"Just the Way You Are" is the debut solo single by American singer-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 is 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 s ...
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). The song was written by Mars,
Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine,
Khalil Walton and
Needlz
Khari Cain (born April 19, 1978), professionally known as Needlz, is an American record producer and songwriter.
Early life and career
Khari Cain was born on April 19, 1978 in Lansing, Michigan. He began to DJ while an undergraduate in Florida ...
and produced by the former three, 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 ...
along with Needlz. It was released in the United States to
contemporary hit radio on August 10, 2010. The track was released in the United Kingdom on September 19, 2010, as "Just the Way You Are (Amazing)". The song's lyrics compliment a woman's beauty.
The debut single 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 praised the Smeezingtons' production but dubbed its lyrics as sappy and corny. It won
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the
53rd Annual Grammy Awards
The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights pri ...
. The song peaked at number one on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and in the United Kingdom charts and peaked in the top five in other countries. It was certified thirteen times platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), seven 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 replacing ...
(ARIA) and diamond by
Music Canada (MC). "Just the Way You Are" was the best-selling digital single of 2011, selling more than 12.5 million copies, thus joining an elite group of
best-selling singles worldwide
This is a compendium of the best-selling music singles. The criterion for inclusion is to sell at least ten million copies worldwide. The singles listed here were cited by reliable sources from various media, such as digital journalism, news ...
.
The music video, directed by Ethan Lader, was released on September 8, 2010, and features
Peruvian
Peruvians ( es, peruanos) are the citizens of Peru. There were Andean and coastal ancient civilizations like Caral, which inhabited what is now Peruvian territory for several millennia before the Spanish conquest of Peru, Spanish conquest in th ...
born
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
actress
Nathalie Kelley
Nathalie Kelley is a Peruvian-born Australian actress, known for her role as Neela in the 2006 action film '' The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'', and for her roles in various television series including ''Body of Proof'' (2011–2012), '' ...
. Mars performed "Just The Way You Are" at ''
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 (streaming service), Peacock. ...
'' and at ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was pro ...
''. He has sung "Just the Way You Are" on all his tours since 2010, sometimes as an encore, and included it during his performance 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 ...
. The song has been covered by various recording artists and it inspired
Meghan Trainor
Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (born December 22, 1993) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached ...
's debut single "
All About That Bass
"All About That Bass" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor, released on June 30, 2014, through Epic Records. The song was included on Trainor's debut extended play (EP) ''Title'' (2014) and her debut studio album of t ...
" (2014).
Writing and production
Bruno Mars said of the song, "It took me months to come up with 'Just the Way You Are'... I wasn't thinking of anything deep or poetic. I was telling a story. Get ready to fall in love!" It was inspired by
Eric Clapton's "
Wonderful Tonight
"Wonderful Tonight" is a ballad written by Eric Clapton. It was included on Clapton's 1977 album '' Slowhand''. Clapton wrote the song about Pattie Boyd. "the hard-rock pioneer and guitar god also become a soft-rock star in the mid-1970s. He c ...
" (1977) and
Sinéad O'Connor's "
Nothing Compares 2 U
"Nothing Compares 2 U" is a song written and composed by Prince for his side project, The Family; the song featured on their eponymous 1985 debut album. The song features lyrics exploring feelings of longing from the point of view of an abando ...
" (1990).
Mars explained, "I'm a big fan of songs like
Joe Cocker's '
You Are So Beautiful
"You Are So Beautiful" is a song written by Billy Preston and Bruce Fisher that was first released in 1974 on Preston's ninth studio album, '' The Kids & Me''. It was also the B-side of his single "Struttin'". Later that same year, English sing ...
' and Clapton's 'Wonderful Tonight' – songs that go straight to the point. You know, there's no mind-boggling lyrics or twists in the story – they just come directly from the heart. And to me 'Just The Way You Are' is one of those songs. There's nothing mind-blowing about it. I'm just telling a woman she looks beautiful the way she IS – and, let's be honest, what woman doesn't wanna hear those lyrics?!"
Mars's
A&R,
Aaron Bay-Schuck
Aaron Bay-Schuck (born September 5, 1981) is an American music industry executive. The CEO and co-chairman of Warner Records (formerly Warner Bros. Records), he was previously the president of A&R at Interscope Geffen A&M and the senior vice pr ...
, was responsible for finding the original idea from American record producers and songwriters
Khalil Walton and
Needlz
Khari Cain (born April 19, 1978), professionally known as Needlz, is an American record producer and songwriter.
Early life and career
Khari Cain was born on April 19, 1978 in Lansing, Michigan. He began to DJ while an undergraduate in Florida ...
.
Mars originally sang the hook that Khalil and Needlz wrote for a feature on a
Lupe Fiasco record. Needlz allowed Mars to use the idea for his album.
This was all facilitated by Bay-Shuck, who told
HitQuarters that as soon as "Just the Way You Are" was finished they knew they had the first single, saying:
"It had a massive chorus, an instantly memorable melody and lyric, and was a natural transition from the B.o.B
Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. (born November 15, 1988), known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons was signed to Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainment imprint in 2006. Two years late ...
and Travie McCoy
Travis Lazarus "Travie" McCoy (born August 5, 1981) is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is the co-founder and former lead vocalist of the rap rock band Gym Class Heroes, in addition to having a solo career. McCoy became involved w ...
songs ... lsoit didn't sound like anything else on the radio. It had everything we could want in a first single for Bruno."
Ari Levine explained: "
Needlz
Khari Cain (born April 19, 1978), professionally known as Needlz, is an American record producer and songwriter.
Early life and career
Khari Cain was born on April 19, 1978 in Lansing, Michigan. He began to DJ while an undergraduate in Florida ...
had a track with a melody idea by
Khalil Walton that was presented to us by one of the A&R guys. Bruno and Phil came up with the chorus, and then Needlz sent us the files and we replaced a bunch of sounds with our sounds and I programmed drums in the
MPC, and we wrote the rest of the song. I never met Needlz or Walton".
The song was offered to Lupe Fiasco and
CeeLo Green
Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarls ...
, but at that point, Mars decided to keep it.
"Just the Way You Are" was written by Mars,
Philip Lawrence, Levine, Walton, and Needlz, while production was handled by
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 ...
along with Needlz. Levine and Mars played all the instruments on the track, with the former engineering the song at Levcon Studios in California. The track was mixed at Larrabee Sound Studios in Los Angeles 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
...
, while Christian Plata and Erik Madrid served as mixing 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.
Release
"Just The Way You Are" was released as the lead single from ''
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 ...
''.
Elektra Records serviced the song to download in the United States on July 20, 2010.
It was released in the United States to
contemporary hit radio on August 10, 2010 ,by Elektra and
Atlantic Records.
On September 27, 2010, the song was released for digital download, under the name, Just the Way You Are (Amazing).
On November 2, seven remixes were released as a purchasable download in US.
It was released as a CD single in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, on November 12. It contains the album version of the song and the remix by Skrillex Batboi.
The track was released on September 27, 2010, in the United Kingdom via digital download.
On November 2, 2010, an EP that includes several remixes was released in various countries. Skrillex, Martin Danielle and the Manufactured Superstars were among the names to remix the original version into electronic dance music versions.
A deluxe edition which includes the official remix with rapper
Lupe Fiasco and the music video was released on November 25, 2010.
The official remix was also released on the deluxe edition of ''Doo-Wops & Hooligans'' (2010).
Composition and lyrical interpretation
"Just The Way You Are" is a
pop,
R&B and
soft rock ballad.
Its instrumentation features
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
and a "hip-hop
breakbeat".
Tim Byron of
The Vine
The True Vine ( ''hē ampelos hē alēthinē'') is an allegory or parable given by Jesus in the New Testament. Found in John , it describes Jesus' disciples as branches of himself, who is described as the "true vine", and God the Father the " ...
said "the steeply rising melody at the start of the chorus introduces a little tension before defusing it with the catchy tag of the chorus, which is simple and effective as a hook".
''
Billboard'' said that Mars "takes his dreamy
soprano to the next level" on the track.
The song is in the
key of
F major
F major (or the key of F) is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative minor is D minor and its parallel minor is F minor.
The F major scale is:
:
F major is the ...
and has a sequence of F–Dm–B–F. Mars's vocal range spans from
F3 to
C5.
''Billboard'' called "Just The Way You Are" "a feel-good jam".
Leah Greenblatt of ''
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 ...
'' labeled the song "sweetly smitten ballad". Brad Wete, writing for the same publication, described the track as "an endearing mid-tempo". Wete also said its "vibe" resembles the "collaboration with
B.o.B
Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. (born November 15, 1988), known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons was signed to Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainment imprint in 2006. Two years late ...
–just not as groovy". Nick Levine from ''
Digital Spy'' describe it as a "huge-hearted urbany piano ballad", comparing its sound to "
Empire State of Mind
"Empire State of Mind" is a song performed by American rapper Jay-Z featuring American singer Alicia Keys from the former's 11th studio album, ''The Blueprint 3'' (2009). It was released on October 20, 2009. Produced by Al Shux, the song feature ...
" (2009)."
The song has been compared to a "
U2 production" by Jon Caramanica of ''
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 ...
'' and by Andy Gill adding that he felt a "groove through R&B territory". 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 ...
called the debut single "lushly romantic".
Scott Kara for the ''
New Zealand Herald
''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation of all newspapers ...
'' dubbed the song as a "ballad boogie".
Lyrically, the song is about Mars professing "his love for a beautiful girl who occupies his dreams", on the verses "When you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while/ 'Cause girl you're amazing, just the way you are". ''Billboard'' concludes, "Mars pens lyrics that aim to make female listeners feel nothing short of perfect in their own skin".
Byron said the lyrics are "effective – the repeated lines at the start of the verses are catchy".
''
Consequence of Sound
''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...
''s Alex Young described the song "Mars sticks to the song's name and insists that he wouldn't want to change anything about his particular gal. You believe him, too. With an undeniably catchy chorus".
Lester said the lyrics are "about a girl Mars could 'kiss all day'."
Reception and accolades
The song received mixed reviews from music critics. ''
Digital Spy''s Nick Levine gave it four out of five stars and described it as a "huge-hearted urbany piano ballad
..with a similar, if not quite as undeniable, instant classic feel to '
Empire State of Mind
"Empire State of Mind" is a song performed by American rapper Jay-Z featuring American singer Alicia Keys from the former's 11th studio album, ''The Blueprint 3'' (2009). It was released on October 20, 2009. Produced by Al Shux, the song feature ...
' by
Jay-Z featuring
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 Col ...
".
''
Billboard'' wrote: "With its steady, danceable pulse and singalong chorus, Mars has created a feel-good jam that should establish him as a solo contender in his own right."
Alex Young from ''
Consequence of Sound
''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...
'' praised the track's chorus for being "undeniably catchy" and didn't find surprising for the single to be a "radio staple".
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 ...
's Tim Sendra gave the single a mixed review saying, "it's not very deep and it's not poetry, but sweetly played and sung". He believes it, "will melt hearts from tweens to old folk".
Tony Clayton-Lea of ''
The Irish Times
''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...
'' dubbed the single "a slice of wide-eyed pop that automatically coaxes a smile."
On the other hand, Tim Byron of The Vine compared "Just the Way You Are" to
Billy Joel's
1977 hit single of the same name, saying the latter "is a little more ambiguous...more aware of the ups and downs that characterize relationships".
Jamie Milton of ''
musicOMH'' explained that "Just the Way You Are" can be mistaken for a pop song due to its tempo. However, it is one of the most "sappiest ballads" to be heard in some time. Nima Baniamer from
Contactmusic.com
Contactmusic.com is an online magazine of cultural criticism based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, and ...
felt the single didn't make Mars stand out from other R&B artists. Baniamer added, "The song never builds to any climax and it simply falls a bit flat, coming across quite corny and cheesy." ''
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 ...
'' Paul Lester dubbed Mars's vocals as breezy on the track as a "breezy falsetto as characterless as you'd imagine."
The song was nominated for the 2010
The Record of the Year
The Record of the Year was an award voted by the United Kingdom public. For many years it was given in conjunction with television programmes of the same name. The first show ran in the early evening on a December Saturday just before Christmas ...
ceremony. In 2011, the song won the
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 pr ...
for
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. The single was nominated for several awards at
2011 Billboard Music Awards
The 2011 ''Billboard'' Music Awards were held May 22, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and hosted by Ken Jeong. The awards recognized the most popular artists and albums from 2010.
Performances
Winners and nominees
Winne ...
such as
Top Hot 100 Song and Top Pop Song, but it ended up by winning only the category
Top Radio Song. It was nominated for
Choice Music: Love Song at the
2011 Teen Choice Awards. In the same year, the single was one of the winners of Most Performed Songs at ASCAP Pop Music Awards. In 2012, at the same award ceremony, it won, again, Most Performed Songs and also Song of the Year. At the
RTHK
Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) is the public broadcasting service in Hong Kong. GOW, the predecessor to RTHK, was established in 1928 as the first broadcasting service in Hong Kong. As a government department under the Commerce and Econo ...
International Pop Poll Awards the song won "Top 10 Gold International Gold Songs".
Commercial performance
The song reached the top of the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 on the chart dated October 2, 2010, ending the two-week reign of
Katy Perry's "
Teenage Dream" (2010). The song spent a total of 48 weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, debuting on August 7, 2010 and leaving the chart on July 2, 2011. As of October 2015, the song had sold 6.7 million downloads domestically.
The song was certified thirteen times platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
It holds the record of the longest-reigning debut format on the
Adult Contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
, having spent 20 weeks atop. It first featured on the Greatest of All Time Hot 100 at number 79.
The song peaked at number one on the
Canadian Hot 100 and was certified diamond by
Music Canada (MC).
On September 26, 2010, it became the singer's second number-one single in the United Kingdom,
where it hit the number-one spot again on October 24, 2010
from sales of 116,000 copies
becoming the first song ever to have left the top three before rebounding to the top spot. It sold 766,000 copies during 2010, becoming the third biggest seller of the year. On April 9, 2013 it was revealed that the song is the ninth most downloaded song of all time in the United Kingdom. On August 2, 2011 "Just The Way You Are" became the 108th million-selling single in the UK, having taken 43 weeks to reach that figure.
As of September 2017, in the United Kingdom, the single had reached a total of 1,57 million combined sales (1.33 million purchases and 244,72 streaming equivalent sales), becoming the 75th biggest selling single of all-time in UK. "Just the Way You Are" is the seventeenth
best-selling single based on paid-for sales of the 21st century in the United Kingdom. It was certified four 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 with ...
(BPI).
On October 12, 2010, Bruno Mars got his third number one single in the
Dutch Top 40, after "
Nothin' On You
"Nothin' on You" is the debut single of both American rapper B.o.B and featured American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars. It is the lead single from the former's debut studio album, '' B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray'' (2010). It was ...
" (2009) and "
Billionaire" (2010), having spent 11 weeks at number one in Netherlands.
[ The song also reached number one in Australia and certified seven 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 replacing ...
(ARIA). The single debuted at number 31 in New Zealand on August 2, 2010. The song was number 1 for two weeks. The single was on the chart for 32 weeks.
"Just the Way You Are" was less successful on the French Singles Chart
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
, where it peaked at number 33 and stayed on the chart for 28 weeks. "Just The Way You Are" also peaked at number three in Switzerland, at number one in the Republic of Ireland, at number four in Belgium (Flanders), and at number 2 in Germany and Sweden. It reached number six at Denmark. "Just the Way You Are" was the best selling digital single of 2011, selling more than 12.5 million copies globally throughout that year, thus becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time. The song is also one of the UK's biggest selling singles of all-time placed at number 74 with sales around 1.17 million.
Music video
Development and synopsis
The corresponding music video was directed by Ethan Lander, shot in September 2010 in the downtown of Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
and released on September 8, 2010. Cameron Duddy was able to shoot the behind-the-scenes footage in exchange for his jean jacket, which Mars used during the music video. The video features Peruvian-Australian actress Nathalie Kelley
Nathalie Kelley is a Peruvian-born Australian actress, known for her role as Neela in the 2006 action film '' The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'', and for her roles in various television series including ''Body of Proof'' (2011–2012), '' ...
. Lander considers Bruno Mars a star. He adds "The charisma that he has, you can't teach." Finishing with "singer even manages to be suave in his mugshot, which is no small feat!" He sees the video as a collaboration, the video director came up with the vision and Mars added his vision and so on. The video is a mixture of live-action and stopped animation and through the animation, Bruno shows his girlfriend how beautiful she is. He takes a cassette tape and starts creating images out of the tape and they start to get a life of their own.
The video begins with Kelley listening to "Just the Way You Are" on her Walkman
Walkman, stylised as , is a brand of portable audio players manufactured and marketed by Japanese technology company Sony since 1979. The original Walkman was a portable cassette player and its popularity made "walkman" an unofficial term for p ...
as Mars walks in. Mars stops the tape player, removes the cassette tape, and begins singing his song. As the instrumental portion of the song begins, Mars pulls the media out of the cassette tape and arranges the media into letters forming his name followed by the song title. As the song continues, he forms a picture of a drum, again on the table, using the tape media. Additional images of similar construction follow throughout the video including a portrait of Mars as well as one of Kelley blinking her eyes and smiling as Mars continues singing. Most of the images shown are animated, including a bell which Mars rings with his fingers in synchronization with the chimes
Tubular bells (also known as chimes) are musical instruments in the percussion family. Their sound resembles that of church bells, carillon, or a bell tower; the original tubular bells were made to duplicate the sound of church bells within a ...
near the end of the song. Lastly, Mars finishes the song while singing and playing an upright piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
while Kelley watches and smiles. The video was inspired by the artwork of Erika Iris Simmons.
Reception
At the 2011 MTV Video Music Aid Japan
The 2011 MTV Video Music Aid Japan were held in Chiba on June 25, 2011 at the Makuhari Messe. The VMAJ were the culmination of MTV Japan's Music of Hope campaign, the channel's multiplatform response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Th ...
the music video won Best Male Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video was one of four original general awards that have been handed out every year since the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, though, the award was briefly renamed Male Artist of the Year, and ...
. In the same year, the video won Favorite International Video at the Myx Music Awards
The Myx Music Awards, currently known as the Myx Awards, are accolades presented by the cable channel Myx to honor the biggest hitmakers in the Philippines. The awards ceremony is held annually and occurs most commonly in March, and broadcast de ...
and received three nominations at the MuchMusic Video Awards, International Video of the Year – Artist, Most Watched Video of the Year and UR Fave International Video. It received the award for Popular International Music Video at the Channel Thailand Music Video Awards. As of March 2021, the music video has received over 1.5 billion views on YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
.
Live performances
Bruno Mars performed the song at the Bowery Ballroom
The Bowery Ballroom is a New York City live-music venue located at 6 Delancey Street in the neighborhood of Bowery in Manhattan. The Bowery Ballroom holds something of a cult status among musicians as well as audiences. ''Rolling Stone'' magaz ...
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 Un ...
on August 25, 2010, with him and his four-piece band dressed in blue tuxedos and black skinny ties. John Macdonald for ''Spin'' said "Despite a couple pitch problems here and there, Mars proved to be nearly as good a performer as he is a songwriter". Mars performed the song on ''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 (streaming service), Peacock. ...
'' on October 9, 2010. The song was performed at ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show
''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was pro ...
'', on October 14, 2010. A soulful arrangement of the song was sung for a '' Billboard'' Tastemakers video session, on October 22, 2010. An acoustic version of the song was performed at ''Grammy Nominations'' concert in 2010 for the 53rd Grammy Awards
The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights pri ...
. Mars also played the song live at the BBC Radio 1Xtra Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio stations BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra. It was originally hosted by Simon Mayo, and later by Jo Whiley on her weekday mid-morning, and later weekend lunchtime radio shows, then by Fearne Cotton ...
and at the '' NBA All-Star Tip Off Pre-Show'' in January and February 2011, respectively. The song was also performed on ''NBC's Today Show
''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was ...
'' on June 24, 2011. A live performance was also done on the French ''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) ...
'' during the finale of the second season. Carolina Frost for the Huffington Post said that Mars at the 2012 Brit Awards
Brit Awards 2012 was held on 21 February 2012. This was the 32nd edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual Brit Awards. The awards ceremony was held at The O2 Arena in London for the second time. The ceremony was presented by James ...
"took his poptastic song Just the Way You Are, and gave it a fresh jazzy arrangement." Others praised Mars's vocality and confidence with his soulful rendition.
It was the twelfth song of his debut world tour, The Doo-Wops & Hooligans Tour
The Doo-Wops & Hooligans Tour was the first headlining concert tour by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars. Launched in support of his 2010 debut studio album ''Doo-Wops & Hooligans'', the tour was announced in October 2010 and included da ...
(2010–12), and was often sung as an encore on 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). It was part of the setlist of his second world tour, 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) and was also sang 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). "Just the Way You Are" was performed as the last song in his set list for his performance at 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 ...
as a Tribute to the United States Armed Forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...
. In 2017, the singer participated in the "Somos Una Voz" relief initiative concert by singing a Spanish version of "Just the Way You Are". On his third tour, 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), the track was the fourteenth or fifteenth track of the setlist.
Cover versions and usage on other media
"Just the Way You Are" has been covered several times. It was first covered by Nathan Sykes
Nathan James Sykes (born 18 April 1993) is an English singer, best known as a member of the boy band The Wanted. In 2013, Sykes appeared with his bandmates in the E! channel reality television series '' The Wanted Life''. After the band's hiat ...
from The Wanted
The Wanted are a British-Irish boy band consisting of group members Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness and Nathan Sykes and, until his death in 2022, Tom Parker. The group was formed in 2009 and signed a worldwide contract to ...
, The Saturdays
The Saturdays were a British-Irish girl group based in London, England. The group formed during the summer of 2007 and have been on hiatus since 2014. The lineup consists of Frankie Bridge, Una Healy, Rochelle Humes, Mollie King, and Vanessa ...
at BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
's ''Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio stations BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra. It was originally hosted by Simon Mayo, and later by Jo Whiley on her weekday mid-morning, and later weekend lunchtime radio shows, then by Fearne Cotton ...
'' on October 29, 2010. San Diego band Pierce the Veil covered the track for the compilation album '' Punk Goes Pop 4'', which was released on November 21, 2011. It was performed by Cory Monteith
Cory Allan Michael Monteith (; May 11, 1982 July 13, 2013) was a Canadian actor and musician who played Finn Hudson on the Fox television series '' Glee''. As an actor based in British Columbia, Monteith had minor roles on television series bef ...
on "Furt
"Furt" is the eighth episode of the second season of the American musical television series ''Glee'', and the thirtieth episode overall. It was written by series creator Ryan Murphy, directed by Carol Banker, and premiered on Fox in the United ...
", an episode of the American TV show ''Glee
Glee means delight, a form of happiness.
Glee may also refer to:
* Glee (music), a type of English choral music
* ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy
* ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...
'' which aired on November 23, 2010. The show's cover version achieved moderate success by peaking at number 24 in Canada. It reached number 40 in the United States, 47 in Australia and number 48 in Ireland.
Daniel Evans, a finalist on 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 simulca ...
, included his version of the song on his album ''Wicked Game'', released on December 2, 2013. The album contains covers from various artists. Matt Cardle
Matthew Sheridan Cardle (born 15 April 1983) is an English pop singer. He was born in Southampton and grew up in Halstead, Essex. Cardle has been involved in music since his early teens and has been a member of two different bands; Darwyn and ...
, the winner of the seventh series of British TV talent contest ''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 ...
'', performed "Just the Way You Are" in week 2 of the live shows and later recorded his own version of the song, which was included in the CD single release of his debut single "When We Collide
"Many of Horror" is an alternative rock song written by Simon Neil of Scottish band Biffy Clyro for their fifth studio album ''Only Revolutions''. The song was released as the fourth single from the album on 18 January 2010. The song was record ...
" (2010).
In 2012, Dominican musician Karlos Rosé
Carlos De La Rosa better known by his stage name Karlos Rosé is a Dominican Bachata music artist. He began his career as a singer on the Dominican television program Divertido con Jochy when he was seventeen years old. In 2012, he released his ...
covered the song in bachata as his debut single which peaked at number 31 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs chart. The music video for his cover was filmed in New York City and directed by Robert Kruz. The original version is featured in the movie ''Pitch Perfect
''Pitch Perfect'' is a 2012 American musical comedy film directed by Jason Moore and written by Kay Cannon. It features an ensemble cast, including Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Skylar Astin, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Hana Mae Lee, Alexis ...
'' (2012). American singer Johnny Mathis covered the song in his album, ''Johnny Mathis Sings the Great New American Songbook
''Johnny Mathis Sings the Great New American Songbook'' is a studio album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on September 29, 2017, by Columbia Records and was composed of covers of recent hits by other artists. His last proje ...
'' (2017). In 2017, Mars participated in the "Somos Una Voz" relief initiative, created by Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, in order to help survivors of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and Mexico's 7.1 earthquake. To do so, he performed "Just the Way You Are" in Spanish for the first time. Dana International
Sharon Cohen ( he, שרון כהן; born 2 February 1969), professionally known as Dana International ( he, דנה אינטרנשיונל), is an Israeli pop singer. She has released eight albums and three additional compilation albums. She wa ...
performed the song during the interval of the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2019
The Eurovision Song Contest 2019 was the 64th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Tel Aviv, Israel, following the country's victory at the 2018 contest with the song " Toy" by Netta. Organised by the European Broad ...
in Tel Aviv. In 2020, British singer Jamie Miller covered "Just the Way You Are" as part of the tenth anniversary of Mars's debut album.
Track listing
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Doo-Wops & Hooligans''.
* Bruno Mars – lead vocals, songwriting
A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...
, instrumentation
* 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 ...
* 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
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
* Needlz
Khari Cain (born April 19, 1978), professionally known as Needlz, is an American record producer and songwriter.
Early life and career
Khari Cain was born on April 19, 1978 in Lansing, Michigan. He began to DJ while an undergraduate in Florida ...
– production, songwriting
* Khalil Walton – songwriting
* 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
* Christian Plata – mixing assistant
* Erik Madrid – 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
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
All-time charts
Certifications
Release history
See also
* List of Adult Top 40 number-one songs of the 2010s
*List of best-selling singles
This is a compendium of the best-selling music singles. The criterion for inclusion is to sell at least ten million copies worldwide. The singles listed here were cited by reliable sources from various media, such as digital journalism, new ...
*List of best-selling singles in Australia
This is a list of highest-certified singles in Australia according to the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Since 1983, ARIA certifies a single Platinum for shipment of 70,000 copies across Australia. Single figures can include "q ...
*List of best-selling singles in the United States
This is a list of best-selling singles in the United States, some of which have been certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In music, a single is a song considered commercially viable enough by the artist and record co ...
*List of Dutch Top 40 number-one singles of 2010
This is a list of the Dutch Top 40 number-one singles of 2010.
The Dutch Top 40 is a chart that ranks the best-performing singles of the Netherlands. It is published by radio station Radio 538.
In 2010, 12 acts gained their first Dutch number-one ...
* List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2010 (Canada)
* List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2010 (U.S.)
*List of Mainstream Top 40 number-one hits of 2010 (U.S.)
This is a list of songs which reached number one on the ''Billboard magazine, Billboard'' Mainstream Top 40 (or Pop Songs) chart in 2010.
During 2010, a total of 17 singles hit number-one on the charts.
Chart history
See also
*2010 in music
...
* List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 2011 (U.S.)
*List of number-one Billboard Tropical Songs of 2012
The ''Billboard'' Tropical Songs is a chart that ranks the best-performing tropical songs of the United States. Published by ''Billboard'' magazine, the data are compiled by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems based collectively on each single's weekl ...
*List of number-one hits of 2010 (Austria)
This is a list of the Austrian number-one singles & albums of 2010.
References
{{AustrianNumber1s
2010 in Austria, Number-one hits
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southe ...
* List of number-one singles from the 2010s (New Zealand)
* List of number-one singles from the 2010s (UK)
*List of number-one singles of 2010 (Australia)
The ARIA Charts, ARIA Singles Chart ranks the best-performing Single (music), singles in Australia. Its data, published by the Australian Recording Industry Association, is based collectively on each single's weekly CD single, physical and Dig ...
* List of number-one singles of 2010 (Ireland)
References
{{authority control
2010 songs
Bruno Mars songs
2010s ballads
Number-one singles in Australia
Canadian Hot 100 number-one singles
Dutch Top 40 number-one singles
Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
Number-one singles in Israel
Number-one singles in New Zealand
Number-one singles in Scotland
UK Singles Chart number-one singles
Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Record Report Pop Rock General number-one singles
Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
Songs written by Bruno Mars
Songs written by Ari Levine
Songs written by Philip Lawrence (songwriter)
Song recordings produced by the Smeezingtons
Pop ballads
Bachata songs
Atlantic Records singles
Elektra Records singles
Pierce the Veil songs
Song recordings produced by Needlz
Songs written by Needlz
2010 debut singles
Animated music videos
Contemporary R&B ballads
Rock ballads
American soft rock songs
2010 singles