Runaway Baby
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"Runaway Baby" is a song by American singer and songwriter
Bruno Mars Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical ...
from his debut studio album ''
Doo-Wops & Hooligans ''Doo-Wops & Hooligans'' is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars. It was released on October 4, 2010, by Atlantic and Elektra Records and was made available to listen before its official release on September 24, 2010 ...
'' (2010). It was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine and Brody Brown. The former three produced the track under their alias,
the Smeezingtons The Smeezingtons were an American songwriting and record production team consisting of Bruno Mars (born 1985), Philip Lawrence (born 1980), and Ari Levine (born May 5, 1984). The Smeezingtons were established in Los Angeles, California; their ...
. "Runaway Baby" is a funk,
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
, doo-wop and
soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...
record. Its lyrics detail a playboy who is willing to break every woman's heart regardless of their feelings. Instrumentally, the track relies on finger snaps, police sirens, hand claps and raspy guitar lines. It received mixed reviews from
music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
, who considered it one of the standouts in the album, but criticized its lyrical content. "Runaway Baby" debuted and peaked at number 19 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
after ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'' performance, and it peaked at number 35 and 50 in New Zealand and on '' Billboard'' Hot 100, respectively. It was certified platinum by the
British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...
(BPI) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The singer performed "Runaway Baby" at the
54th Annual Grammy Awards The 54th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles being broadcast on CBS honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011. LL Cool J hosted t ...
, at the
Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show The Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show occurred on February 2, 2014 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey as part of Super Bowl XLVIII and was headlined by Bruno Mars alongside his band The Hooligans, with special guests The Red Hot Chili Peppers. At the ...
and on all his concerts since 2010. The performances included an extra
break Break or Breaks or The Break may refer to: Time off from duties * Recess (break), time in which a group of people is temporarily dismissed from its duties * Break (work), time off during a shift/recess ** Coffee break, a short mid-morning res ...
with a James Brown dance and singing through a megaphone.


Composition and production

"Runaway Baby" is a retro funk,
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
, doo-wop
soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...
, and bubblegum R&B track. Ken Tucker of
NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
found it hard to categorize the recording. Its instrumentation includes 60's soul finger snaps, police sirens, hand claps and "scratchy guitarlines". The song was composed in the key of E♭ minor with a tempo of 144
beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ...
. Jon Caramanica from ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' felt that Mars was trying to "channel" Little Richard and called the track "jumpy" and "salacious". Brittany Spanos of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' found the song to have "an electric riff as rapidly talk-sings" and to be inspired by James Brown. Lyrically, "Runaway Baby" conveys the message for women to avoid Mars since he is willing to break their hearts due to being a playboy and a "rolling stone" ("Lord knows I'm a rolling stone"). Moreover, there is a comparison established between Mars's penis and a carrot, "So many eager young bunnies...and they all got to share it." "Runaway Baby" was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine and Brody Brown. The former three produced the track under their alias, the Smeezingtons. Mars, Levine and Brown played all the instruments on the song. Levine was in charge of engineering the song, which he did at Levcon Studios, in California. The mixing of "Runaway Baby" was done at Larrabee Sound Studios, in North Hollywood by
Manny Marroquin Manny Marroquin (born September 21, 1971) is an American mixing engineer.Daley, Dan (May 2005).Manny Marroquin. ''Sound on Sound''. Retrieved February 10, 2007 He has received ten Grammy awards for his professional audio work. Life and career ...
, with Christian Plata and Erik Madrid serving as assistants. It was mastered by
Stephen Marcussen Stephen Marcussen is the founder and chief mastering engineer at Marcussen Mastering in Hollywood, California, United States. He has been mastering music since 1979. Biography Marcussen's introduction to music recording happened in 1976 when, at ...
at Marcussen Mastering in Hollywood, California.


Critical reception

"Runaway Baby" has received mixed reviews from
music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
. Luke Gibson from ''
HipHopDX ''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of hip hop music criticism and news. The website's current president and publisher is Sharath Cherian and the Head Of Content is Jerry L. Barrow. ''HipHopDX'' is the flagship publication of Cheri Media Group. ...
'' and ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...
'' Leah Greenblatt considered "Runaway Baby" one of the standouts in the album. The former added that Mars shows his writing skills, despite being so different from the other recordings.
Yahoo! Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds managed by Apollo Global Manage ...
's music critic, Sherri Thornhill, had a mixed opinion towards the track, calling it a "catchy" and "gets your toes tapping", despite not being one of her favorites. ''
Blues & Soul ''Blues & Soul'' is a British music magazine, established in 1967 by John Abbey. ''The Independent'' has noted ''Blues & Soul'' as being the equal of magazines such as '' NME'' and '' Q''. ''Billboard'' magazine has called ''Blues & Soul'' "a ...
'' publication found "Runaway Baby" to be inspired in
The Jacksons The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most ...
, and "60s rock groove" from Eric Clapton and
Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
; dubbing it as "enjoyable even though it's completely vacuous!". Brittany Spanos of ''Rolling Stone'' described the track as one of Mars's "catchiest and most infectious". On the other hand, Tim Sendra of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
gave it a negative analysis, "is a pretty cheesy rocker, suffering from clichéd lyrics and production." Alexis Petridis from ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' went on to analyze some verses and gave them a harsh review, "Mars compares his penis to a carrot", which could not only lead to speculation regarding its meaning, but also "it's an image that haunts the rest of the song." He continued criticizing as the lyrics tell that "the object of his affections" should not try to connected Mars which could be related to his "carrot-like penis". '' MusicOMHs Jamie Milton felt that the recording was one of the things wrong with the album as at its core "involves throwing everything into the fire", mainly due to its "bad-boy pop-punkrealms".


Commercial performance

Following Mars's performance on ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'' on October 22, 2011, "Runaway Baby" debuted in three different charts according to the Official Charts Company, on the issue date of October 30, 2011. It entered at number 18 on the United Kingdom, spending 11 weeks on the chart. Moreover, it debuted at number 19 in Scotland and number five at the United Kingdom R&B chart. The song was certified platinum by the
British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...
(BPI). In 2012, it entered and peaked at number 66 and 50 on the Canadian Hot 100 and on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, respectively. "Runaway Baby" was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In New Zealand, the single debuted at number 40, peaking at number 35 in its fourth week on the chart.


Live performances and other usage

Mars performed "Runaway Baby" live for the first time on June 24, 2011, at the '' NBC's Today Show'' as he danced along with his band. The choreography was inspired by James Brown, and Mars picked up a megaphone to sing some of the lyrics. On October 22, 2011, Mars and his band wore matching red velvet
Dolce & Gabbana Dolce & Gabbana (), also known by initials D&G, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1985 in Legnano by Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The house specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, accessories, and cosmet ...
suits during the song's performance on the results show of ''
The X Factor UK ''The X Factor'' is a British reality television music competition, created by Simon Cowell. Premiering on 4 September 2004, it was produced by Fremantle's Thames and Cowell's production company Syco Entertainment for ITV, as well as simulc ...
''. Robbie Daw of
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
called the live show "rowdy", while a writer for Rap-Up praised the performance, writing that it "rocked the house" due to his "James Brown funky moves" and singing into a megaphone. On February 12, 2012, Mars performed "Runaway Baby" during the
54th Annual Grammy Awards The 54th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles being broadcast on CBS honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011. LL Cool J hosted t ...
along with his band, wearing matching shining black-and-gold tuxedos. The stage, which was revealed during the rehearsals, included a wall with light bulbs and a giant marquee, which spelled "Live on Stage Bruno Mars." Furthermore, pyro and giant spotlights were used. The Grammys' executive producer Ken Erhlich wanted Mars to perform the track on the Grammys since he had seen it live. Mars's performance was dedicated to the soon deceased
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed " The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston i ...
. Claire Suddath of ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' dubbed it as "retro Motown" and enjoyable. She found the James Brown-inspired choreography "spot-on". However, Suddath considered the singer to be "too perfect". She rated his performance a B+. MTV's Jocelyn Vena thought the performance was energetic and "triumphant". At the 2012 Met Gala, Mars performed "Runaway Baby", wearing Prada, with the James Brown breakdown, followed by a medley of covers, which included " Ni**as in Paris", " Roxanne" and " Rock the Boat". Mars also performed a shortened version of the song as part of his
Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show The Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show occurred on February 2, 2014 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey as part of Super Bowl XLVIII and was headlined by Bruno Mars alongside his band The Hooligans, with special guests The Red Hot Chili Peppers. At the ...
, with a reference to
The Isley Brothers The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decade ...
' " Shout" and the James Brown-inspired choreography. Mars rapped the words "give it away, give it away, give it away now" as the
Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, funk ...
made their cameo. Idolator's Carl Williott complemented the singer's "strong live vocals and stellar footwork". American singer and actress
Carly Rose Sonenclar Carly Rose Sonenclar (born April 20, 1999), who performs under the name Carly Rose, is an American singer, songwriter and an actress. In December 2012, she became the runner-up on the second season of ''The X Factor''. Early and personal life ...
covered the song on her YouTube channel. In 2017, Anatalia Villaranda covered "Runaway Baby" during her Blind Audition at
The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
. Mars also performed the song during The Doo-Wops & Hooligans Tour (2010–12), the
Hooligans in Wondaland Tour The Hooligans in Wondaland Tour was a concert tour that was headlined by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe to support Mars' and Monáe's 2010 debut studio albums, '' Doo-Wops & Hooligans'' and ''The ArchAndroid'', respect ...
(2011) and on
The Moonshine Jungle Tour The Moonshine Jungle Tour was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars. The tour supported his second studio album, ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' (2012), from June 2013 to October 2014. After an official announcement on Februar ...
(2013–14). He also sang it on his debut
concert residency A concert residency (also known as musical residency or simply residency) is a series of concerts, similar to a concert tour, but only performed at one location. ''Pollstar'' Awards defined residency as a run of 10 or more shows at a single ven ...
,
Bruno Mars at The Chelsea, Las Vegas Bruno Mars at The Chelsea, Las Vegas was the debut concert residency at the new concert showroom in the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, United States, by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars, from December 2013 to December 2015. DJ Supra, Havan ...
(2013–15), the
24K Magic World Tour The 24K Magic World Tour was the fourth concert tour of American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars that was performed in support of his third studio album '' 24K Magic'' (2016) from March 2017 to December 2018. Anderson .Paak was the opening act f ...
(2017–18) and with Anderson .Paak, as
Silk Sonic Silk Sonic is an American musical superduo composed of musicians Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak. The duo released their debut single, " Leave the Door Open", in March 2021. They later released "Skate" in July 2021, followed by third single, ...
, during An Evening with Silk Sonic at Park MGM (2022). In 2011, the track was used as the opening theme for the film ''Friends with Benefits''. In 2017,
Dwayne Johnson Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and former professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he was integral to the develop ...
chose the song to be used in the video game ''
WWE 2K18 ''WWE 2K18'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports. It is the nineteenth installment in the WWE game series (fifth under the ''WWE 2K'' banner) and a follow-up to '' WWE 2K17''. It was released wor ...
''. In 2019, "Runaway Baby" was used in a commercial for Goal.


Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Doo-Wops & Hooligans''. * Bruno Mars – lead vocals, songwriting,
instrumentation Instrumentation a collective term for measuring instruments that are used for indicating, measuring and recording physical quantities. The term has its origins in the art and science of scientific instrument-making. Instrumentation can refer to ...
* Philip Lawrence – songwriting * Ari Levine – songwriting, instrumentation,
engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...
* Brody Brown – songwriting, instrumentation *
The Smeezingtons The Smeezingtons were an American songwriting and record production team consisting of Bruno Mars (born 1985), Philip Lawrence (born 1980), and Ari Levine (born May 5, 1984). The Smeezingtons were established in Los Angeles, California; their ...
 – production *
Manny Marroquin Manny Marroquin (born September 21, 1971) is an American mixing engineer.Daley, Dan (May 2005).Manny Marroquin. ''Sound on Sound''. Retrieved February 10, 2007 He has received ten Grammy awards for his professional audio work. Life and career ...
 – mixing * Erik Madrid – mixing assistant * Christian Plata – mixing assistant *
Stephen Marcussen Stephen Marcussen is the founder and chief mastering engineer at Marcussen Mastering in Hollywood, California, United States. He has been mastering music since 1979. Biography Marcussen's introduction to music recording happened in 1976 when, at ...
 – mastering


Charts and certifications


Weekly charts


Certifications


References

{{Bruno Mars songs 2010 songs Bruno Mars songs Song recordings produced by the Smeezingtons Songs written by Bruno Mars Songs written by Ari Levine Songs written by Philip Lawrence (songwriter) American pop rock songs Songs written by Christopher Brody Brown Funk songs Doo-wop songs American soul songs