Earlier this year in March, the duo Silk Sonic, consisting of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, released their debut single “Leave the Door Open” — a song that would open the gates to four Grammy nominations.
In 2017, Mars went on tour for his album “24K Magic,” where .Paak was the opening act during the European leg. The duo worked on new music while on tour at the Abbey Road studios in London, which eventually led to the influence of their collaborative ’70s soul album. Although we have yet to see the impact “An Evening With Silk Sonic” has on our generation, I expect the album to transcend beyond our teenage years and open the gate for the revival of syncopated rhythms.
A combination of Mars’ emotionally-charged vocals and .Paak’s raspy yet melodic voice creates the perfect mix for “An Evening With Silk Sonic.” An homage to classic funk and contemporary R&B, all songs on the album deliver an effortlessly clean and finesse sound. Here is my attempt to rank them all — aside from “Silk Sonic Intro” which serves as an intro to the body of work.
- “777”
Last but not least — well, actually the least — “777” is funnily enough the seventh track on the album and an ode to gambling and high-stake festivities done in Las Vegas. 777 is a lucky number that supposedly brings change into your life. It’s also an indication of a jackpot on most slot machines. This song is not only a collaboration between Mars and .Paak, but .Paak’s drumming as well. It is funky and upbeat, but a little too modern and similar to Mars’ 2016 single “24K Magic.” The drum and bongo sounds can also get a bit repetitive. I wouldn’t necessarily add “777” to my playlist, but wouldn’t change the radio station if it came on.
- “Fly As Me”
This track is the most boastful track on the album. “Fly As Me” is 3 minutes and 39 seconds of Mars and .Paak rapping about how lucky women are to be with them, or simply in the presence of them. “Fly As Me” is a little less soul and a little more ’80s funk and dance pop. Although both artists performed this song confidently at the Soul Train Awards, it is not as smooth and silky as the rest of the tracks on the album.
- “Blast Off”
In the closing track of the album, the chords seem to progress upward to a higher key throughout the song to mimic this psychedelic feeling that drugs give — like blasting off into space. Although the song gives off major dream-like vibes, I’d rather listen to Earth, Wind & Fire or Stevie Wonder.
- “Skate”
“An Evening With Silk Sonic” on Spotify. Tanmayi ranks the songs on Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s collaborative album. ILLUSTRATION BY SHANNON DAMIANO/ DFP STAFF
“Skate” is another song about swooning and wooing over women. Released as their second single off the album, the song is pretty mid-tier. .Paak’s raspy voice adds texture to the song and makes you feel like you’re roller skating with your bell bottoms on. However, Mars’ voice seems too polished and contemporary. It’s not as big of a radio hit as “Leave the Door Open.”
- “Put On A Smile”
Ranking “Put On A Smile” was an extremely difficult decision. This masterpiece unveils an unhappy love song that is almost opposite to the “player” image portrayed by the duo. The lyrics are pretty depressing, but it’s hard to notice the sad lyrical nature when the vocals make you feel like you’re ascending into heaven. Mars and .Paak sound like the male versions of Whitney Houston.
- “Leave The Door Open”
“Leave the Door Open” is Silk Sonic’s debut single and emulates the traditional, smooth R&B sound. Although traditional R&B very rarely becomes popular among contemporary music, the song placed number one on the Billboard charts almost immediately after its release. However, artists modernizing old-school sounds can be a bit tedious, and maybe too self-indulgent.
- “After Last Night (with Thundercat & Bootsy Collins)”
“After Last Night” features Thundercat, one of my favorite R&B soul artists who makes old-school jazz sound alternative. The track sounds like a velvet-textured, psychedelic and electronic version of Childish Gambino’s “Redbone.” It’s so groovy and melodic and makes me feel like the music is slipping through my ears.
- “Smokin Out The Window”
“Smokin Out The Window” takes the cake at the number one spot on the album. Mars and .Paak tell the story of dating a girl with lots of emotional baggage and high standards in the wittiest way. In the end, the duo realizes they can’t help but win with this girl and smoke a cigarette to cope with the relationship. The track is by far the most humorous and catchy one on the album. It emulates Motown music and is overall a playful song about a doomed relationship.