as "corny" and applaud ignorance in our community. For god's sake, black men have been putting non black women in their videos for decades, marrying them even, and bashing black women on platforms everyone can see, and effectively replacing black women with women like J-Lo and Kim K, NOW black men want to say something about it since they see non black dudes like Bruno with as much swagger as they got, the same swagger they abandoned for shitty trap and played out hip hop. Black men lead sooo many divisiveness in our community so I have to say, I don't give a damn.

All the recent popular black male musicians, yall ignore them too cause white people like them. Weeknd? Miguel? You know what a woman said to me who complains about black people not being in the industry anymore? She said they weren't "black" enough. SMH.

I do agree that black talent needs to make a comeback, but black people insult our people, mock and disrespect our legends, support ratchetness, while then complaining people are taking our spots.

I think people support this stuff because that is what is presented to us. This is what the music industry chooses to promote and market. I do not think black people are running the music industry to the point of controlling the marketing and promotion dollars.

We can do better and we have better artist. I just think that many whites in the industry ( some have admitted it ) do not think they can market a black performer or band world wide and the do not want to put the money behind it to even try.

Who will be the next black performer to do the Superbowl? You have to pay your own way to get there and you have to be able to rock a stadium. None if things keep going to way they are going.

The Migos are not going to be on National Television.

I agree with this.I would rather just simply listen to stuff like The Whispers,Zapp,The Gap Band and all the other bands and artists that Bruno "borrows" from.

lrn36 said:

Bruno's latest output just reminds me of the Whispers. You could just impose Bruno's head of all them and you wouldn't know the difference. Not only is he copying the musical structures of the early 80s, he is also emulating the production. It's too on the nose. Prince's 1999 has a very similar feel in composition to Sly Stone, but the production is all Prince. That's what make it sound fresh and new. Even the band Stray Cats who heavily borrowed from 50s rockabilly made their sound more punk, harder, and grittier to make sound new. The early 80s Briitsh sound was Motown with synths and a European flair. I don't see a reinterpreting of old sounds in this music, but just mere facsimile.

Bruno's wins & success is just confirmation of what Stephanie Mills said last year.

"They want R&B music - just not from us."

Usher and Chris Brown could have never recorded that album and been met with the exact same success and awards. Just like Beyonce recording "25" album would have never went diamond and won AOTY like Adele. It's not about the music. It's about internalized racism whether it's blatant or subconscious. Bruno was the safest option between a Kendrick/Jay and a Lorde. Black music without the black person singing it...easy win. I bet the Grammy execs felt they've done their job and bridged the diversity gap with this one and rectified the situation. SMH.

Well Bruno is not a white boy so they kind of did do their diversity thing in a way. You cannot use "Chris Brown" as an example because he ruined himself with his behavior.

Scorpion said:

Bruno's wins & success is just confirmation of what Stephanie Mills said last year.

"They want R&B music - just not from us."

Usher and Chris Brown could have never recorded that album and been met with the exact same success and awards. Just like Beyonce recording "25" album would have never went diamond and won AOTY like Adele. It's not about the music. It's about internalized racism whether it's blatant or subconscious. Bruno was the safest option between a Kendrick/Jay and a Lorde. Black music without the black person singing it...easy win. I bet the Grammy execs felt they've done their job and bridged the diversity gap with this one and rectified the situation. SMH.

[Edited 2/5/18 8:13am]