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''Unorthodox Jukebox'' is the second studio album 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 ...
. It was released on December 7, 2012, by
Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most ...
and was made available to listen to in its entirety for a week before its release. It serves as the follow-up to Mars's debut record '' Doo-Wops & Hooligans'' (2010). Mars's writing and production team, the Smeezingtons, composed the whole record and worked with several past collaborators, Jeff Bhasker and Supa Dups, while enlisting new producers, such as Mark Ronson and Emile Haynie, and no guest vocalists. The album was initially planned to be more "energetic" than his previous work, but ended up presenting a wide range of styles such as R&B,
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...
,
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use the ...
, rock, disco, funk and
soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became pop ...
. Lyrically, ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' revolves around the theme of relationships, incorporating more explicit lyrics and subjects than his previous material. Critical response to ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' was generally favorable; many reviewers compared Mars's work to that of his previous album, while others deemed its lyrics shallow. It debuted at number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200, with first week sales of 192,000 copies, and later topped the chart. The record also reached number one in Australia, Canada, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The album was certified six-times platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
(RIAA), three times platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replac ...
(ARIA),
Music Canada Music Canada (formerly Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)) is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It ...
(MC), Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ) and 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 wi ...
(BPI). ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' was the fourth best-selling album in 2013 and it has since sold six million units globally as of 2016. In 2014, ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 56th Grammy Awards and International Album of the Year at the Juno Awards. ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' was supported by five singles, including two US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number ones " Locked Out of Heaven" and "
When I Was Your Man "When I Was Your Man" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars from his second studio album, '' Unorthodox Jukebox'' (2012). Atlantic Records released the song as the third promotional single and as the second official single, t ...
", which also experienced commercial acclaim in various countries, with the former also topping the Canadian Hot 100. Subsequently, three other singles ("
Treasure Treasure (from la, thesaurus from Greek language ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions leg ...
", "
Gorilla Gorillas are herbivorous, predominantly ground-dwelling great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four ...
", and " Young Girls") were made available for consumption in 2013, with each one of them having major to moderate success in the United States. The album was further promoted through
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 Febr ...
(2013–2014), along with various television appearances.


Background


Conception

After ending The Doo-Wops & Hooligans Tour,
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 ...
implied that he was going to take some time creating and perfecting his second full-length album. He additionally confessed that, "It's going to come when it comes" since his production team, the Smeezingtons, felt that they rushed his debut album because of the release's deadline. "We just want it to be perfect", the singer added. Due to the numerous television shows and worldwide performances provided by Mars, he acknowledged that his second studio album needed to display his "raucously" dynamic appearances on stage. Mars revealed to '' Billboard'' in September 2012 on a preview of his cover story that he recorded an album that represented his freedom. On his debut record, '' Doo-Wops & Hooligans'', the singer reportedly had to change some things because of pressure from his label, something he was displeased with. He clarified that ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' was more of him and what he stands for, mainly because he didn't have to modify things. He elaborated, "If I'm changing things around because people might think it's a hard pill to swallow then I'm going to feel like a circus clown onstage, selling something fake". The variety of music styles presented on ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' resulted in his rejection from his label several times in the past; he also confessed that he had to face criticism by label presidents, who—according to him—expressed, "Your music sucks, you don't know who you are, your music is all over the place, and we don't know how to market this stuff. Pick a lane and come back to us". To these statements, the singer added that he felt "disgusted" as he wanted to have the liberty to create his own music and not the music he was told to do. Mars said that by the time he started to develop his songwriting skills, he learned his "most valuable lesson", "Does it make you move? Make you dance? Whether the song is uptempo or a ballad", adding that "there has to be a heartbeat in back of it. There needs to be a pulse in the song". To ''
American Songwriter ''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee. History The ''American Songwr ...
'', Philip Lawrence recalled sleepless nights during the record's process, as the team was trying to prove that the debut album "wasn't a fluke", which according to Lawrence is "the absolute wrong mind-set to be". He went on expressing that the first four or five months they worked on the record were fruitless, because "nothing would stick". When they decided to leave the studio and have a few drinks, they came to conclusion to relax and not put themselves under so much pressure; it resulted in "the ideas tartingcoming out again."


Recording

Recording took place at Larrabee Sound Studios in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
, Levcon Studios in Hollywood, Daptone Studios in
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Kings County is the most populous Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county in the State of New York, ...
, and Avatar Studios in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
. Having worked with record producer and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Bhasker on ''Doo-Wops & Hooligans'', Mars enlisted him and Mark Ronson as he wanted the record to incorporate live instrumentation, but to still be suitable for clubs; Bhasker particularly admitted that it sounded great on the radio. American disc jockey Diplo was able to further push the album from the "safety net" with something for the tripclub on "Money Makes Her Smile"; Mars claimed that the DJ could make the club go "wild" due to the sounds on his computer. The development of ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' started when Mars wanted to create something unforeseen with the follow-up of his debut album. He began not only by not allowing himself to "get boxed in to any one genre" during the recording sessions for the album, but also by showing the influences of several other music styles "by having the autonomy and luxury of walking into the studio and claim
e feels E, or e, is the fifth Letter (alphabet), letter and the second vowel#Written vowels, vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worl ...
like doing a hip-hop, R&B,
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 '':wikt:soul, soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The ea ...
or rock record". Due to the music variety, the singer refused to "pick a lane" for ''Unorthodox Jukebox''. As Mars had a lot of time to create the album, something that didn't happen during his debut, he reportedly had the possibility to develop a musically outstanding product that displayed his music taste and completely revealed his artistry. Because he had been a composer of
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...
and radio-friendly songs for a long time, it ultimately influenced the style of his debut; however, he didn't have the chance to craft the "sounds and sonics" he wanted to. As a result, Mars hoped to "let loose" and discuss darker, more risqué subject matter, while drawing on the "danger" embraced by pop artists such as
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
and
Prince A prince is a Monarch, male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary title, hereditary, in s ...
. To explore and create a new sound, Mars enlisted the help of Mark Ronson, Jeff Bhasker and
Paul Epworth Paul Richard Epworth (born 25 July 1974) is an English record producer, songwriter, musician, and remixer. He has worked with artists including Adele, Florence and the Machine, Rihanna, and Maxïmo Park, among many others. He is a member of th ...
. The singer described this encounter as inviting "master chefs into the kitchen with no master plan" or any kind of outcome, "either a complete disaster or something outstanding". Previously, Benny Blanco, Emile Haynie, Diplo, Supa Dups, as well as Mars's production team the Smeezingtons, have been confirmed to have worked on the album. The first song written for ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' was "Gorilla", which "set the tone for the entire project"; Mars explained in an interview granted to
MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
that it became its mascot hence the reason it ended up as the album cover. In an interview for the ''
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 co ...
'', Blanco confessed, "I got a really cool song with him. Me and Paul pworthjust got together and Bruno wrote an amazing song on top of it. It kind of all came together". He further explained that "it's like some throwback
Nina Simone Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blue ...
type shit, like 'Sinnerman'". Additionally, a "piano-laced" track was conceived for the album in its opening session. Mars explained the meaning behind the album's title by saying that it had become a "soulful, experimental, electronic, hard-to-explain" concept. In order to record an album like that, it was—according to him—mandatory to experiment and not follow any known pattern, resulting the guests enlisted for the record to be unexpected. According to the singer, jazz artist Esperanza Spalding and Diplo were among them. Furthermore, the "pop's most innovative producers" (Bhasker, Haynie and Ronson) had to be taken "beyond their comfort zone". While being interviewed for his ''Billboard'' Artist of the Year cover story, Mars complimented Ronson and Bhasker by explaining that "it's not about what's hot on the radio or the fastest way to make a buck, these guys are fearless, doing the music they want to do". Mars additionally felt that "when there are no safe bets, that's when e feels hisblood move." Mars also worked with Michael Leonhart on three songs for the album, including on an unreleased version of " Locked Out of Heaven". By the end of September 2012, the singer was reportedly "fine-tuning" the mixing of a track until 5 a.m. with Manny Marroquin, mainly because of his disappointment with " It Will Rain"s final mix. Starting with mid-October, the Smeezingtons were making the final touches on the album at Levcon Studios (their studio); Ari Levine sent a few tracks over e-mail with their final mixes to Mars, who was still in Manhattan after hosting ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serve ...
''.


Composition

''Unorthodox Jukebox'' is a pop, R&B, rock, funk, soul,
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use the ...
and disco record. The album opens with " Young Girls", a midtempo pop ballad which deals with the idea of indulging in the dubious charms of young girls, even though the singer recognizes that what he is doing is wrong. The song was re-registered in
ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...
with a new writing credit by
Mac Davis Morris Mac Davis (January 21, 1942 – September 29, 2020) was an American country music singer, songwriter, and actor. A native of Lubbock, Texas, he enjoyed success as a crossover artist, and during his early career he wrote for Elvis Presley, ...
. "Locked Out of Heaven", a reggae rock and
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, ear ...
track that incorporates elements of new wave and funk, is the subsequent track and the
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release ...
. Musically, it contains booming synthesizers, a four-on-the-floor chorus, while lyrically exploring themes of love. Comparisons were established between "Locked Out of Heaven" and the rock/reggae style used by English band
The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Poli ...
. "
Gorilla Gorillas are herbivorous, predominantly ground-dwelling great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four ...
" was described by Mars as being about "good old animalistic sex". The track portrays a midtempo rock and soft rock song, while lyrically expressing male chauvinist sentiments and making reference to his 2010 arrest for
cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...
possession. "
Treasure Treasure (from la, thesaurus from Greek language ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions leg ...
", the album's third single, is a disco-pop song, inspired by English duo
Wham! Wham! (briefly known in the US as Wham! U.K.) were an English pop duo formed in Bushey in 1981. The duo consisted of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They became one of the most commercially successful pop acts of the 1980s, selling more ...
and "Baby I'm Yours" (2010) released by French disc jockey
Breakbot Thibaut Jean-Marie Michel Berland (born October 5, 1981), known professionally as Breakbot, is a French musician, record producer and a DJ who has been signed with Ed Banger Records since May 2009. Career Breakbot studied at Supinfocom, a com ...
. The latter similarities led the song to be re-registered with new writing credits, which included Thibaut Berland and Christopher Khan. "
Moonshine Moonshine is high-proof liquor that is usually produced illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of creating the alcohol during the nighttime, thereby avoiding detection. In the first decades of the 21st century, commercial dist ...
", the second promotional single from the record, portrays a recording with ample influences of disco,
power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ...
and quiet storm, while being compared to the work done by French electronic duo
Daft Punk Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. Widely regarded as one of the most influential acts in dance music history, they achieved popularity in the late 1990s as p ...
. Particularly, Chris Martins of '' Spin'' wrote that the song "channels the King of Pop, Michael Jackson with a markedly more reverent aplomb. The song "
When I Was Your Man "When I Was Your Man" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars from his second studio album, '' Unorthodox Jukebox'' (2012). Atlantic Records released the song as the third promotional single and as the second official single, t ...
" is a pop piano ballad and shows traditional notions of romance, a pre-fame heartbreak as Mars regrets letting his woman get away. Melinda Newman of HitFix thought the track "sounds like a cross between
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, sou ...
and
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
," also seeing "a touch of Michael Jackson" in his delivery. Andy Gill of ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publishe ...
'' called it a " McCartney-esque piano ballad", while Jason Lipshut of ''Billboard'' wrote that "it will make for a killer lighters-in-the-air moment in concert. Although it's not quite an
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Colu ...
-esque powerhouse, tsmartly allows Mars to momentarily remove his fedora and bare his soul". The single was additionally likened to the material of Wham!. With "Natalie", Mars exhibits further male chauvinist sentiments over a girl named Natalie who stole Mars's money and ran away with it; the singer is therefore plotting murderous revenge against her. The song was described as "a sort of methed-up " Dirty Diana", assembled with fierce handclaps and hard-edged oooh-oooh vocal echos". Lipshutz called it the "flip-side of "When I Was Your Man" and pointed out Mars lamenting the hypnotism of a "gold-digging bitch". "Show Me" portrays a recording with ample influences of reggae and
dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Ro ...
. These infusions are easily noticed by the "over sampled air horns", "tape-echo effects" and steel drums. The ninth track from ''Unorthodox Jukebox'', "Money Makes Her Smile", is the result of a trip to a
strip club A strip club is a venue where strippers provide adult entertainment, predominantly in the form of striptease or other erotic or exotic dances. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or bar style, and can also adopt a theatre or cabaret-style. Am ...
done by Mars and Diplo, who afterwards decided to create an "anthem" for it, since Mars's debut solo single was an awful song to be played in such place, according to him. The recording was described as a "strip-club-directed banger", infused with disco elements. Its composition includes "rapid-fire chants, breathless percussion, propulsive electronic blips" along with "rave sirens and hardcore punk rattle". Lyrically, the song describes a gold digger who can only be satisfied by "fat stacks of money". The album's final song of the standard edition, "If I Knew", is a Sam Cooke-inspired ballad which incorporates soul and
doo-wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...
nuances. It lyrically delves on themes of regret. "Old & Crazy", a duet between Mars and Esperanza Spalding, was included on the deluxe version of ''Unorthodox Jukebox''. Jeff Bhasker, one of the track's producers, confessed that the song is reminiscent of the sound of a 1920s Paris club. He went on explaining that its process began with Emile Haynie producing a beat and Bhasker adding a sample of a
Django Reinhardt Jean Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953), known by his Romani nickname Django ( or ), was a Romani-French jazz guitarist and composer. He was one of the first major jazz talents to emerge in Europe and has been hailed as one of its most ...
recording over it.


Singles

"Locked Out of Heaven" was digitally unveiled and released for radio airplay on October 1, 2012, as the album's
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release ...
. It received positive commentary from music critics, who praised its reggae, rock and funky beat, but also its lyrics for talking about passion in a "tidy and impeccable" way. Commercially, the recording was a success, peaking atop the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and claiming the position for six weeks, marking Mars's longest-running number-one on the chart after previously released " Just the Way You Are" (2010) and "
Grenade A grenade is an explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern hand grenade g ...
" (2010) each topped the chart for four editions. The song further peaked at number one in Canada and on the US Pop Songs chart, while reaching the top ten in more than twenty countries. "When I Was Your Man" was released on January 15, 2013, as the album's second single. It had previously been premiered as the album's third and final promotional single one month and a half prior to its stand-alone release. The track was critically acclaimed, receiving praising for being an "emotional ballad" and for featuring a "minimal musical accompaniment". The song topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, becoming the singer's fifth number one single in the United States and it reached the top fifteen in several fellow territories. "When I Was Your Man" was nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 56th Grammy Awards. "Treasure" was subsequently confirmed as the record's third single by
Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most ...
. It received generally favorable reviews from critics, who praised it for " choingthe peppy sound of such pop/R&B hit-makers of the 1970s and 1980s as the Sylvers, Heatwave, DeBarge and Kool & the Gang." To promote the single, Mars performed on various occasions, including a "little extra Michael Jackson-esque, circa '' Off the Wall'' and ''
Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...
''" show at the 2013 ''Billboard'' Music Awards. Commercially, "Treasure" reached the top five in the United States and other eighteen countries. "Gorilla", confirmed as the next single for ''Unorthodox Jukebox'', was produced by the Smeezingtons, Mark Ronson, Jeff Bhasker and Emile Haynie, who previously handled the process for the record's lead single. The track impacted American pop radio on September 10, 2013, thus peaking at number 22 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and becoming the singer's first single not to reach the top ten there. Mars performed the single for the first time during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. "Young Girls" was released as the fifth and final single from the album. Mars announced its availability during an interview with
Nova 96.9 Nova 96.9 (call sign: 2SYD) is a commercial radio station operating in Sydney, Australia. The station is owned by NOVA Entertainment along with sister station, smoothfm 95.3 Audience In 2014 Nova had a 4% share of the Sydney audience on ...
, an Australian radio station, on November 26, 2013. Commercially, its charting was influenced by its stand-alone release as the record's first promotional single on November 6, 2012, through
iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
. Unmaterialized plans for a music video to accompany "Young Girls" were made in 2012.


Release and promotion

On September 4, 2012, Mars reported to his fanbase that, "You'll hear something in October. I promise", after being asked for news regarding his second studio album. On September 19, 2012, the singer announced the release of ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' via
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
after having worked on it for a year. He further posted a link to a "Funny or Die" video entitled "Whatta Man", where Mars starred himself in order to celebrate. On September 28, 2012, ''Billboard'' reported the album's title and its American release date on December 11, 2012. In the same article, Mars revealed some of the guest producers, including Ronson, Bhasker, Diplo and others. He was as well featured on the week's cover story in which the track list was included; it was also revealed by
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
the same day. On October 24, 2012, the album's cover was unveiled by Mars after a promo shot previously used for a ''Billboard'' issue tried to pass as the official artwork. On November 6, 2012, "Young Girls", the first promotional single from a series of three, was made available for consumption worldwide. Subsequently, "Moonshine" and "When I Was Your Man" were released as the last promotional singles on November 19, 2012, and December 3, 2012, respectively. On the next day, ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' was made available to listen to in its entirety for a week before its release. On October 15, 2012, the album was made available for pre-order worldwide via Mars's official site, offering different options to purchase including an immediate MP3 download of "Locked Out of Heaven", the standard CD or digital release, the deluxe bundle (which included the record's physical issue, a T-shirt, and an ultimate bundle packaged similarly to the deluxe edition that featured an autographed screen print poster limited for the first 300 orders), and a key necklace for the single. The album was officially released on December 7, 2012. A year later, on November 5, 2013, the deluxe edition of the record was made available for consumption worldwide with a different cover artwork. Four days later, a DVD edition that included the music videos for the first three singles of ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' was released in Japan along with the deluxe edition of the album. Mars performed "Locked Out of Heaven" and "Young Girls" for the first time on ''Saturday Night Live'' on October 20, 2012, while receiving positive reaction from critics and the audience. Afterwards, he sang the same songs on November 7, 2012, at the 2012 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show; the performance later aired on December 4, 2012, on CBS. On November 24, 2012, Mars appeared on the ninth season of British '' X Factor'', where he performed "Locked Out of Heaven". On December 8, 2012, Mars performed at the 2012 edition of Jingle Bell Ball, an annually-held event promoted by
Capital FM Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capitals, List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the dura ...
, which took place at the O2 Arena in
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, whilst singing "Locked Out of Heaven" live on December 12, 2012, during the semi-finals of the second season of American '' X Factor''. Mars further performed the record's second single on '' The Voice'' during the final show of its third season held on December 17, 2012. The singer embarked on The Moonshine Jungle Tour starting on June 22, 2013, at the
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in Washington, D.C., United States. The first shows of the tour also featured performances in Canada and Puerto Rico until September. Its second leg, announced on February 20, 2013, consisted of concerts all over Europe; it ran from October to November 2014. The Moonshine Jungle Tour ended on October 4, 2014, having Mars performing on a total of seven legs.


Critical reception

''Unorthodox Jukebox'' was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. At
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, the album received an
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score of 70, based on 16 reviews. Aggregator
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gave ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' 6.4 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. Melissa Maerz from ''
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 cult ...
'' gave the album an A− and stated that " ars'stalent for crafting little pop perfections of all stripes is undeniable", describing the record as a fusion of pop and R&B. ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's Jody Rosen awarded ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' four out of five stars, writing that, "The result is a record that makes the competition sound sad and idea-starved by comparison". Dan Hyman from ''Spin'' granted the record an 8/10 rating, pointing out that "the bulk of ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' benefits from presenting he singeras he truly imagines himself: a big belter with an ear for pop hooks, sure, but one unafraid to dive into murkier waters." Hyman went on feeling that Mars's lyrics "get a desperately needed kick in the pants". Matt Cibula of ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, f ...
'' complimented the songs' hooks and found the album "sung and arranged just as perfectly as his earlier work ..a truly accomplished and slick pop album". Jon Caramanica of ''
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'' labelled the songwriting exceptional, while praising Mars for being "a model of concision who always knows where the trigger is, and always, always pulls it". He went on complimenting the songs on the record, "these are some of the most energy-infused but profoundly cosseted songs you’re likely to hear all year". ''Billboard'' magazine's Jason Lipshutz described that the record "succeeds in mixing its safer stylistic choices with its relatively bold ideas". BBC Music's Matthew Horton said that the captivating album showcases the singer's knack for songs with chart potential, while noting the incorporation of rock and soul. Sarah Rodman from ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' felt Mars "is trying to rough up his image a bit" as it is undeniable in "his strong, if sometimes oddly lyrically aggressive, second album". Ryan Reed, writing in ''
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'', gave ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' a 7/10 rating, confessing that "Mars still plays the sweetheart card well, but he's proven himself way more interesting as a badass". In a mixed review, Caroline Sullivan from ''
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'', Kitty Empire from ''
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'', and Andrew Chan from ''
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'' all rated ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' three out of five stars. Sullivan dubbed it "the same conventional mish-mash as his 6m-selling debut". Empire felt that Mars still lacks a characteristic style, observing "a little more hooliganism" than on his first album and feeling that, "despite its title, tdeserves your grudging respect" while noting the incorporation of reggae on the record. The critic went on arguing that Mars's songwriting values "narrative arc and internal logic". Closing the review, Chan called it "not an unqualified triumph, ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' is a step forward" and completed his idea saying that the singer "minor limitation" and "the key to his appeal" on a record that is "a reasonably listenable exercise in genre fetishization." Andy Gill of ''The Independent'' felt that the singer is a "talented chap", but resorts to imitations of past recording artists on the album, "whose title all but gives the game away". Fiona Shepherd of ''
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'' wrote that ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' is "a safe mixtape, especially compared to what Mars can pull off live with his terrific soul revue band". '' The A.V. Club''s Evan Rytlewsk gave ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' a C+, commenting that Mars is "an undeniable talent, desperately searching for an identity to claim as his own", though praising the tracks "Locked Out of Heaven", "Natalie", "Treasure" and "Show Me".
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 dat ...
's Tim Sendra felt the record is "a step back from ''Doo-Wops & Hooligans'' in so many ways" and criticized the singer for being an "icky hater", hoping that "Mars can sort out his feelings about women and get back to being a sweet romancer" since his "opinion of the opposite sex seems to have taken a nosedive" after his first album's sentimental lyrics.


Accolades

''Unorthodox Jukebox'' received a
Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall o ...
for International Album of the Year at the
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, a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 56th Grammy Awards and a nomination for Outstanding Creative Achievement in the category of Record Production/Album at the TEC Awards. It also received two additional awards, a Fonogram Award for Contemporary Pop-Rock Album of the Year and a Best Male Pop Vocal Album at the Telehit Awards, both ceremonies held in 2013. Its lead single, "Locked Out of Heaven", was nominated for Record of the Year and
Song of the Year Song of the Year may refer to: * Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year * Dove Award for Song of the Year * Golden Melody Award for Song of the Year * Grammis Song of the Year * Grammy Award for Song of the Year * Latin Grammy Awa ...
, while its Sultan + Ned Shepard remix received a nomination for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical at the 56th Grammy Awards. It was also nominated for Outstanding Creative Achievement in the category of Record Production/Single or Track at the TEC Awards. "Locked Out of Heaven" had previously won Best Song at the
2013 MTV Europe Music Awards The 2013 MTV EMAs (also known as the MTV Europe Music Awards) were held at the Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam, Netherlands, on 10 November 2013. This was the second time the awards had taken place in the Netherlands, the last time being in 1997. Several ...
. The record's second single, "When I Was Your Man", earned a nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 56th Grammy Awards. In December 2013, the album was placed at number two on online music service Rdio's list of "Top global albums" and according to
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, another online music service, ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' was the fifth most-streamed record worldwide. HitFix and MTV created two different lists that featured the 20 best albums of 2012, the recording ranked at number eight and 20, respectively. Suzan Gursoy of ''
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'' considered the release the 177th best albums of 2012.


Commercial performance

''Unorthodox Jukebox'' debuted at number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200 with first-week sales of 192,000 copies (134,000 physical sales and 57,000 digital sales), topping the expectations of sales that were around 140,000–150,000 copies, earning Bruno Mars his highest peak on the chart. The next week, it sold 178,000 copies, dropping to the third position. The album secured a third consecutive week within the top five in America, withstanding a 38% sales drop to 110,000 copies. Three weeks after the debut, the record sold a total of 480,000 copies. On March 7, 2013, twelve weeks since its availability, the record reached the top spot of the ''Billboard'' 200 with 95,000 copies sold, mainly due to an Amazon MP3 sale pricing ($1.99 for a day and $3.99 for the rest of the week). The album sold 1,399,000 copies in the United States until January 2014, making it the fifth best-selling album of the year. In the week of February 5, 2014, following Mars's presence at the 56th Grammy Awards and performance at the Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show, sales for the album increased by 180%, rebounding ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' back in the top ten. For the week ending February 12, 2014, the album climbed to the third position with sales of 81,000, making a total of 123,000 units sold in both weeks. The album has been certified six times platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
(RIAA) for sales and streaming figures equivalent to six million copies. As of July 24, 2017, it has sold 2,574,000 total copies in the United States. The record's success in 2013 was decisive to Mars being chosen as the headline performance on the half-time show of the Super Bowl XLVIII, and appearing on ''Billboard'' Artist of the Year by ''Billboard''; according to Bill Werde, an editorial director of the magazine, the singer's songs that "stuck around on multiple formats all year round" played a key role. He was also the most-played artist at Top 40 Radio, the third most played at rhythmic stations and Hot Adult Contemporary station, as well as the fifth most-played at AC stations in 2013, according to Mediabase. In addition, Mars topped three of ''Billboard''s 2013 year-end charts ( Hot 100 Artist, Mainstream Top 40 and Hot Digital Songs). The album was ranked as the 55th best album of all time on the ''Billboard'' Top 200 Albums of All Time. In Europe, the album was similarly successful. It debuted at number one on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
as the
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predicted, with 136,000 copies sold in its first week, thus becoming the third fastest-selling album recorded by an artist in 2012, after Mumford & Sons's '' Babel'', and '' Take Me Home'' by
One Direction One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group are composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the gro ...
. It first brought total sales to over 100,000 copies in the United Kingdom, thus earning a gold certification, but was later certified three times 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 wi ...
(BPI). It has sold over 987,000 copies in the UK as of November 2016. In France, ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' debuted in the top ten and spent the whole year within the top twenty, except for two weeks. One year after its release, album sales exceeded 580,000 copies, therefore being certified diamond by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP). As of 2014, the record sold 580,000 units in that territory. In Switzerland, the album debuted atop the charts and was certified platinum, while opening at number four on the
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and becoming certified twice platinum. The record further charted within the top ten on the Spanish Albums Chart for the first time after 30 weeks, the longest time an album needed since American rock band
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's '' El Camino'' (2011) (61 weeks). In Oceania, ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' debuted at number nine in New Zealand and was certified gold by the Recorded Music NZ, selling over 7,000 copies in two weeks. The album eventually reached its peak position at number two in that country, marking the singer's consecutive record to do so. As of February 2014, ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' was certified three times platinum in New Zealand. The record entered the Australian charts at number three, gradually climbing to the top spot, with it bringing total sales to 210,000 units and being similarly certified by the
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replac ...
(ARIA). It was the third best-selling album in Australia in 2013. In Canada, ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' opened the Canadian Albums Chart at number two, later reaching number one on the week ending July 20, 2013. In Japan, the album debuted at number eleven on the
Oricon Albums Chart The Oricon Albums Chart is the Japanese music industry standard albums popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Oricon originally published LP, CT, Cartridge and CD charts prior to the establishment of the Oricon ...
. In mid-year 2017, the record sold a total of 250,000 units, therefore reaching platinum status. In 2014, the album topped the Mexican Albums Chart and remains the ninth best-selling release there, with it spending 106 weeks in the chart. It also earned a two times platinum+gold certification for exceeding sales of over 150,000 copies in that territory. As of 2014, ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' sold 3.2 million units globally, while bringing totals sales to six million copies by March 2016.


Track listing

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' by
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, ASCAP and ''Billboard''. Note * signifies a co-record producer Sample credits *"Old & Crazy" contains elements of " Japanese Sandman", performed by Django Reinhardt and composed by Richard A. Whiting.


Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Unorthodox Jukebox''. Technical and composing credits * The Smeezingtons – executive producer, production (all tracks) * Bruno Mars – vocals (all tracks), guitar (track 2), keyboards (track 5), piano (track 6) * Mark Ronson – bass (track 5), beats (tracks 3, 5), DJ (track 2), recording (tracks 2, 3), guitar (track 5), production (tracks 2, 3, 5) * Emile Haynie – additional drums, effects, and keyboards (track 2); production (tracks 1–3) * Jeff Bhasker – background vocals (track 5), keyboards (tracks 2, 3, 5), production (tracks 1–3, 5) *
Andrew Wyatt Andrew Wyatt Blakemore is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. Born and raised in Manhattan, New York, he began his career playing in New York bands such as The A.M. and Black Beetle. He gained wider notability as the frontman ...
 – background vocals and guitar (track 5) * Dwayne "Supa Dups" Chin Quee – production (track 8) * Benny Blanco – co-production (track 7) * Diplo – co-production (track 9) *
Paul Epworth Paul Richard Epworth (born 25 July 1974) is an English record producer, songwriter, musician, and remixer. He has worked with artists including Adele, Florence and the Machine, Rihanna, and Maxïmo Park, among many others. He is a member of th ...
 – co-production (track 7) * Nick Movshon – bass (track 2) * Homer Steinweiss – drums (track 2) *
Steve Jordan Steve, Stephen, or Steven Jordan may refer to: Music * Steve Jordan (guitarist) (1919–1993), American jazz guitarist * Steve Jordan (drummer) (born 1957), American drummer, studio musician * Steve Jordan (accordionist) (born Esteban Jordan) (1939 ...
 – drums (track 3) * Sharrod Barnes – guitar (track 3) * Artie Smith – vibraphone and gear technician (tracks 2, 3) Creative credits * Willo Perron – art direction, design * Harper Smith – photography Recording personnel * David Kutch – mastering (all tracks) * Manny Marroquin – mixing (all tracks) * Alalal – engineer (tracks 2, 3) * Ari Levine – recording (all tracks) * Charles Moniz – additional engineer (all tracks) * Wayne Gordon – recording (track 2) * Bob Mallory – assistant recording (tracks 2, 3) * Tyler Hartman – assistant recording (tracks 2, 3) * Brent Kolatalo – drum engineering (track 1) * Ken Lewis (musician), Ken Lewis – drum engineering (track 1)


Charts


Weekly charts


Decade-end charts


All-time charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


Notes


References

{{Authority control 2012 albums Albums produced by Benny Blanco Albums produced by Diplo Albums produced by Emile Haynie Albums produced by Jeff Bhasker Albums produced by Major Lazer Albums produced by Mark Ronson Albums produced by Paul Epworth Albums produced by the Smeezingtons Atlantic Records albums Bruno Mars albums Disco albums by American artists Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album Juno Award for International Album of the Year albums Albums involved in plagiarism controversies