"Leave the Door Open" is the debut single by the American super-duo

Silk Sonic Silk Sonic is an American musical superduo composed of musicians Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak. The duo released their debut single, " Leave the Door Open", in March 2021. They later released "Skate" in July 2021, followed by third single, ...

, consisting of

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 ...

and Anderson .Paak, from their studio album ''

An Evening with Silk Sonic ''An Evening with Silk Sonic'' is the debut studio album by American musical superduo Silk Sonic, composed of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak. It was released on November 12, 2021, by Aftermath Entertainment and Atlantic Records. Silk Sonic reun ...

'' (2021). The song was written by Mars, Brandon Anderson, Dernst Emile II, and Brody Brown, while the production was handled by Mars and

D'Mile Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II (born January 24, 1985) is an American record producer and songwriter from Brooklyn, New York City. He was sometimes referred to as D. Emile, Dernst Emile II, or Dee'Mile and is most commonly known and accredited as D'Mil ...

. It was released on March 5, 2021, by

Aftermath Entertainment Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Interscope Records. Current acts include Dr. Dre himself, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, ...

and

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 im ...

for digital download and

streaming Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content i ...

. A

Philadelphia soul Philadelphia soul, sometimes called Philly soul, the Philadelphia sound, Phillysound, or The Sound of Philadelphia TSOP, is a genre of late 1960s–1970s soul music characterized by funk influences and lush instrumental arrangements, often featu ...

, R&B, and

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'' ( ...

song, it is influenced by

quiet storm Quiet storm is a radio format and genre of R&B, performed in a smooth, romantic, jazz-influenced style. It was named after the title song on Smokey Robinson's 1975 album ''A Quiet Storm''. The radio format was pioneered in 1976 by Melvin Lin ...

. The lyrics are humorous and describe a "detailed erotic invitation". "Leave the Door Open" received widespread critical acclaim, with many critics praising both singers' vocals, as well as the song's composition. The song was a commercial success as it topped various charts. In the United States, the track reached the top spot of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

and was certified two 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). Furthermore, it also peaked at number one in Israel, Malaysia, and New Zealand. The song entered the top ten of several countries such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, and Portugal. It was certified double platinum by

Recorded Music New Zealand Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded Mus ...

(RMNZ) and three times platinum by

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). The accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...

, directed by Florent Dechard and Mars, was released along with the song. It depicts Mars and .Paak, as Silk Sonic, performing the song in a vintage studio as several women dance to it. To promote "Leave the Door Open", Mars and Paak performed it at the

63rd Annual Grammy Awards The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from September 1, 201 ...

, attracting praise for its simplicity and comparisons to a 70s ''

Soul Train ''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. It aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series ...

'' telecast. They also performed the song at the

BET Awards 2021 The 21st BET Awards took place on June 27, 2021. The ceremony celebrated achievements in entertainment and honors music, sports, television, and movies. The ceremony's theme was "Year of the Black Woman" and was held in-person with a vaccinated ...

and 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards. The song received several nominations and awards, winning Song of the Year at the 2021 Soul Train Music Awards, as well as

Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...

, Song of the Year,

Best R&B Performance The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guide it is designed for s ...

, and

Best R&B Song The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song (sometimes known as the R&B Songwriter's Award) has been awarded since 1969. From 1969 to 2000, it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Song. Beyoncé has won it a record four times, while Bab ...

at the

2022 Grammy Awards The 64th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 3, 2022. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from September 1, 2020, to September 30, ...

Background and release

and Anderson .Paak met in 2017, while touring together on the European leg of Mars'

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 two were in the studio working with

Nile Rodgers Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. (born September 19, 1952) is an American musician, record producer and composer. The co-founder of Chic, Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million ...

and Guy Lawrence of

Disclosure Disclosure may refer to: Arts and media * ''Disclosure'' (The Gathering album), 2012 *Disclosure (band), a UK-based garage/electronic duo * ''Disclosure'' (novel), 1994 novel written by Michael Crichton ** ''Disclosure'' (1994 film), an American ...

. In late February 2021, Mars and .Paak announced on social media the formation of their new band,

, and revealed the artwork for their debut studio album, titled ''

'' (2021). They also announced the release of the first single on March 5, 2021. In an interview with New Zealand radio DJ

Zane Lowe Alexander Zane Reid Lowe (born 7 August 1973) is a New Zealand radio DJ, live DJ, record producer, and television presenter. After an early career in music creation, production and DJing, he moved to the UK in 1997. He came to prominence thro ...

for the

Apple Music Apple Music is a music, audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users select music to stream to their device on-demand, or they can listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the Internet radio stations Appl ...

podcast ''Beats 1'', Paak said the song required a lot of "patience and delicate". He added, "A lot of meat went into this song." Mars lamented the lack of live performances due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, adding, "While I'm writing songs, that's a part of my whole thing... I can't wait till people hear this." On August 18, 2021, during an interview with ''

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 ...

'', Mars confessed that the

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually someth ...

of the song "almost broke the band up. But it wasn't right, and we all felt it." He added, "Andy played this thing, and he knew where the groove had to go, but for some reason I kept screaming, 'Man it sounds like books falling!' I was like, 'We gotta turn it down'." In an interview with Songwriter Universe,

explained that Mars had the idea and the song title, and knew the "concept he wanted"." He said they tried "different versions and ideas", removed pieces, and rebuilt the song several times until everyone was satisfied. On March 5, 2021, "Leave the Door Open" was released by

and

as the album's first single via digital download and

streaming services An over-the-top media service is a streaming media service offered directly to viewers via the Internet. OTT bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms, the companies that traditionally act as a controller or distributors of ...

in various countries. "Silk Sonic Intro" was also issued on the same day, featuring the album's special guest

Bootsy Collins William Earl "Bootsy" Collins (born October 26, 1951) is an American bass guitarist and singer. Rising to prominence with James Brown in the early 1970s, and later with Parliament-Funkadelic, Collins established himself as one of the leading ...

. "Leave the Door Open" was released to US

contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...

stations on March 9, 2021, by Atlantic Records. On March 8, 2021, Atlantic Records sent the track to various categories of American

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 ...

radio stations.

Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and th ...

issued the track for

radio airplay Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...

in Italy on March 12, 2021. On April 1, 2021, a live recording of the single was released for digital download and streaming, using audio from the 2021 Annual Grammy Awards performance with added narration from Collins. On the same date, two CD singles, the original version and the live version, of "Leave the Door Open" were released in various countries.

Production

"Leave the Door Open" was written by Mars, Brandon Anderson, Dernst Emile II, and Christopher Brody Brown. The production was handled by Mars and D' Mile. The former played the guitar and congas, while the latter played the piano. Paak played the drums, with Brown playing the bass. Ella Feingold handled guitar effects, Glenn Fischbach played cello, Jonathan Kim and Yoshihiko Nakano were on the viola, Blake Espy, Emma Kummrow, and Gared Crawford played violin with Natasha Colkett, Tess Varley, and Luigi Mazzocchi. Larry Gold did the arrangement and conduction of the strings at

Milkboy MilkBoy is an American recording studio and entertainment company founded in 1994 by Tommy Joyner. Company headquarters is located at MilkBoy the Studio, at 413 North 7th Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The original "MilkBoy Recording" was lo ...

Studios, with Cody Cichowski recording the strings.

Charles Moniz Charles Moniz is a Canadian recording engineer who worked on Bruno Mars's studio albums ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' and '' 24k Magic''. Alternatively, he recorded " All I Ask" for Adele's 2015 studio album '' 25''. For his recordings with Mars and Adele ...

, with engineering assistant Alex Resoagli, engineered and recorded the song at Shampoo Press & Curl Studios.

Serban Ghenea Șerban Ghenea (born October 13, 1969) is a Grammy award-winning Romanian-Canadian audio engineer and mixer. Early life and education Ghenea was born in Bucharest, Romania in 1969. In 1976 he moved to Montreal with his family. He later attended ...

mixed "Leave the Door Open" at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, with mix engineer John Hanes and mixing assistant Bryce Bordone. It was mastered by

Randy Merrill Randy Merrill is an American mastering engineer who has worked with international artists including DAY6, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Harry Styles, One Direction, Adele, Imagine Dragons, Beck, Liam Gallagher, Jonas Brothers, Muse, Cage the ...

at Sterling Sound, NYC. The artwork of the CD single was designed by Virgilio Tzaj.

Composition

Musically, "Leave the Door Open" is a

, R&B, and

song. It is influenced by

. The song has been described as a "smooth slow jam". Its instrumentation includes a "descending guitar glissando", a glockenspiel, strings, and a smooth piano. The song features key changes and while the background vocals have been described as "honeyed", Silk Sonic's were seen as soft. The vocals "are accompanied by retro-sounding drums and spacious...strings"." The "ascendant bridge" was created using various chord changes that merge into each other. "Leave the Door Open" was composed in the key of

C major C major (or the key of C) is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and ...

with a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...

of 74 beats per minute. The vocal ranges span from the low note of F4 to a high note of D6. "Leave the Door Open" starts with .Paak's "raspy" voice and Mars's background ad-libs. The lyrics are an "erotic invitation" from the singer to a woman, encouraging her to come over to his house. .Paak sets the scene with "We should be dancin', romancin'/ In the east wing and the west wing of this mansion", and Bruno follows with the chorus, "hopin' that you feel the way I feel". The lyrics are full of humor, with playful references such as "if you're hungry, girl, I got fillets". This was noticed by several reviewers, who commented on the way the witty lyrics reflected the light-hearted relationship between Mars and .Paak. Charlie Harding from ''

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...

'' said "Leave the Door Open" evokes "1970s Philadelphia soul" and despite being a "serious" composition, it is "lighthearted, lyrically." He found the song nostalgic yet contemporary at the same time due to Paak's vocal flow. American singer-songwriter Tayla Parx thought that its modernity stems from the "conversational" lyrics and Paak's "personality" and "silly" way. Harding pointed out that its modern approach can be heard at the end of Paak's first verse, to which Parx responded, "You can hear

he early influences He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...

in his voice, but those cadences are still very contemporary." Harding commented that Silk Sonic leads the listener on a musical journey as they wait for their lover. It begins with a "non-resolving chord progression" that leaves the listener expectant. Paak is drinking wine and spending time in his mansion, as he waits for his passion. Nevertheless, Mars does not allow Paak's fulfillment, as he shifts the chords, using a new key. The energy and tension reach a new peak as Mars "sets up this big cadence", and while the listener is hoping to reach a "resolution", it enters the "non-resolving chord progression" on the chorus. However, as the latter approaches the end, a C major chord is played, Silk Sonic sing "tell me that you're coming through", and it enters into its "resolution". Various publications compared the track to Mars's "

Versace on the Floor "Versace on the Floor" is a song by American singer Bruno Mars from his third studio album, '' 24K Magic'' (2016). Atlantic Records released the song as the only promotional single and the third official single from the album to Hot AC radio ...

" (2017). ''

Consequence Consequence may refer to: * Logical consequence, also known as a ''consequence relation'', or ''entailment'' * In operant conditioning, a result of some behavior * Consequentialism, a theory in philosophy in which the morality of an act is determi ...

'' staff and Mary Siroky also found similarities to his track " That's What I Like" (2017). '' NME'' Anna Rose said "Leave the Door Open" reminded her of "60s and 70s easy listening love songs". Zoe Haylock from ''Vulture'' dubbed the single a "bedroom classic" evoking "'70s slow jams". Mikael Wood of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

'' and ''

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 ...

Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born October 25, 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.the Spinners,

the Stylistics The Stylistics are an American, Philadelphia soul group that achieved their greatest chart success in the 1970s. They formed in 1968, with a lineup of singers Russell Thompkins Jr., Herb Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith and James Dunn. All ...

, and

the Manhattans The Manhattans are an American popular R&B vocal group. Their work " Kiss and Say Goodbye", recorded in 1976, and 1980's " Shining Star", both sold millions of copies. The Manhattans have recorded 45 hits on the ''Billboard'' R&B Chart, includ ...

sound. ''

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'' writer Jem Aswad and Sophie Williams from ''NME'' affirmed "Leave the Door Open" resembles songs by

the Delfonics The Delfonics were an American R&B/soul vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Delfonics were most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their most notable hits include " La-La (Means I Love You)", " Didn't I (Blow Your Mind Thi ...

the Chi-Lites The Chi-Lites (, ) are an American R&B/soul vocal quartet from Chicago, Illinois, United States. Forming at Chicago's Hyde Park High School in 1959, The group's original lineup consisted of singers Robert Lester, Eugene Record, Creadel Jones, ...

, and

the O'Jays The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles. The O'Jays made their first chart appearance with the minor ...

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's Patrick Hosken thought it was a "throwback to the time of

Bobby Womack Robert Dwayne Womack (; March 4, 1944 – June 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Starting in the early 1950s as the lead singer of his family musical group the Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing gui ...

and

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.

Critical reception

"Leave the Door Open" was met with universal critical acclaim from music critics. Jenessa Williams from ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

'' found its style to be "impeccable", being "on the right side of pastiche". ''Consequence'' Wren Graves was impressed by Mars's "liquid whip" voice as .Paak "raps and sings through a foggy haze". Pareles praised the song's instrumentation, the key changes, lyrics, and the contrast between the backup and lead vocals, concluding that they were "all good things to revive"." Siroky called it "nothing if not luxurious, velvety goodness"." ''

'' writer Aswad called the track "a glorious blast of vintage R&B"; he concluded, "the song and the arrangement are pitch-perfect". Roisin O'Connor from ''

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 publish ...

'' stated .Paak performs "

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...

-style harmonies". She also commended the composition and some of the lyrics. Williams from ''NME'' described the song as "sumptuous", showcasing Mars's "best vocal performance to date". '' Paste'' Candace McDuffie lauded the track, writing that ".Paak's salacious chants are smoothed over by Mars's sultry crooning"." No Ripcord's Joe Rivers called the track "outstanding... heharmonies recall the best moments of The Stylistics while still leaving room for .Paak's taut drum fills"." Ross Scarano commenting on

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

called "Leave the Door Open" one of the highlights of ''An Evening with Silk Sonic'', due to its "slathering elevated technique—all those key changes—with satisfying molten cheese"." Alex Suskind 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 ...

'' said it is a modern "take on the Delfonics — with the style and substance to match"." ''

Hot Press ''Hot Press'' is a fortnightly music and politics magazine based in Dublin, Ireland, founded in June 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. History ''Hot Press'' was founded in June 1977 by Niall Stokes, who co ...

'' writer Pat Carty wrote that if the song "managed to assume human form, twould doubtless sport a tasteful silk shirt and medallion combo"." Sowing from

Sputnikmusic Sputnikmusic is an American music community website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites. The format of the website is unusual in that it includes both professional and amateur ...

found the track to be "irrefutably romantic". Sowing added that "Mars's earnest delivery of simple gestures...sounds sincere enough to sweep you off your feet"." When creating their list of "GRAMMY Predictions 2022", for ''

Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American first-run syndicated news broadcasting newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Paramount Streaming. ET also airs in Aus ...

'', Meredith B. Kile‍ & Tionah Lee‍ called "Leave the Door Open" a "perfectly timeless record"."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

's critic Andy Kellman said the track "best meshes the smooth and tender style of Mars with Paak's nephew-of-Bobby Womack rasp". Josh Glicksman commenting in the ''Billboard'' "Five Burning Questions" article said the track is "tailor-made to dance and snap along to as it gets delightfully stuck in your head". Carl Lamarre, on a different segment on ''Billboard'' Five Burning Questions, called the vocals "buttery" and "too irresistible to pass up". Lamarre thought Silk Sonic "threaded a polished '70s soundscape from top to bottom". In the same publication, Jason Lipshutz dubbed the single "an ode to stylish yearning that leans in to the throwback charm"." On the other hand, Marc Hogan of ''Pitchfork'' criticized the track for turning "70s soul into a costume drama, without the drama" and for its "skillfully rendered pastiche". Hogan thought it would be the same as listening to "an expertly curated quiet-storm compilation". He dubbed the single a "shag-carpeted and leisure-suited booty-call slow jam... never breaks character long enough to acknowledge the present"." Hogan ended by saying the track is not "postmodern", but "the past in hologram form".

Accolades

''Entertainment Weekly''s Eli Enis and Alex Suskind recalled "pitch-perfect harmonies" of "Leave the Door Open", placing it on the segment "Friday Five" on March 5, 2021. The song was also included on '' Under the Radar'' Songs of the Week on March 5, 2021; Mark Redfern said, "You can imagine many a baby being conceived to the retro-sounding track." Siroky and the Staff from ''Consequence'' considered the song the Top Song of the Week on March 6, 2021, saying it "wouldn't feel out of place on Bruno Mars'...2016 ''24K Magic'' album — why mess with a great thing, after all?" J'na Jefferson of

Uproxx ''Uproxx'' (stylized in all caps) is an entertainment and popular culture news website. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater, and acquired by Woven Digital (later renamed Uproxx Media Group) in 2014. The site's target audience ...

named the song as one of the contenders for "2021 Song Of The Summer". Jefferson dubbed the lyrics as "inviting ndsensual". Dee Locket from ''Vulture'' included the song on her April list of The Best Songs of 2021 (So Far), saying that the song borrows from

the Isley Brothers The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decade ...

. She added, "Neither is going about musical curiosity the wrong way." Dave Holmes, in ''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...

''s "Best Songs of 2021 (So Far)" praised "Leave the Door Open", calling it a "flawless tribute to mid-'70s R&B with a key change that will make you stand up and cheer"." The song was considered the best release until June 2021 by ''

Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

''; Jessica McKinney wrote "rarely does a new record come along that can bring together all generations, but 'Leave the Door Open' does exactly that. It has a timeless, feel-good quality with the power to unite a room full of people on a dance floor." "Leave the Door Open" was listed as one of "The 50 Best Songs of 2021" by ''Billboard'' Staff Picks on June 8, 2021. The song was included among the best songs of 2021 by several publications. On the ''Billboard'' 100 Best Songs of 2021, the single was placed atop the list. Carl Lamarre affirmed Silk Sonic "recreated the lush sounds of '70s soul, but with enough modern finesse to still conquer audiences not even born until decades later"." On the list of the 50 best songs of 2021, ''Consequence'' ranked the song at number 10 and Eddie Fu wrote "with the combination of two of the most talented songwriters in modern music...the duo delivered an immediate contender for Song of the Year." ''Entertainment Weekly'' Leah Greenblatt dubbed the song a "groovy ''Soul Train'' dream", ranking it number five on the list of The 10 Best Songs of 2021. On ''Rolling Stones 50 Best Songs of 2021, the song ranked at number six and

Rob Sheffield Robert James Sheffield (born February 2, 1966) is an American music journalist and author. He is a long time contributing editor at ''Rolling Stone'', writing about music, TV, and pop culture. Previously, he was a contributing editor at '' Ble ...

said it "didn't sound retro because it felt so gloriously right for 2021...it is pure romance, with every drum hook a pheromone rush".

Insider ''Insider'', previously named ''Business Insider'' (''BI''), is an American financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Insider''s parent company Insider Inc. has been owned by the German publ ...

included the track in their list of the best songs of 2021, saying that "as soon as the song's first drum kicks in, their sugar high feels impossible to resist". The single was included on ''

Gigwise ''Gigwise'' is a British online music news site that features music news, photos, album reviews, music festivals, concert tickets and video content. Founded in June 2001, the site is based in London, England. History Gigwise was launched in 2001 ...

'' 20 Best Tracks of 2021. Alex Rigotti wrote "Leave The Door Open" "is a wonderfully enjoyable offering from the duo". "Leave the Door Open" was included among the 38 best songs of 2021, according to ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

''. Editor Virginia Smith affirmed the song "is a love letter to the '70s"." On the list of the 55 Best Songs of 2021 compiled by ''

Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

'' the song ranked 55th. They wrote that "with its smooth R&B vibe...this song will make you wanna have a romantic night". The BBC's best year-end list was compiled from various end-of-year lists published by the most influential music magazines, blogs, newspapers, and broadcasters from across the world. Silk Sonic's "Leave the Door Open" was third on the list.

Awards and nominations

"Leave the Door Open" received a total of 19 nominations for music awards and ultimately won ten of them. It received a nomination for Song of the Year at the

2021 MTV Video Music Awards The 2021 MTV Video Music Awards were held on September 12, 2021, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York City. This marked the first time in eight years that the venue hosted the show. The show was hosted by hip-hop rapper and singer Doja ...

and it was nominated by the

2021 MTV Europe Music Awards The 2021 MTV Europe Music Awards were held on 14 November 2021 at the László Papp Budapest Sports Arena in Budapest, Hungary. This marked the first time that Hungary hosted the awards show and as well the first event has been held in a former ...

for Best Collaboration. In the same year, "Leave the Door Open" won Favorite Soul/R&B Song at the 2021 American Music Awards, as well as Song of the Year and The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award at the 2021 Soul Train Music Awards. In 2022, "Leave the Door Open" won

, Song of the Year,

, in a tie with Jazmine Sullivan's "

Pick Up Your Feelings "Pick Up Your Feelings" is a song by American singer Jazmine Sullivan, released on November 20, 2020 as the second single from her debut extended play (EP), '' Heaux Tales'' (2021). The song was written by Sullivan, Audra Mae, Kyle Coleman, Micha ...

" (2020), and

at the

. The track won R&B Song of the Year, whilst being nominated for Best Lyrics and Song of the Year at the

2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards The 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on March 22, 2022, and was broadcast live on Fox from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT. The ceremony was returned to its traditional March schedule after the last two e ...

Commercial performance

North America

"Leave the Door Open" debuted at number four on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, with 27,000 downloads, 23.5 million streams and 23.5 million radio impressions in the week of March 15, 2021. It was Mars and Paak's highest debut on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at the time. The single reached number two the following week, behind

Cardi B Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar Cephus (, ; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper and songwriter. She first gained popularity as an influencer on Vine (service), Vine and Instagram. From 2015 to early 2017, ...

's " Up" (2021). In the week of April 12, 2021, the song topped the Hot 100, with 28,600 copies sold, 21.5 million streams, and 59.1 million radio impressions. It was the most-sold song of the week, across downloads and two CD versions. The Track became Paak's first number one song on the Hot 100. It was Mars's fastest song to reach number one. Mars tied with

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...

Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her campy style, she has been referred to ...

, and

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to th ...

for the most number ones on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 since May 1, 2010, with eight. In the week of May 16, 2021, it spent a second non-consecutive week at number one, helped by the placement in the

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 ...

's 69 cents Pop Hits sale. The song was certified two times platinum by the

(RIAA) for pushing two million certified units on August 19, 2021. In the week of March 29, 2021, "Leave the Door Open" reached the top 10 of the Radio Songs chart in its third week, becoming the fastest song to do so since

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...

's " Yummy" (2020) took only two weeks to achieve this. The single tied with Mars's " 24K Magic" (2016) and "

Finesse In contract bridge and similar games, a finesse is a type of card play technique which will enable a player to win an additional trick or tricks should there be a favorable position of one or more cards in the hands of the opponents. The player a ...

" (2018), featuring

, for his fastest rise to the top 10. In the week of April 19, 2021, "Leave the Door Open" topped the chart, becoming Mars and Paak's ninth and first number one, respectively. The song reached top spot in its sixth week, matching the previous record held by

Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran (; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently re ...

's "

Shape of You "Shape of You" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released on 6 January 2017 as one of the double lead singles from his third studio album '' ÷'' (2017), along with " Castle on the Hill". The dancehall and R&B-infus ...

" (2017). "Leave the Door Open" also peaked at number one on the ''Billboard''

and

Rhythmic Rhythmic may refer to: * Related to rhythm * Rhythmic contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic adult contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic gymnastics, a form of gymnastics * Rhythmic (chart) The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and ...

charts. The song took four weeks to top the

Adult R&B Songs The Adult R&B Songs chart (formerly called Adult R&B Airplay) is an airplay chart that is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on urban adult contemporary radio stations, whose playl ...

chart, the fastest by any male artist to do so. It spent thirteen weeks on the top spot of the aforementioned chart. The track became Mars's first song to enter the top 10 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 ...

chart since "

Uptown Funk "Uptown Funk" is a song by British record producer Mark Ronson from his fourth studio album, ''Uptown Special'' (2015), featuring American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars. It was released as the album's lead single on 10 November 2014 via dow ...

" (2014). The song peaked at number nine on the

Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record ...

in the week of March 15, 2021. It was certified triple platinum by

(MC) on April 19, 20222 for 240,000 certified units. Also the top song on the Year-end Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, it topped the chart for eight non-consecutive weeks, spending all but one of its 26 charting weeks in the top 10.

International

"Leave the Door Open" debuted at number one on the

New Zealand Singles Chart The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...

, spending two weeks at the top spot. It has received a two platinum certification by

(RMNZ) due to 60,000 certified units on November 21, 2021. In Australia, the song debuted at number 13 on the

ARIA Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

, and peaked at number 10 in its second week. The song lasted for 21 weeks on the chart. In Malaysia, the track reached the top spot, and in Singapore, peaked at number two. The track peaked at number one in Israel on the week of March 7, 2021. The song entered several

Monitor Latino Monitor Latino (stylised monitorLATINO) is a singles chart founded in 2003 which ranks songs on chart based on airplay across radio stations in Latin American countries and Hispanic radio stations in the United States using the Radio Tracking Data ...

charts, including Costa Rica, where it peaked at number three. It charted at number eight in Bolivia and Panama. The song also entered the top ten in Chile and top twenty in El Salvador. "Leave the Door Open" entered the top twenty of the

Argentina Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Argentina Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in Argentina for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' and ''Billboard Argentina'' magazines. It ranks the most popular songs in Argentina and is compiled by utilizin ...

and peaked at number one on ''Billboard''

Mexico Airplay Mexico Airplay is a weekly record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine since 2011 for singles receiving airplay in Mexico. According to ''Billboard''s electronic database, the first chart was published on January 17, 2009. In 2011, " G ...

. Despite the single only peaking at number 34 at the

Top 100 Brasil Top 100 Brasil, previously Brasil Hot 100 Airplay, is the music singles charts in Brazil, compiled by Crowley Broadcast Analysis. In the beginning, the chart was published monthly by ''Billboard Brasil'' since the release of the magazine, in Oct ...

, it was certified two times diamond by

Pro-Música Brasil Pro-Música Brasil (PMB), previously Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos (ABPD) (English: Brazilian Association of Record Producers), is an official representative body of the record labels in the Brazilian phonographic market. Hi ...

(PMB). In Denmark, the single peaked at number 20 on the Danish

Hitlisten Hitlisten, also known as Tracklisten, is a Danish top 40 record chart that is updated every Thursday midnight on the website hitlisten.nu. The weekly Danish singles chart Track Top-40 combines the 40 best-selling tracks from legal music downloads ...

, after debuting at number 29. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at its peak of number 20 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

on March 12, 2021. The single also debuted at its peak of number 18 on the

Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are bas ...

. The track debuted at number four on the Portuguese Singles Chart and peaked at number three. It received a double platinum certification by the

Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa The Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa (AFP; English: ''Portuguese Phonographic Association'') is the recording industry association of the major labels in Portugal. Created in 1989, it succeeded GPPFV (Portuguese group of producers of Phonogra ...

(AFP) for 20,000 certified units on January 12, 2022. In Belgium, the track peaked at number five on the

Ultratop 50 Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organization of ...

in Flanders and number four on Wallonia. It peaked at number 11 on the

Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 ( nl, Nederlandse Top 40) is a weekly music chart compiled by ''Stichting Nederlandse Top 40''. It started as a radio program titled "Veronica Top 40", on the offshore station Radio Veronica in 1965. It remained "The Veroni ...

chart on its eleventh week. The song peaked at number 13 on the

Dutch Single Top 100 The Dutch Single Top 100 or Single Top 100 is a Dutch chart, based on official physical single sales, legal downloads and since July 2013 streaming and composed by Dutch Charts. It is one of the three official charts, the other two being the Du ...

. The song peaked at number 10 on the Lithuanian charts and debuted at its peak of 16 in the Hungarian Single Top 40. "Leave the Door Open" peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' Global 200, spending 71 weeks on the chart.

Music video

The

for "Leave the Door Open" premiered alongside the song's release on March 5, 2021, and was directed by Mars and Florent Dechard. The video takes place in a Motown carpet studio "bathed in warm light" and amber shades. It starts with Paak playing the drums, Mars on the piano, and the other band members, some of Mars's band the Hooligans, on the bass, conga drum, electric keyboard, and other percussion instruments as they sit on stools. Silk Sonic and the band wore "sunglasses and vintage printed shirts" as they perform the song, with close-up shots of Mars and Paak. The track is being recorded as several women, who can be seen as fans, dance to it in the music booth. The video features "disco ball lightning" and ends with a fade-out.

Reception

Mary Siroky and the ''Consequence'' staff described the music video as "playful". Ali Rasha, writing for ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

'', commented that everyone was "dressed in looks that give off a retro feel". In 2021, the music video received a nomination for Coca-Cola Viewers' Choice and Video of the Year at the

. Mars and Dechard were also awarded Video Director of the Year for their work on the music video. At the

, the visuals won

Best R&B Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B was first awarded in 1993 under the name of Best R&B Video, and it was given every year until 2006, as the following year MTV revamped the VMAs and eliminated all the genre categories. The following year, thou ...

and Best Editing. In late 2021, the music video was nominated for Video of the Year at the

American Music Awards of 2021 The 49th Annual American Music Awards were held on November 21, 2021, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, recognizing the most popular artists, singles and albums of 2021. Cardi B hosted the ceremony, following Queen Latifah (1995) as the o ...

and won Video of the Year at the 2021 Soul Train Music Awards. In 2022, it was nominated for Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album at the

53rd NAACP Image Awards The 53rd NAACP Image Awards, presented by the NAACP, honored outstanding representations and achievements of people of color in motion pictures, television, music, and literature during the 2021 calendar year. The ceremony aired on February 26, 2 ...

and for

Best Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Hon ...

at the

Live performances and other usage

Grammy Awards performance

The initial list of the

performances, announced on March 7, 2021, did not include Silk Sonic. Paak and Mars had a funny

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 ...

exchange with Mars, telling

the Recording Academy The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy A ...

that the two of them were "out of work musicians" who needed "the promotion" and that they would send an audition tape. Silk Sonic were announced as performers on the show after "playfully campaigning" the week before. The Recording Academy interim president/CEO

Harvey Mason Jr. Harvey Jay Mason Jr. (born June 3, 1968) is an American record producer, songwriter, movie producer and current CEO of The Recording Academy. He has written and produced songs for artists including Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Deniece Will ...

confessed their performance was intentionally not announced to create "buzz", while there was also some uncertainty regarding it. The Grammys' executive producer

Ben Winston Ben Winston is a British producer and director who established the production company Fulwell 73 with Gabe Turner, Ben Turner, and Leo Pearlman. He is co-executive producer of ''The Late Late Show with James Corden'' alongside Rob Crabbe and Mik ...

wanted Paak to perform "Lockdown"; however, he decided to ask the duo to perform. Silk Sonic made their performance debut at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards on March 14, 2021, adopting a 70s aesthetic accompanied only by two backup singers. The show featured a "retro flare" similar to the Music Video; Mars, Paak and the back up singers wore three-piece "burnt orange leisure" suits with "wide-collared polyester shirts, bell-bottoms" and "bootcut pants". They completed their look with sunglasses, Paak wearing heart-shaped ones. As Paak sang, Mars and the back-up singers danced behind him in a triangle. Mars would then move to the center replacing Paak, who sang along with the back-up singers. In the background, a "constellation" of "twinkle effects and visual star wipes" rotated. The performance was met with positive reviews. Eric Todiso from ''

People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...

'' said that Silk Sonic "stole the show at the 2021 Grammy Awards", dubbing the performance "dazzling and dreamy". ''Entertainment Weekly'' staff considered the performance to be one of the most memorable moments of the show, reminiscent of the "glooses '70s style as a ''

'' telecast". Patrick Ryan from ''USA Today'' called it a "sizzling retro throwback", with a ranking of eighth on a list of the night's best performances Jon Caramanica of ''The New York Times'' dubbed Silk Sonic's performance "pointedly retro, shimmery luxury soul"."

Ben Sisario Ben Sisario is an American academic, author, and journalist. Career He is a staff reporter for ''The New York Times'', covering music and culture. Sisario is also the author of ''Doolittle'' (2006) a non-fiction book in the 33⅓ series about th ...

also compared them to the "1970s ''Soul Train'' crooners" in ''The New York Times''. Joe Lynch from ''Billboard'', Randall Roberts from the ''Los Angeles Times'', and MTV News's Hosken all regarded the performance as inspired by the 1970s ''Soul Train''. Haylock of ''Vulture'' commented that Silk Sonic were "channeling the Motown kings within themselves". In a mixed review, ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

''s Hau Chu, despite thinking "the performance sounded sparkling", found their choice to perform strange.

iHeartRadio Music Awards performance

On May 27, 2021, Silk Sonic performed the song at the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards, utilizing a 1970s aesthetic. Silk Sonic was joined by two back-up vocalists, all dressed in "dark azure crushed velvet blazers", "with roses attached to the lapels" and tinted sunglasses as Paak wore a flat cap. It started with Mars playing the piano for a stripped version, Paak singing with Mars and the backup singers as the "crowd...sang it back to them". The music then stopped as Paak "ripped off his glasses and let out a "wooo" to which Mars responded, ""Let's go! Let's go!"" The full instrumental then kicked in, and with minimalist choreography, Silk Sonic invited the audience to sing-along to the chorus. Mars and Paak also gave an "up-closer and more personal" serenade to the women in the front row. At one point, Mars took the hand of one of the women "and placed in on his bare chest." The performance was met with positive reviews. Zach Seemayer‍, writing for ''

'', considered it one of the best performances "from any music awards show in recent memory." ''Consequence''s Nina Corcoran found the performace "mesmerizing". Lynch from ''Billboard'' praised the duo's performance as they "worked the crowd exactly like the '70s soul singers that Silk Sonic pays homage to would have"." ''Vulture''s Halle Kiefer thought "the proximity felt thrilling to watch as the pair performed". Jamie Samhan from ''

Entertainment Tonight Canada ''ET Canada'' (previously referred to as ''Entertainment Tonight Canada'') is a Canadian entertainment news television series, using the same format as the American entertainment newsmagazine '' Entertainment Tonight''. ''ET Canada'' is a broadc ...

'' and Kate Hogan from ''People'' found their show "sexy". Derrick Rossignol of Uproxx was surprised, saying Silk Sonic is "a one-trick pony, but what a trick it is".

BET Awards performance

On June 27, 2021, Silk Sonic performed the single at the BET Awards 2021 for a "select group of fans", who were

vaccinated A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious or malignant disease. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines has been widely studied and verified.< ...

against the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...

virus. The duo started their performance, dressed in matching pastel tuxedos, walking on a "roped-off red carpet". They sang in a club layout, moving "between the bar and VIP booths". At the same time, fans danced and held up signs as Mars and Paak sang to them helped by background vocalists. The latter also served as backup dancers and "played VIP clubgoers and bottle service girls"." At the end of the performance, Paak teased the audience asking, "Do y'all want to hear a new song? Do y'all want to hear a new song off the new album?", and as fans cheered, he pointed out that the song was still in the top 10, adding that they would never stop playing "Leave the Door Open" until that changes. Silk Sonic started to sing "Leave the Door Open" a second time as "the performance cut to a commercial break." Jennifer Drysdale from ''Entertainment Tonight'' thought Mars and Paak brought "the house down" while dubbing the vocals as "flawless". ''Consequence''s Ben Kaye found that their performance "made them worthy of" winning the BET Best Group Award. Victoria Moorwood of

Revolt Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

praised Silk Sonic's performance. Carolyn Droke, writing for Uproxx, called it a "silky-smooth rendition". ''Rolling Stone'' Brittany Spanos declared that Silk Sonic transformed the 2021 BET Awards "into a smokey lounge with

heir Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offic ...

velvety performance."

Other usage

A day after Silk Sonic performed "Leave the Door Open" at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards,

James Corden James Kimberley Corden (born 22 August 1978) is an English television host, actor, comedian, and singer. In the United Kingdom, he is best known for co-writing and starring in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom '' Gavin & Stacey''. In the ...

parodied the song on ''

The Late Late Show with James Corden ''The Late Late Show with James Corden'' (also known as ''Late Late'') is an American late-night talk show on CBS. It is the fourth and current iteration of '' The Late Late Show''. Airing in the U.S. from Monday to Friday nights at 12:37:28a ...

''. Titled "Leave the TV On", the parody's lyrics "encouraged" people to keep their "TV set on after Colbert", so Corden could "get some good ratings"." It started with "

Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program '' The Colbert Report'' from 2005 ...

introducing Corden via an analog television set"." The parody then proceeded to show Corden and the band, dressed in '70s inspired clothes, as they sang in a "yellow-walled studio" similar to the set of ''

All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS for nine seasons, from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. Afterwards, it was continued with the spin-off series ''Archie Bunker's Place'', which picked up where ''All in ...

'' (1971-1979). While band leader

Reggie Watts Reginald Lucien Frank Roger Watts (born March 23, 1972) is an American comedian, actor, beatboxer, and musician. His improvised musical sets are created using only his voice, a keyboard, and a looping machine. Watts refers to himself as a "disinf ...

sang about "the late night sandwich meat", Corden was in charge of backing vocals and lead vocals as he sang "counter-lines about his omnipresent man

Spanx Spanx, Inc. is an American underwear maker focusing on shaping briefs and leggings, founded in Atlanta, Georgia. The company manufactures mainly pantyhose and other underwear for women and, since 2010, produces male underwear as well. Spanx spe ...

". Corden also told people they can "leave the TV on mute," or watch the skit on YouTube. ''Billboard''s Gil Kaufman considered it a "funny spoof". Darlene Aderoju of ''People'' found "the skit... catchy". On April 3, 2021,

Epic Games Epic Games, Inc. is an American video game and software developer and publisher based in Cary, North Carolina. The company was founded by Tim Sweeney as Potomac Computer Systems in 1991, originally located in his parents' house in Potomac, ...

announced the release of a new emote for the online video game ''

Fortnite ''Fortnite'' is an online video game developed by Epic Games and released in 2017. It is available in three distinct game mode versions that otherwise share the same general gameplay and game engine: ''Fortnite Battle Royale'', a free-to- ...

''. It features dance moves by Mars played to the chorus of "Leave the Door Open". Mars and .Paak performed the song, as

, as an encore during their concert residency An Evening with Silk Sonic at Park MGM (2022).

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''An Evening with Silk Sonic''. *Bruno Mars – vocals, songwriting, production, guitar, congas *Anderson .Paak – vocals, songwriting, drums *

– songwriting, production, piano * Christopher Brody Brown – songwriting, bass *Ella Feingold – guitar effects *Larry Gold – strings conduction, arrangement *Emma Kummrow – violin *Luigi Mazzocchi – violin *Blake Espy – violin *Gared Crawford – violin *Tess Varley – violin *Natasha Colkett – violin *Jonathan Kim – viola *Yoshihiko Nakano – viola *Glenn Fischbach – cello *Cody Chicowski – strings recording *

– recording, engineering *Alex Resoagli – engineering assistant *

– mixing *John Hanes – mixing engineering *Bryce Bordone – mixing assistant *

– mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

Notes

References

{{Authority control 2021 songs 2021 debut singles Silk Sonic songs Anderson .Paak songs Bruno Mars songs Aftermath Entertainment singles Atlantic Records singles Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Grammy Award for Record of the Year Grammy Award for Song of the Year Number-one singles in Israel Number-one singles in Malaysia Number-one singles in New Zealand Songs written by Anderson .Paak Songs written by Bruno Mars Songs written by Christopher Brody Brown Songs written by D'Mile

Background and release

Production

Composition

Critical reception

Accolades

Awards and nominations

Commercial performance

North America

International

Music video

Reception

Live performances and other usage

Grammy Awards performance

iHeartRadio Music Awards performance

BET Awards performance

Other usage

Track listing

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

See also

Notes

References