RNB Gods 5
On Nov. 12, multiple Grammy Award winners Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak combined their talents as Silk Sonic for the nine-track album “An Evening With Silk Sonic,” a work with a nostalgic 1970s feel full of harmonies, strong vocals and diverse, incredibly smart production that constantly captivates.
The collaboration produced the first music Mars has released since 2019 while .Paak has been rising in the industry, including a Best Melodic Rap Performance Grammy win for his 2020 song “Lockdown.”
The return of Mars fully includes the charming, extravagant role he usually plays, in particular the Las Vegas theme that his album “24K Magic” embodies and here in “777.” But the return also brings back the more somber singer the world was introduced to during the early 2010s, especially in the soulful track “Put on a Smile.”
.Paak’s specialties have continued, perfectly fitting the album with a voice that embodies the sound of R&B. Among the lyrics are the consistent themes of classic Hollywood luxury and glamour, with mentions of Rolexes, mansions and Bentleys, mixing with the soul and funk of the times.
But at its core, the album mostly tackles love, lust and failed romances on both sides of the spectrum: heartbreak and exasperation. When not along those lines, the lyrics are about the image Mars and .Paak portray with every Silk Sonic appearance: the top button undone suits, sunglasses, cash-filled and smooth player personality that can come across as cocky.
But the music is here to bring emotions and moods of all kinds, including confidence. Overall, this isn’t an album to look into too deeply, and this isn’t the place to find hidden meanings and analogies, but it’s not trying to be that.
“An Evening With Silk Sonic” knows what it is, a fun, repeatable, easy on the ears collection of soul and R&B songs that fit modern-day radio beautifully. The album wouldn’t have three of the hottest singles of the year – “Leave the Door Open,” “Skate” and “Smokin’ Out the Window” – if it didn’t.
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