Silk Sonic is an American musical superduo composed of musicians

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 s ...

and Anderson .Paak. The duo released their debut single, "

Leave the Door Open "Leave the Door Open" is the debut single by the American super-duo Silk Sonic, consisting of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, from their studio album ''An Evening with Silk Sonic'' (2021). The song was written by Mars, Brandon Anderson, Der ...

", in March 2021. They later released "

Skate Skate or Skates may refer to: Fish *Skate (fish), several genera of fish belonging to the family Rajidae * Pygmy skates, several genera of fish belonging to the family Gurgesiellidae * Smooth skates or leg skates, several genera of fish belongin ...

" in July 2021, followed by third single, " Smokin out the Window", and their debut 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 ...

'', in November 2021. The album peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, while the first three singles reached the top twenty on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, with "Leave the Door Open" spending 18 weeks in the top ten and two non-consecutive weeks at the top spot. The song later won four

Grammy Awards 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 pres ...

, including

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 ...

and Song of the Year.

History

2017–present: Beginnings, breakthrough, and ''An Evening with Silk Sonic''

In 2017, Anderson .Paak was the opening act for Bruno Mars on the European leg of the 24K Magic World Tour. In April, Mars and .Paak worked together at

Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...

in London 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 Disclosure is an English electronic music duo consisting of brothers Howard (born 11 May 1994) and Guy Lawrence (born 25 May 1991). They grew up in Reigate, Surrey. Their debut studio album, ''Settle'', released on 3 June 2013, by PMR Records, ...

for

Chic Chic (; ), meaning "stylish" or "smart", is an element of fashion. It was originally a French word. Pronounced Chick. Etymology '' Chic'' is a French word, established in English since at least the 1870s. Early references in English diction ...

's album '' It's About Time'', and worked on music while on tour that appeared on Paak's album '' Ventura''. The duo was formed in 2017 by Mars and .Paak "as a joke the two friends hatched on the road". On February 26, 2021, Mars announced that he and .Paak had formed a band, saying, " ilk Soniclocked in and made an album." In a press release, they said

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 n ...

named the band after he heard the album. "

", the band's debut album's lead single, was released on March 5, along with the intro song, hosted by Collins. The band made its television debut 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 ...

performing the single, alongside a tribute to

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...

consisting of "

Long Tall Sally "Long Tall Sally", also known as "Long Tall Sally (The Thing)", is a rock and roll song written by Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, Enotris Johnson, and Little Richard. Richard recorded it for Specialty Records, which released it as a single in March ...

" and "

Good Golly, Miss Molly "Good Golly, Miss Molly" is a hit rock 'n' roll song first recorded in 1956 by the American musician Little Richard and released in January 1958 as Specialty single 624 and next in July 1958 on '' Little Richard''. The song, a jump blues, was ...

". "Leave the Door Open" was performed again at the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards, with a similar aesthetic. The duo won Best Group at the BET Awards 2021. At the same ceremony, it performed "Leave the Door Open" again, alongside teasers of its forthcoming releases. On July 28, Mars announced that Silk Sonic would host a "Summertime Jam" two days later. This event turned out to mark the release of another single, "

", which was released on July 30 alongside an accompanying video. In October, the band announced that the album's release had been pushed ahead to November 12. On November 5, Silk Sonic released its third single, " Smokin out the Window", a week before the album's launch. On November 12, ''An Evening with Silk Sonic'' was released. On November 21, "Smokin' Out the Window" was performed as the opening act of the American Music Awards of 2021, where the duo also won Favorite Song – R&B. On January 19, 2022, it was announced that the duo will host a residency concert series at the

Park MGM The Park MGM, formerly Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, is a megaresort hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel, with a height of , has 32 floors, including a casino floor with 1,400 slot machines, 60 ...

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

. On February 3, they were announced to also make an appearance in ''

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- ...

''. On February 14, the duo released a cover of

Con Funk Shun Con Funk Shun (formerly known as Project Soul) is an American R&B and funk band whose popularity began in the mid-1970s and ran through the 1980s. They were influenced by funk legend James Brown and Sly and the Family Stone. Signed to Mercury ...

's "

Love's Train "Love's Train" is a song by American Contemporary R&B, R&B and funk band (music), band Con Funk Shun from their tenth studio album, ''To the Max (Con Funk Shun album), To the Max'' (1982). The song was written by Michael Cooper and Felton Pilat ...

", which was later released as single in Italy, making it the group's fourth single. On April 21, 2022, ''Billboard'' reported that "Love's Train" was the album's fourth single, with no official date of release in the United States. " After Last Night" was released as the next single on July 5, 2022.

Musical style

Silk Sonic's musical style has been described as R&B,

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

, pop, hip hop, and

smooth soul Smooth soul is a fusion genre of soul music that developed in the early 1970s from soul, funk and pop music in the United States. The fusion genre experienced mainstream success from the time of its development to the late 1970s, before its succe ...

. Its sound has also been described as

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

-inspired. Of ''An Evening with Silk Sonics sound, '' The Ringer'' wrote, "though styled as a

1960s File:1960s montage.png, Clockwise from top left: U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War; the Beatles led the British Invasion of the U.S. music market; a half-a-million people participate in the 1969 Woodstock Festival; Neil Armstrong and Buzz ...

to '70s

retro Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from history, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. In popular culture, the "nostalgia cycle" is typically for the two decades that begin 20–30 ...

endeavor, Silk Sonic isn't a work of nostalgia but rather a

fusion Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combining two or more distinct entities into a new whole. Fusion may also refer to: Science and technology Physics *Nuclear fusion, multiple atomic nuclei combining to form one or more different atomic nucl ...

: funk, rap, and R&B as they've sounded in heavy rotation as recently as the 2000s." ''

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 c ...

'' called the album "rich and authentic, existing at the irresistible intersection between 70s funk nostalgia and the luxuries of a modern day studio. As a result, ''An Evening With Silk Sonic'' lives up to its billing as a true experience: it’s sexy, ever-so-smooth, and radiates confidence and charisma."

Band members

– vocals, production, guitar, piano,

conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...

s (2021–present) * Anderson .Paak – vocals, drums, production (2021–present)

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Promotional singles

Other charted songs

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 2021 establishments in the United States American musical duos American supergroups Bruno Mars Brit Award winners Contemporary R&B supergroups Musical groups established in 2021 American soul musical groups American pop music duos American funk musical groups