Bruno Mars News, Bruno Mars Videos, Bruno Mars Photos

November 9th, 2011 | 7:56 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Video Premiere: Bruno Mars, “It Will Rain”

There is a line in Bruno Mars‘s new single, “It Will Rain,” that goes like this: “There’ll be no sunlight/If I lose you baby.” A romantic line, to be sure, but one that shouldn’t be read too literally, especially considering the song’s inclusion on the Breaking Dawn soundtrack. After all, as any Twi-Hard worth their salt would tell you, Edward Cullen would probably prefer it if there were no direct sunlight ever again! That way, he and Bella could live out their days without worrying about spending money on silly things like 1000 SPF sunblock and Ray-Bans, and could instead make half-human, half-vampire babies underneath the moonlight for all eternity.

But what we REALLY wanna know is this: How did Bruno and his ladyfriend get their hands on a film canister containing a print of Breaking Dawn a full nine days before the movie hits theaters? We know some peeps down in Chinatown that would pay top dollars to get themselves a bootleg of that reel. Regardless, enjoy this video on your computer monitor for now, but be sure to tune into VH1′s Top 20 Video Countdown this weekend to be able to see it in glorious HD on your flatscreen at home!

September 27th, 2011 | 3:01 pm by Nick Minichino

Bruno Mars Premieres “It Will Rain” From Breaking Dawn: Part 1 Soundtrack

Soundtracks may not be the music blockbusters they once were (think the nine-times-platinum Top Gun soundtrack), but in some cases, they can still pack a punch?not only in terms of sales, but also in terms of singles and other original songs. One of the few holdovers is the much-loved (particularly over at The Fab Life) Twilight Saga, and last night the first single from the Breaking Dawn: Part 1 soundtrack, Bruno Mars‘s “It Will Rain,” hit YouTube and iTunes, following the announcement earlier in the day of the full tracklisting. His string-laden heartbreak ballad is perfectly suited for the series’s melodrama

Mars isn’t the only You Oughta Know alum making an appearance?Twilight Saga superfan Christina Perri contributed a song, a fact she excitedly blogged about yesterday (under the title “My Dream Came True!”). The two artists are among the notable inclusions on the tracklisting (which we’ve reprinted after the jump).
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September 26th, 2011 | 2:30 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Gavin DeGraw Explains Why He Picked “Grenade” By Bruno Mars To Cover

Last week, we gave you a sneak peek at Gavin Degraw‘s Top 20 Live set, which features his cover of “Grenade” by Bruno Mars. The clip has, as they say, “gone viral,” so we thought this was a perfect time to share with you the reasons why Gavin chose to cover this particular song over all the others. “Stylistically, it was close enough to what I do to have a shot at doing it effectively,” Gavin told us just moments after wrapping his set (which we’ll have for you soon, promise!). “It’s a real stand-out, as far as quality goes. It’s an exciting song to sing. [Bruno Mars] a very talented writer and producer.”

We couldn’t agree more! If you missed the cover the first time around, we’ve got it for you below…

September 26th, 2011 | 1:30 pm by Nick Minichino

Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj And A Slew Of Today’s Biggest Pop Stars Headline The iHeartRadio Festival [PHOTOS]

The MGM Grand played host to a plethora of pop stars this weekend for the Clear Channel-sponsored iHeartRadio Festival, two nights of genre-spanning, crowd-pleasing pop music. A mix of veterans and newcomers thrilled the (reportedly very drunk) crowd on both nights. The most successful performers were those who stuck to a setlist of hits, like Jay-Z, who may have performed “On To The Next One” but didn’t take its advice about his old songs, including favorites from The Blueprint and The Black Album alongside newer singles like “Empire State of Mind” (with a guest appearance by earlier performer Alicia Keys). Those whose songs were less well-known by the crowd, like Sublime with Rome, were less well-received.

Perhaps the big surprise of the weekend, according to reports, was Jennifer Lopez, who, in a set that spanned her musical career, proved supremely capable of standing among the pop titans of today (with a Pitbull feature on “On the Floor”). Saturday’s “special guest” Sting also more than pulled his weight, backing Steven Tyler on bass early in the evening, then joining Lady Gaga for performances of “Stand By Me” and his own “King of Pain.”

September 7th, 2011 | 10:00 am by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” Is The 2011 VH1 Song Of The Summer

For the last 14 weeks, we’ve been tracking the race to see which track would become this year’s Song Of The Summer. Since people consume music in so many different ways these days, our goal was to put together a democratic formula that compared how a group of over 70 songs performed across five of the primary channels that people frequently use to listen to their favorite jams: the Billboard Hot 100 (radio play & sales), the iTunes charts (pure sales), Last.fm scrobbles (listening on computer and mobile devices), the YouTube music charts (streams) and, of course, our VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown. Each week, we tracked how our group of competitors fared in each of these different platforms, and then added up the results.

So, without any further ado, we are psyched to announce that Katy Perry has taken home the first place prize in VH1′s first annual Song Of The Summer competition! When the summer began, it looked like Adele‘s “Rolling In The Deep” was going to be an unstoppable force, but as soon as Katy dropped her 80s-tastic “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” video during the week of June 27th, she dominated the countdown from there on out. Katy was gracious enough to film an quick speech for us while she accepted our totally awesome Song Of The Summer trophy, which we’ve got for you above.

For you completists, here is our final Song Of The Summer countdown chart (that is, until Memorial Day 2012 rolls around!). And you’re on Spotify, you can subscribe to our VH1 Song Of The Summer 2011 playlist and re-live the summer whenever you want.

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August 29th, 2011 | 5:07 pm by Nick Minichino

Tyler, The Creator/Bruno Mars, Kreayshawn/Rick Ross Beefs Aired Out At 2011 Video Music Awards

Tyler the Creator reupped his distaste for Bruno Mars on the Black Carpet at the 2011 VMAs last night. Prompted by Jim Cantiello‘s observation that Tyler was last, behind even Bruno Mars, in VMA Twitter mentions, Tyler remarked, “I’m a f? I’m a failure,” adding, with a bit of hyperbole, “I’m gonna kill myself,” which was also his threat should “Grenade” win Video Of The Year (it didn’t). Why the continuing feud? “I really hate his music.”

He was forced to backpedal later in the show, after seeing Bruno Mars’s bravura performance in the tribute to Amy Winehouse. He tweeted, “F?k I hate Bruno, but that was really good.” Maybe this Odd Belieber will be won over yet.
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August 22nd, 2011 | 6:00 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Song Of The Summer Countdown: Adam Levine Reaps The Benefits Of His TV Hosting Gig

At this time last year, hopes for Maroon 5‘s third studio album, Hands All Over, were high. The lead single, “Misery,” had hit #1 on Billboard‘s Adult Pop chart, and since the band had convinced famed superproducer Robert “Mutt” Lange to come out of semi-retirement to produce their album, everyone looked for the band to take the leap from a well-liked, fairly popular M.O.R. band to the next level and a spot among the world’s most commercially successful bands. However, once the album finally hit streets in October 2010, the masses shrugged their shoulders and largely ignored the album. The record was certified gold by the RIAA for shipping over 500,000 copies, but worldwide sales stalled out at just 529,000 total units.

Perceived failures like this have sunk many a band in the past, but thanks to charismatic frontman Adam Levine and ten weeks of national TV exposure courtesy of NBC/Universal’s The Voice (corporate synergy at its finest!), the band has totally reversed their fortunes in less than a year. Their new track, “Moves Like Jagger,” hit #1 on the iTunes chart this week, and Levine’s featured hook on Gym Class Heroes‘ “Stereo Hearts” propelled the song to a Top 20 finish in this week’s Song Of The Summer countdown. No wonder artists like Mariah Carey (The X-Factor), Sara Bareilles (The Sing Off) and more are looking to land prime positions as judges on televised singing competition shows; it’s exactly the kind of exposure to Middle America that the flagging music business is no longer in a position to give these artists using “traditional” music channels. As Maroon 5 has proved, it’s great work if you can get it!

As for the rest of our Song Of The Summer chart —only two more weeks until we crown a champion!— kudos to Katy Perry for her ninth consecutive week in the #1 spot.

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August 15th, 2011 | 1:30 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Song Of The Summer Countdown: Foster The People Make A Late Run For The Crown

With only three more weeks left in our 2011 Song Of The Summer Countdown, sadly, there’s little drama left as to who will take home the crown. For the eighth consecutive week, Katy Perry‘s saxoriffic “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” is sitting atop our charts, closely followed by LMFAO‘s “Party Rock Anthem” (which, as we wrote last week, could make its own claim for S.O.T.S.). However, don’t count out Foster The People quite yet!

The You Oughta Know artist’s single, “Pumped Up Kicks,” has been making an impressive late summer run at the top spot. It first entered our charts back on July 11, but buoyed by a standout set at this year’s Lollapalooza festival, the first single off the band’s Torches LP seems to have really captured the attention of the nation. Will they be able to unseat either Perry or LMFAO before Labor Day rolls around?

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August 2nd, 2011 | 6:15 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Song Of The Summer Countdown: Katy Perry’s Still On Top, Celebrates By Doing The Running Man

The dog days of summer are upon us, people. It’s August, it’s hot outside, and the news cycle is starting to slow to a crawl. The general sluggishness of the season is even affecting the music industry, as music fans don’t seem to be gravitating towards any new material. Instead, they seem to be content to play the same songs that they’ve had on repeat all summer long.

Case in point: Katy Perry‘s “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F),” which has exhibited a stranglehold on the top of our Song of the Summer Countdown for six consecutive weeks. Her song looks to have a lock on the prize at this point, but then again, maybe The Throne (aka Jay-Z and Kanye West) can mount a last-minute challenge when their highly anticipated collaboration Watch The Throne drops next week? Stay tuned!

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July 25th, 2011 | 7:45 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Song Of The Summer Countdown: Will Amy Winehouse Become This Year’s Michael Jackson?

When Michael Jackson tragically and unexpectedly passed away two summers ago after an overdose of Propofol (which may or may not have been administered by Dr. Conrad Murray), the primary coping mechanism that people utilized while dealing with their grief was rekindling their love of his extensive musical legacy. People who hadn’t visited record stores in years flocked to purchase his back catalog, radio stations worldwide spun his songs for months on end and, as a result, Michael Jackson became a bigger star in death than he had been during the last 15 years of his life.

Well, in terms of her cultural relevance, it’s safe to say that Amy Winehouse was no Michael Jackson. However, her untimely (if somewhat expected) death this weekend at the age of 27 has done a lot to rekindle people’s interest in her musical output, which consists of two studio albums (2003′s Frank and 2006′s Back To Black) and a handful of B-sides. Not surprisingly, she currently occupies three of the top six spots on the iTunes album charts (see below), and “Rehab” —sadly, the song that will now forever define her career— has sold enough and been spun enough in the past three days to land it at #15 on this week’s Song Of The Summer Countdown.

As for the rest of the chart, there’s not much to say this week. The top seven spots in this week’s countdown are identical to the top seven songs from last week’s countdown; Katy Perry is still holding court at the top of the charts, and Adele is still nipping at her heels, closely trailed by Pitbull, LMFAO and Lady Gaga.

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