Song of the Week breaks down and talks about the song we just can’t get out of our head each week. Find these songs and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist. For our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak dropped their first single as Silk Sonic.
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak have teamed up under the name Silk Sonic, which seems to have been a good name choice. Their first single, “Leave the Door Open”, is nothing if not luxurious, velvety goodness. The full-length project, An Evening with Silk Sonic, reunites the two artists who previously toured together with .Paak as an opening act on Bruno Mars’ 2017 “24K Magic World Tour”. Sonically, “Leave the Door Open” is a return to form for Bruno Mars, who has carved out his own 21st century niche for ‘70s vibes. This track turns the dial down with a smooth slow jam, not unlike past songs from Mars like “Versace on the Floor” or “That’s What I Like”.
It probably should have been illegal for the two to drop a track like this in such a time of overall yearning. (Congrats to people not experiencing singleness on the new song.) Things kick off with Anderson .Paak’s raspy vocals setting the scene: “We should be dancin’, romancin’/ In the east wing and the west wing of this mansion.” Bruno slides into the chorus, promising to leave the door open before landing with the hook, “I’m hopin’, hopin’ that you feel the way I feel/ And you want me like I want you tonight.” Overall, the song wouldn’t feel out of place on Bruno Mars’ critically and commercially beloved 2016 24K Magic album — why mess with a great thing, after all?
The playful music video, set in a neutral-toned, warm, carpeted studio, keeps the ‘70s energy front and center. If this is a window into what is to come from the duo’s full album (yet to confirm a release date), the project might be exactly what was expected after it was initially announced: jazzy, confident, nostalgic. Playing (literally) into expectations and releasing music that’s comforting and familiar might be just what we all need, though — we’ve had more than enough surprises over the past year.
–Mary Siroky
Contributing Writer