So how about that Peter Gene Hernandez? He is really destroying the charts right now, huh? You have a weird look on your face. Maybe this will help. Peter Gene Hernandez = Bruno Mars. That simple mathematical principle proves that this Hawaiian born soulful cat is here to stay. Bruno Mars combines old school soul swagger with contemporary pop appeal. It has been scientifically proven that his voice is causing global warming; on account of it being so hot. Scientifically = some random lady I sat behind on the train who was gushing to her crew about Mars’ mad musical skills.
Peter Gene Hernandez = Bruno Mars
We here at FreshScouts have had Bruno Mars in our ears ever since we featured him in our Weekly Jukebox back in January. This cat is smashing up the charts right now with the ultimate love song, “Just the Way You Are”. But let’s not forget about his smooth collabo with Travie McCoy on “Billionaire” and his memorable hook on B.o.B.’s “Nothin’ on You”. But wait, there’s more! Mars also co-wrote Flo Rida’s “Right Round” and K’naan’s “Wavin’ Flag”. Yeah, let’s just say that Bruno Mars knows what he is doing and he is ready to destroy with his first full album that is scheduled to drop in October.
While we wait for the October release, we offer up a sweet little gem in the form of an EP. On It’s Better If You Don’t Understand (released in May 2010), Mars delivers 4 hot tracks that showcase what he can do. Mars has the formula down and knows exactly how to get his music to the masses. That formula can do a lot of damage if put in the wrong hands. Thankfully, he uses his power for good and we are the victors. If Mars can keep himself out of trouble, he will no doubt become one of the biggest artists of 2011.
KC’s Personal Picks: “Count on Me” and “The Other Side” (featuring Cee Lo Green & B.o.B.)
Check out his live acoustic version of “Count on Me”
Buy It’s Better If You Don’t Understand
Mike Posner – “Cooler Than Me”
This up-and-comer from Southfield, Michigan has got himself a Billboard climber with his first single, “Cooler Than Me.” Its heavy, borderline techno synth beat drives the song, but Posner’s smoky voice and hip lyrics have plenty to do with its continued success, too. This track is getting hot right now, but we promise you—it’s about to get even hotter.
Hanson – “Thinking Bout Somethin’ ”
Hanson, huh? That’s funny. I remember there used to be this band called “Hanson” back in the ‘90s, made up of little kids that sang pretty tight little harmonies and played their instruments damn well for being so young. “Mmm Bop” is immortal, yet ever-so-cheesy. That’s weird how there’s a whole other band called Hanson, also made up of three brothers who pull off tight harmonies and play their instruments damn well. Except this group is comprised of grown-ups. And their new song, “Thinkin’ Bout Something,” is hip, catchy, and has a great video. Sort of like “Mmm Bop” all those years ago. What a coincidence, right?
Bruno Mars featuring Cee-Lo & B.o.B. – “The Other Side”
We know Bruno Mars because he’s the guy who sings the hook for B.o.B.’s smash hit “Nothin’ on You,” but this track featuring Cee-Lo of Gnarls Barkley and Goodie Mob fame has the vibe of a bona fide smash hit. The hook hits hard, and it goes from smooth R&B (Mars) to rap (B.o.B.) to something in between (Cee-Lo). It’s got a little bit of everything, and it’ll be stuck in your head all week.
It’s not kind to toot horns. We at Fresh Scouts know this. But we at Fresh Scouts also can’t help ourselves.
We nailed the whole B.o.B. thing. (Toot toot!)
There. Now that that’s out of the way, we can move forward with the rest of the article explaining why the whole B.o.B. thing is going so well at the moment. Currently, his first single, “Nothing on You,” is sitting pretty at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 after eleven weeks of rising up the rankings. But eleven weeks puts the debut of that single somewhere at Groundhog Day. We featured it in our Weekly Jukebox just 72 hours after New Years—almost a full month before the song even hit the airwaves.
There we go again. Okay, we’re done tooting this time. Promise. Cross our hearts.
That particular single, which seems to do nothing but get catchier and catchier every time you hear it, melts like a hot fudge sundae on your tongue in the middle of the summer time. It’s got this oldschool vibe to it that makes people just want to jump on the bandwagon. No one blames you guys for loving the song. It’s good. It happens.
But B.o.B. is probably a whole lot more than you realize. He raps (and raps well), but he also produces a lot of his own music and plays multiple instruments. Bobby Ray (B.o.B.’s a.k.a.) has been a mixtape stud for a few years now, and the relationships he’s developed working on those underground projects have put him together with some pretty impressive names for his first major-label album, “Introducing Bobby Ray,” due to release on Tuesday.
Check out this cast of characters: Eminem, Hayley Williams of Paramore, Lupe Fiasco, T.I., and Rivers Cuomo of Weezer (among others). All for a guy that’s got one hit and has never put out his own LP before. That says something about how respected this feller is among musical insiders.
The reason we write about him now is because we heard a second song from him recently, and we probably enjoyed it more than “Nothing on You,” if you can believe that. It’s “Airplanes,” the track featuring the hot lead singer of Paramore, as well as Eminem on the remix. It capitalizes on the hip-pop style the Black Eyed Peas have made work so well, except the rapping is like a bajillion times more reputable.
Other sneak peaks of the album (courtesy of several YouTube pirates) were equally impressive, leading us to believe that the album is going to keep B.o.B. at the top of the Billboard charts for a while. “Airplanes” is going to be a hit. You should believe us. We tend to get these sorts of things right.
Check out “Airplanes Part 2” right here:
And, of course, “Nothing on You” over at Lala:
B.o.B. featuring Bruno Mars – “Nothing on You”
Something about this track makes us feel like we’re back in the mid-‘90s, probably one of the summer months. No, definitely one of the summer months. But then the song gets warped through a time machine and resurfaces in 2010, fresh and clean and maybe full of ice crystals. We’re assuming the journey through space and time is a cold one. Ice crystals or no ice crystals, this is a head-bobber. Nineties-tested, Fresh-Scouts-approved.
Amazon Music
Cavo – “Crash”
At first you’re all, “This is a nice little rock track I guess.” Then you’re all, “Oh, some harmonies? How quaint.” And you tap your toes and slap your palms on your knees soberly to the beat. That’s when the hook hits and then you’re all, “Holy crap!” Then you stop talking to yourself and go download the song because it’s awesome. And you all lived happily ever after.
Amazon Music
iTunes
J. Cole – “Lights Please”
This is the track that got J. Cole signed to Jay-Z’s label, and it’s a generally safe motto that if it’s good enough for Jay-Z, it’s good enough for us. And why not? The beat rolls like drifting lava in a warm lamp while J. Cole flows over the beat with a sort of Lupe Fiasco pinash. True hip-hop right here, folks. Like we said, if it’s good enough for Jay-Z, it’s good enough for us.
Amazon Music
