Enjoy Your Evening With Silk Sonic

By Naniyah McClain

Student Lifestyle Editor

Prepare to throw on your red-crushed velvet robe and light some candles because Grammy award-winning artists Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak (Silk Sonic) released their long awaited album, “An Evening With Silk Sonic” on Nov. 12.

Silk Sonic was formed in 2017 as a joke that Mars and .Paak created during Mars’ “24K Magic World Tour.” They were working on music together in 2017 and finally made the decision to come together as a group in 2021.

Legendary funk singer and songwriter William Earl “Bootsy” Collins, named the group “Silk Sonic” after hearing the album. The majority of the nine-track album was narrated by Collins.

“Silk Sonic Intro” was a high energy intro that merged each artist’s styles together with a heavy bass line and drums in the beginning to a smooth jazz-like ending. The intro will make the listener feel as if they are witnessing a live intro of their concert.

“Don’t be afraid to make your way to the stage for a band that I name, Silk Sonic,” said Collins in “Silk Sonic Intro.”

The second track “Leave The Door Open” was the hit single that introduced everyone to the R&B duo we never knew we needed on Mar. 5. The smooth and sultry date night anthem has lyrics that incite a very romantic invitation. It gives the feel of a late 70’s/early 80’s slow jam, with its heavy quiet storm influence. Bruno Mars’s sweet falsetto will make a soul music lover’s heart race.

“So if you tryna lay in these arms//I’ma leave the door open,” said Mars.

“After Last Night” features bassist Stephen Lee Bruner, also known as Thundercat and Collins. Same style as There’ll never be by Switch, it gives a very romantic vibe. Mars’ earth shattering falsetto will make a soul music lover’s heart race.

Love rears its ugly head in Silk Sonic’s third hit single, “Smokin Out The Window.” The breakup song includes comical lyrics about women who have used them for their time and money. There is a moment in the music video when .Paak dramatically falls on the floor after saying “Not to be dramatic but I wanna die” with a cigarette still in hand.

“This b- got me paying her rent. Paying for trips. Diamonds on her neck. Diamonds on her wrist. And here I am all alone,” Paak and Mars said.

The album introduced the world to the perfect skating song (the 2nd single) “Skate” on Jul. 30. It gives disco vibes with its sound and a romantic vibe with its flirtatious lyrics.

“I’m tryna float, I’m tryna glide. No, no, don’t be shy. Just take my hand and hold on tight,” said Mars and .Paak.

This psychedelic soul song “Blast Off” is the perfect ending to “An Evening With Silk Sonic. The powerful guitar solo and the duo’s magical key changes at the end will give listeners goosebumps and make them feel as if they are slowly floating into space. Mars and .Paak share their personal experiences of indulging in… substances.

“I took a little somethin’ to get here, yeah, yeah. I got a little more if you’re ready, we can have it all,” said Mars and .Paak in “Blast Off.”

Silk Sonic has reintroduced real R&B and soul to the music world. Its authentic live instruments and smooth vocal variations will make listeners dance from start to finish. This album is for R&B and Soul music lovers who enjoy groups who sing lyrics with meaning and live up to their name.

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