Anderson .Paak

Bruno Mars And Anderson .Paak Bring Silk Sonic To The 2021 Grammys Stage With A Throwback Performance

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CBS

During the lead-up to this year’s Grammys, Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak made it clear that they wanted their new supergroup, Silk Sonic, to perform during the broadcast. They made a big stink about it on Twitter, trying to convince the Recording Academy to give them a performance slot during the 2021 ceremony. As many surely suspected, it seemed the pair’s faux-bellyaching seemed to have been a ploy to drum up attention for their performance, which the Academy announced days later was locked in.

So, Mars and .Paak took the stage tonight and busted out a rendition of their sole single so far, “Leave The Door Open.” The duo was joined by a pair of background singers and they all made perfect use of the stage, with .Paak and Mars joining their backing cohorts towards the back of the space when they weren’t on lead vocals.

Mars has been relatively quiet over the past few years and consequently, he doesn’t have any Grammy nominations this year. .Paak has a couple of nods for 2021, though: “Lockdown” was nominated for for Best Melodic Rap Performance while that song’s visual is up for Best Music Video.

Watch Silk Sonic’s Grammy performance above and find the full list of this year’s Grammy winners and nominees here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Could Anderson Paak Be Collaborating With BTS Next?

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Although it’s his brand new collaboration with Bruno Mars that has catapulted Anderson Paak back into the news cycle — and to the Grammys stage, no less — the Silk Sonic project hasn’t taken other options for joint work off the table for Paak. He seems to be, ahem, leaving the door open for other collaborations, if they come across his desk.

In a recent interview with Esquire the R&B star talked about his love and respect for K-pop, particularly one of the biggest acts in the genre (and the world) right now, BTS. It’s actually Paak’s son, Soul, who he speaks to about the band — especially considering Soul’s mom and Paak’s wife, Jaylyn, is from South Korea.

“I tell him, ‘Yeah, K-pop is where it’s at, man,” Paak said of conversations with his son. “Make sure you keep up with your Korean’ because you could be rapping in Korean one day, and we’ll fly your ass out there, and you won’t got to worry about sh*t.’”

And as far as any plans Anderson himself might have for working with the crew, he sounds more than interested: “I’m working on trying to get that plug, man,” he told Esquire. “If you know of any way, let me know, bro.” The article notes that Paak is “mostly joking,” yet, the isn’t that far of a stretch. Paak has already worked with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, and appeared on Jazmine Sullivan’s excellent 2021 record Heaux Tales. K-pop could easily be next.

Well, it seems unlikely that journalist has the connect, but BTS if you’re reading this, please consider! Since both artists are performing at the Grammys tomorrow night, it just might be possible they’ll bump into each other backstage. Fingers crossed.

Check out Esquire‘s full profile on Anderson here and his brand new track with Bruno, “Leave The Door Open” above.

Anderson .Paak Shares An Update On Kendrick Lamar And Dr. Dre

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Anderson .Paak is back in the spotlight. He recently joined forces with Bruno Mars as Silk Sonic to release their first joint single, “Leave The Door Open,” ahead of their upcoming album. The project will join a growing list of collaborations that .Paak has done with some of the industry’s best, including Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre. He worked with the former on their 2018 single, “Tints,” while the latter served as an executive producer on his 2018 album, Oxnard. In a recent sit-down with Esquire, .Paak shared an update about the two Compton-based acts.

“We talk just through texts and just off and on,” he said about Lamar. “I always check on him and the family and make sure he’s good. He’s always responsive, and just like, just let me know he’s hanging in there just like everybody else.” .Paak also had positive things to say about Dre, who suffered a brain aneurysm at the beginning of the year.

“Dre’s having a good-ass time,” he said in regards ton Dre’s quarantine life. “That’s already his life—isolation, working all the time. I think he was probably used to it. But he’s having fun now because a lot of people have more time on their hands, so they can come visit him and make music with big Uncle Dre.” As for their own collaborations, Paak said Dre has taken a step back is “letting me fly and figure it out.”

The interview also saw the Oxnard-bred act speak about his upcoming fifth album. “With this new material you’re going to get some real topics, and you’re going to get some substance, but mixed with some great grooves,” he said. .Paak also expressed his desire to collaborate with popular K-pop band, BTS.

“I’m working on trying to get that plug, man,” he said. “If you know of any way, let me know, bro.”

Bruno Mars is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Anderson .Paak + Bruno Mars Convince Grammys To Let Them Perform

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Anderson-Paak-Bruno-Mars-Get-Grammys-Let-Them-in

Rapper/singer Anderson .Paak is headed for bigger and better things with Silk Sonic, the new group he’s formed with pop superstar Bruno Mars. The creative pair launched a social media campaign recently to get added to the list of performers at this weekend’s Grammy Awards show, and it worked. Silk Sonic Talks Their Way Onto […]

The post Anderson .Paak + Bruno Mars Convince Grammys To Let Them Perform appeared first on SOHH.com.

Paul McCartney Announces A Collaborative New Version Of ‘McCartney III’ With A Cover From Dominic Fike

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It appeared yesterday that a cryptic video Paul McCartney shared was teasing upcoming collaborations with Anderson .Paak, Phoebe Bridgers, Idris Elba, EOB (Ed O’Brien), Dominic Fike, St. Vincent, Damon Albarn, Beck, Khruangbin, Josh Homme, 3D RDN (of Massive Attack), and Blood Orange. Today, he has confirmed that to be the case: He is releasing a reworked version of his 2020 album, McCartney III, titled McCartney III Imagined, which features contributions from the aforementioned artists.

Tracks from the original album have been covered and/or otherwise reimagined by the guest artists and McCartney kicked things off today by sharing Fike’s rendition of “The Kiss Of Venus,” which he transformed from an acoustic ballad to an R&B jam.

During a Reddit AMA from December, McCartney cited Fike and other artists involved in McCartney III Imagined as modern performers he listens to, writing, “I’m lucky, I have a friend who sends me new music which helps me keep in touch with the modern scene. So I listen to people like Dominic Fike, Beck, St Vincent and Khruangbin. I also listen to a lot of classic oldies coming through, from rock n’ roll to 60’s to soul to R’n’B, with a sprinkling of classical music now and then.”

Listen to Fike’s “The Kiss Of Venus” cover above and check out the McCartney III Imagined art and tracklist below.

Capitol Records

1. “Find My Way (feat. Beck)”
2. “The Kiss Of Venus (Dominic Fike)”
3. “Pretty Boys (feat. Khruangbin)”
4. “Women And Wives (St. Vincent Remix)”
5. “Deep Down (Blood Orange Remix)”
6. “Seize The Day (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)”
7. “Slidin’ (EOB Remix)”
8. “Long Tailed Winter Bird (Damon Albarn Remix)”
9. “Lavatory Lil (Josh Homme)”
10. “When Winter Comes (Anderson .Paak Remix)”
11. “Deep Deep Feeling (3D RDN Remix)”
12. “Long Tailed Winter Bird (Idris Elba Remix)”*

* physical release exclusive track

McCartney III Imagined is out 4/16 via Capitol Records. Pre-order it here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Anderson .Paak + Bruno Mars Publicly Beg The Grammys

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Bill Withers Remembered By Anderson .Paak

Rapper/singer Anderson .Paak and pop megastar Bruno Mars have formed a group called Silk Sonic, and their first single “Leave the Door Open” is already a hit. Now they’re trying hard to get on the Grammy Awards show lineup as a last-minute addition. Anderson .Paak + Bruno Mars Want A Piece Of The Grammys Stage […]

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Anderson .Paak And Bruno Mars Received An Invite To Perform At The 2021 Grammys

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This past Sunday, the Recording Academy revealed its long list of performers for the upcoming 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. The setlist promises appearances from Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Cardi B, DaBaby, Lil Baby, Roddy Ricch, Doja Cat, and many other favorites. Despite the rather lengthy list of acts, there was a pair of artists who were particularly disappointed to not be invited: Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak.

The singers recently joined forces as Silk Sonic and shared their first single, “Leave The Door Open,” which was met with rave reviews. When they were not listed among the Grammy performers, they took matters into their own hands. Mars posted a letter to Twitter, which was co-signed by .Paak, which read in part, “Dear Grammys, If you can see it in your hearts to allow two out of work musicians to perform at your show, we would really appreciate it. We just released a song and could really use the promotion right now.” Thankfully for them, the message worked, as the Recording Academy delivered exactly the response they hoped for.

In a tweet, the Academy wrote, “.@BrunoMars & @AndersonPaak We have been trying to call you all week. Have you changed your numbers? We would love for #silksonic to make their TV debut at the #GRAMMYs.” They added, “Are you free this Sunday night? Follow back and we will DM for details.” Just like that, Silk Sonic will be on stage this Sunday.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Bruno Mars And Anderson .Paak Really Want Silk Sonic To Perform At The Grammys This Year

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Warner Records

Over the weekend, the Recording Academy announced its list of performers for this year’s Grammys ceremony, which includes Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and other big names. A pair of artists was excluded, though, and they’re not pleased about it: Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, who are now collectively known as Silk Sonic. The two were so flabbergasted by their absence from the list that they took to Twitter to vent their frustrations and rally the Academy to give them a shot.

Yesterday afternoon, .Paak shared a graphic of the performers list and tweeted, “YO @BrunoMars WHAT THE F*CK?!? Did you see this?!?! Call me back!!” Mars replied, “Wait… are you sure this is even real? where did you find this?” That was the beginning of a playful back-and-forth, which .Paak continued, “Bro it says CBS right at the top! It’s legit. What the F*CK!!?! ANSWER YOUR PHONE!!”

Mars answered, “Are you sure these are performers and not just presenters,” to which .Paak replied, “FAM STOP!!! Did they even hear the song?!? They don’t love us??” Mars then shared a revised image of the list and wrote, “See @AndersonPaak You’ve been misinformed. This is the real real bill. we’re all good!” As .Paak quickly pointed out, though, “And we’re not on this either you PRICK!!!” That elicited a simple “Oh” from Mars.

This is when .Paak got the ball rolling, tweeting, “Do we need to get a hashtag going or something??” Presumably rubbing his eyes while tweeting his response, Mars wrote, “Andy just chill. i’m still waking up.” .Paak was unrelenting, responding, “Nah f*ck that! I haven’t seen my family in months!! I need this to work, You promised me!! Everybody join in!!! I need all of Twitter to help make this trend!! Come on @RecordingAcad #LetSilkSonicThrive.” Mars answered, “I don’t think this is how u get on a show @AndersonPaak, & that’s a pretty long hashtag but i’m rockin wit you. #LetSilkSonicThrive.”

Mars then shared a letter that read:

“Dear Grammys,

If you can see it in your hearts to allow two out of work musicians to perform at your show, we would really appreciate it. We just released a song and could really use the promotion right now. We have a lot riding on this record (and the Pelicans game next week, but that’s another story). We haven’t been able to perform for a while and we just want to sing. We’ll send in an audition tape and take as many covid tests as we need to. I promise we won’t be extra. We just really want a gig again. I hope you’ll consider this request and give us the opportunity to shine. Love, Silk Sonic.”

.Paak added, “WHAT HE SAID! #LetSilkSonicThrive.” .Paak later noted that the hashtag had become a trending topic on Twitter, writing, “@RecordingAcad I know you see this!! We doing real numbers out here!! You can’t ignore the people!!!#LetSilkSonicThrive.” Mars responded, “Yo!!! @AndersonPaak It’s working! you’re a real twitter wizard! @RecordingAcad please log on and look at this!!! #LetSilkSonicThrive.” Mars added, “Wow this started with just us 2 and now we’re a whole army! There’s nothing we cant do. First the Grammys then the world! UNLIMITED POWERRR!”

Still, it would seem .Paak lost hope in the cause, as he was quick to attempt to hop on the BTS train, tweeting, “Bro the @RecordingAcad haven’t even responded… @bts_bighit do y’all need a drummer? #LetSilkSonicThrive.” Mars responded, “You’re right. I got excited we were trending for a while today. I’m sorry I let you down. I hope you & BTS go on to do great things,” to which .Paak replied, “You never let me down champ! Only disappointed me. But sh*t atleast it’s top trending! Don’t give up hope! Either The Grammys or BTS is gonna hit us Back I know it. thank you guys so much!!! #LetSilkSonicThrive.”

Mars and .Paak are certainly fit to appear on the Grammys stage, as they are both accomplished veterans of the awards: Mars has picked up 11 Grammy wins from 27 nominations, while .Paak has 3 wins from 7 nominations.

That’s where the situation stands now. It’s not clear if this is some sort of elaborate social media campaign leading up to an official announcement of Silk Sonic’s addition to the Grammy performance lineup, if this is actually how Mars and .Paak are trying to get involved, or if they’re just goofing around and getting some viral self-promotion in on Twitter. Either way, check out the tweets here or below.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Anderson .Paak + Bruno Mars Reveal How They Linked Up

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silk-sonic

West Coast rapper/singer Anderson .Paak and pop megastar Bruno Mars have formed a musical juggernaut with their Silk Sonic project. Together, they dropped a new single “Leave the Door Open” on Friday that’s a surefire hit. Anderson .Paak + Bruno Mars Bring Silk Sonic To Life Anderson .Paak’s last album, 2019’s Ventura, peaked at No. […]

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Bruno Mars Isn’t Fazed By Those Who Accuse Him Of Cultural Appropriation

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Back in 2018, Twitter ignited with accusations of cultural appropriation against Bruno Mars, who critics said was cashing in on music inspired by Black entertainers. At the time, Mars responded by saying all genres of music, from jazz to hip-hop, have roots in the Black community. “In my world, Black music means everything,” he said at the time. Now, Mars is once again addressing his cultural appropriation backlash, this time by explaining his inspirations.

Bruno Mars recently sat down for an interview with The Breakfast Club alongside Anderson .Paak in support of their recent Silk Sonic single “Leave The Door Open.” Charlamagne Tha God, the host of The Breakfast Club, asked Mars how he felt about being accused of “cultural theft.” Mars responded by saying he does draw inspiration from Black legends like Prince and James Brown:

“I’ll say, you can’t find an interview where I’m not talking about the entertainers who have come before me. The only reason why I’m here is because of James Brown, Prince, Michael [Jackson], that’s the only reason why I’m here. I’m growing up as a kid watching Bobbie Brown saying, ‘Okay, if that’s what it takes to make it, then I gotta learn how to do the running man, I gotta learn how to do the moonwalk.’ That’s it. This music comes from love. If you can’t hear that, then I don’t know what to tell you.

It’s the truth, it’s not a secret. Like I said, we’re wearing the inspiration on our sleeve. What is the point if us as musicians if we can’t learn from the guys that come before us? I hope later on, down the road, there’s going to be a band that’s taking what we did and flipping that, and freaking that, and putting their own spin on it. Because if we don’t, then what was the point of us doing this?”

Charlamagne then asked Mars if he was ever “pissed off” by the cultural appropriation critics, and Mars said he wasn’t fazed. Rather, he understands that Black creators are oftentimes not given the credit they deserve. “There’s merit to what people are saying about Black entertainers not getting their flowers,” he said. “I’m champion of that, I’m with that. […] I understand. It’s just Twitter, man.”

Watch a clip of Mars and .Paak’s interview on The Breakfast Club above.

Bruno Mars is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.