So far this year has been filled with surprises, some welcomed and others completely unwanted. A lovely surprise in the music realm is Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak partnering together to form the new band Silk Sonic.
Silk Sonic released their first song “Leave The Door Open” on Thursday (March 4), exhibiting their strong musicianship and melodic voices on the sultry R&B track. Accompanied with the song is also a 1970’s style music video that portrays Mars and Paak in midst of a Silk Sonic recording session.
The sensual single is an intro to Silk Sonic’s new album— “An Evening With Silk Sonic”— which will be out later this year. The upcoming project will also include input from funk legend Bootsy Collins a.k.a Bootzilla Baby!
Paak and Mars’ partnership has been a long time coming. According to American Songwriter, “Mars and Paak met in 2017 while touring together. Fast friends, a studio collaboration was an organic next step for the artists when they returned home. Each credits the other for the newfangled soundscape that defines Silk Sonic as a band. Together, with Collins as a “special guest host,” the artists established a dynamic retrospective nod. It’s reminiscent of shared early influences, yet their melded approach promotes an unprecedented sonic blend.”
Silk Sonic’s sound is amalgamation of different influences, including the blues genre.
“Delta swamp blues was what we were going for,” Paak tells Apple Music’s Zane Lowe during an interview. “And then, you know what we ended up with, was a hit.”
Although the silk sound may be a slight pivot from Mars and Paak’s individual musical style, their coalition is still thoroughly appreciated given their recent hiatus from music making. Until Silk Sonic, Paak hadn’t released a new album since his 2019 album “Ventura” and Mars since his 2016 album “24K Magic.”