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, "Smokin out the Window", and their debut album, An Evening with Silk Sonic, 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, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Silk Sonic
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak
Background information
OriginU.S.
Genres
Years active2021–present
Labels
Members
Websitesilksonic.com

History

edit

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

edit
 
Silk Sonic logo

In 2017, Anderson .Paak was the opening act for Bruno Mars on the European leg of the 24K Magic World Tour.[1] In April, Mars and .Paak worked together at Abbey Road Studios in London with Nile Rodgers and Guy Lawrence for Chic's album It's About Time, and worked on music while on tour that appeared on Paak's album Ventura.[2][3] The duo was formed in 2017 by Mars and .Paak "as a joke the two friends hatched on the road".[4]

On February 26, 2021, Mars announced that he and .Paak had formed a band, saying, "[Silk Sonic] locked in and made an album."[5] In a press release, they said Bootsy Collins named the band after he heard the album.[6] "Leave the Door Open", the band's debut album's lead single, was released on March 5, along with the intro song, hosted by Collins.[7] The band made its television debut at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards performing the single, alongside a tribute to Little Richard consisting of "Long Tall Sally" and "Good Golly, Miss Molly".[8]

"Leave the Door Open" was performed again at the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards, with a similar aesthetic.[9] The duo won Best Group at the BET Awards 2021.[10] At the same ceremony, it performed "Leave the Door Open" again, alongside teasers of its forthcoming releases.[11]

On July 28, Mars announced that Silk Sonic would host a "Summertime Jam" two days later.[12] This event turned out to mark the release of another single, "Skate", which was released on July 30 alongside an accompanying video.[13]

In October, the band announced that the album's release had been pushed ahead to November 12.[14]

On November 5, Silk Sonic released its third single, "Smokin out the Window", a week before the album's launch.[15][16] On November 12, An Evening with Silk Sonic was released.[15] On November 21, "Smokin' Out the Window" was performed as the opening act of the American Music Awards of 2021,[17][18] where the duo also won Favorite Song – R&B.[19]

On January 19, 2022, it was announced that the duo would host a residency concert series at the Park MGM in Las Vegas.[20] On February 3, they were announced to also make an appearance in Fortnite.[21][22] On February 14, the duo released a cover of Con Funk Shun's "Love's Train", which was later released as single in Italy, making it the group's fourth single.[23] 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.[24][25] "After Last Night" was released as the next single on July 5, 2022.[26]

Musical style

edit

Silk Sonic's musical style has been described as R&B,[17][27][28][29] soul,[30][31][32] funk,[30][33] pop,[34][33] hip hop,[30] and smooth soul.[35] Its sound has also been described as disco-inspired.[36] Of An Evening with Silk Sonic's sound, The Ringer wrote, "though styled as a 1960s to '70s retro endeavor, Silk Sonic isn't a work of nostalgia but rather a fusion: funk, rap, and R&B as they've sounded in heavy rotation as recently as the 2000s."[34] Sputnikmusic 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."[37]

Band members

edit

Principal members

Touring members

  • Philip Lawrence – backing vocals (2021–2022)
  • Jamareo Artis – bass guitar (2021–2022)
  • Eric Hernandez – drums (2021–2022)
  • Kameron Whalum – trombone, backing vocals (2021–2022)
  • Dwayne Dugger – saxophone (2021–2022)
  • James King – trumpet, backing vocals (2021–2022)
  • John Fossit – keyboards (2021–2022)
  • Mateus Asato – lead guitar (2021–2022)[38]
  • Maurice "Mobetta" Brown – trumpet (2021-2022)[39]

Discography

edit

Studio albums

edit
List of studio albums, with selected details, chart positions and certifications
Title Details Peak chart positions Sales Certifications
US
[40]
US R&B
[41]
AUS
[42]
CAN
[43]
DEN
[44]
IRE
[45]
NLD
[46]
NZ
[47]
SWI
[48]
UK
[49]
An Evening with Silk Sonic 2 1 4 3 5 5 4 3 5 9

Singles

edit
List of singles, with year released, selected chart positions, certifications, and album name shown
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
[57]
US
R&B/
HH

[58]
AUS
[42]
CAN
[59]
IRE
[45]
NLD
[46]
NZ
[47]
SWI
[48]
UK
[49]
WW
[60]
"Leave the Door Open" 2021 1 1 10 9 18 13 1 23 20 2 An Evening with Silk Sonic
"Skate" 14 4 32 19 48 61 12 74 45 18
"Smokin out the Window" 5 2 8 10 11 31 4 92 12 12
"Love's Train" 2022 [A] 47 [B]
"After Last Night"[67]
(with Thundercat and Bootsy Collins)
68 17 92 [C] 78
"—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Promotional singles

edit
List of promotional singles, with year released, selected chart positions, and album name shown
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
Bub.

[65]
US
R&B/
HH

[58]
NZ
Hot

[69]
WW
[60]
"Silk Sonic Intro"[70] 2021 14 48 34 176 An Evening with Silk Sonic

Other charted songs

edit
List of other charted songs, with year released, selected chart positions, and album name shown
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
[57]
US
R&B/
HH

[58]
CAN
[59]
IRE
[45]
NLD
[46]
NZ
Hot

[68]
UK
[49]
WW
[60]
"Fly as Me" 2021 81 23 93 51 75 9 49 92 An Evening with Silk Sonic
"Put on a Smile" 78 22 10 103
"777" [D] 35 132
"Blast Off" 73 20 95 74
"—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Awards and nominations

edit
Organization Year Category Work Result Ref.
American Music Awards 2021 Favorite Duo or Group – Pop Silk Sonic Nominated [19]
Favorite Music Video "Leave the Door Open" Nominated
Favorite Song – R&B Won
2022 Favorite R&B Album An Evening with Silk Sonic Nominated [71]
Favorite R&B Song "Smokin out the Window" Nominated
BET Awards 2021 Best Group Silk Sonic Won [72]
Video of the Year "Leave the Door Open" Nominated
Viewer's Choice Award Nominated
2022 Best Group Silk Sonic Won [73]
Video of the Year "Smokin out the Window" Won[a]
Album of the Year An Evening with Silk Sonic Won
Billboard Music Awards 2022 Top Duo/Group Silk Sonic Nominated [74]
Top R&B Artist Nominated
Top R&B Album An Evening with Silk Sonic Nominated
Top R&B Song "Leave the Door Open" Won
Brit Awards 2022 International Group of the Year Silk Sonic Won [75]
Grammy Awards 2022 Record of the Year "Leave the Door Open" Won [76]
Song of the Year Won
Best R&B Performance Won[b]
Best R&B Song Won
iHeartRadio Music Awards 2022 Song of the Year "Leave the Door Open" Nominated [77]
Best Duo/Group of the Year Silk Sonic Won
R&B Album of the Year An Evening with Silk Sonic Won
R&B Song of the Year "Leave the Door Open" Won
R&B Artist of the Year Silk Sonic Nominated
Best Lyrics "Leave the Door Open" Nominated
Best Music Video Nominated
2023 Best Duo/Group of the Year Silk Sonic Nominated [78]
R&B Artist of the Year Nominated
R&B Song of the Year "Smokin out the Window" Nominated
Favorite Residency An Evening with Silk Sonic at Park MGM Nominated
MTV Europe Music Awards 2021 Best Group Silk Sonic Nominated [79]
Best Collaboration "Leave the Door Open" Nominated
MTV Video Music Awards 2021 Group of the Year Silk Sonic Nominated [80]
Song of the Year "Leave the Door Open" Nominated
Best R&B Won
Best Editing Won
2022 Group of the Year Silk Sonic Nominated [81]
NAACP Image Awards 2022 Outstanding Album An Evening with Silk Sonic Nominated [82]
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional) "Leave the Door Open" Won
Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album Nominated
Outstanding Soul/R&B Song Nominated
2023 Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional) "Love's Train" Won [83]
Soul Train Music Awards 2021 Song of the Year "Leave the Door Open" Won [84]
The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award Won
Video of the Year Won
2022 Album of the Year An Evening with Silk Sonic Nominated [85]
Video of the Year "Smokin out the Window" Won
Best Dance Performance Nominated

Notes

edit
  1. ^ "Love's Train" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 11 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[65]
  2. ^ "Love's Train" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 18 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[66]
  3. ^ "After Last Night" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number eight on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[68]
  4. ^ "777" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number four on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[65]

References

edit
  1. ^ Young, Alex (January 8, 2017). "Anderson .Paak to open Bruno Mars' 24K Magic World Tour". Consequence. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  2. ^ Bein, Kat (April 26, 2017). "Watch Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Nile Rodgers & Disclosure Work Together at Abbey Road Studios". Billboard. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  3. ^ Renshaw, David (April 23, 2018). "Nile Rodgers says Bruno Mars and Anderson. Paak will appear on the new Chic album". The Fader. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  4. ^ Weiner, Jonah (August 18, 2021). "The Soothing Sounds of Silk Sonic". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  5. ^ Gallagher, Alex (February 26, 2021). "Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak form new band Silk Sonic, announce album". NME. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  6. ^ Hussey, Allison (March 5, 2021). "Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak Share Video for First Silk Sonic Song: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  7. ^ Carras, Christi (February 26, 2021). "Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak tease fans with new band called Silk Sonic". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 29, 2022. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  8. ^ Haylock, Zoe (March 14, 2021). "Watch Silk Sonic's Seductive, '60s-Inspired Grammys Performance". Vulture. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  9. ^ Fields, Taylor (May 27, 2021). "Silk Sonic Lead Serenade In Steamy 'Leave The Door Open' Performance". iHeartRadio. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  10. ^ Angermiller, Michele Amabile (May 27, 2021). "Megan Thee Stallion, DaBaby Lead BET Awards Nominations: The Full List". Variety.
  11. ^ "Silk Sonic - "Leave the Door Open" - BET Awards 2021". BET. June 28, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  12. ^ Kenneally, Cerys (July 29, 2021). "It looks like Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars are teasing a new Silk Sonic release". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  13. ^ Espinoza, Joshua (July 30, 2021). "Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak Share New Silk Sonic Track "Skate"". Complex. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  14. ^ Slingerland, Calum (November 5, 2021). "Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak Detail 'An Evening with Silk Sonic,' Share New Song". Exclaim!. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  15. ^ a b Kenneally, Cerys (November 2, 2021). "Silk Sonic tease new single "Smokin Out The Window"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  16. ^ Gallagher, Alex (November 5, 2021). "Watch Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak's video for new Silk Sonic single 'Smokin Out the Window'". NME. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  17. ^ a b Lamarre, Carl (November 21, 2021). "Silk Sonic Kick Off 2021 AMAs With Sizzling Rendition of 'Smokin Out the Window'". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  18. ^ Minsker, Evan (November 21, 2021). "Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak) Perform "Smokin' Out the Window" at AMAs 2021: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  19. ^ a b McClellan, Jennifer; Alexander, Bryan (November 21, 2021). "AMAs winners list: Taylor Swift, Lil Nas X take early prizes; see more nominations". USA Today. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  20. ^ Bloom, Madison (January 19, 2022). "Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak Announce Silk Sonic Las Vegas Residency". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  21. ^ Goslin, Austen (February 3, 2022). "Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak's music duo Silk Sonic coming to Fortnite". Polygon. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  22. ^ "Fortnite - Official Silk Sonic Icon Series Trailer". IGN. February 3, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  23. ^ Daly, Rhian (May 16, 2022). "Silk Sonic cover Con Funk Shun's 'Love's Train' at Billboard Music Awards 2022". NME. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  24. ^ Anderson, Trevor (April 21, 2022). "Silk Sonic's 'Train' Arrives at No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  25. ^ Tenaglia, Raffaella (March 18, 2022). "Silk Sonic - Love's Train (Radio Date: 18/03/2022)" (Press release) (in Italian). Italy: Airplay Control. Warner. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  26. ^ "Urban/R&B Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  27. ^ Bustard, Andy (February 15, 2022). "Anderson .Paak Follows Super Bowl Look With New Silk Sonic Song 'Love's Train'". HipHopDX. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  28. ^ Elitou, Tweety (November 28, 2021). "3 Reasons Why We Adore Silk Sonic—Plus, A Look At Their Groovy Performance Looks At The 2021 Soul Train Awards!". BET. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  29. ^ Spangler, Todd (February 3, 2022). "Silk Sonic's Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak Parachute Into 'Fortnite' With '70s-Inspired Outfits, Radio Station". Variety. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  30. ^ a b c DeVille, Chris (November 15, 2021). "With Silk Sonic, Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak Set Their Time Machine to '70s Funk & Soul". Stereogum. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  31. ^ Wood, Mikael (February 25, 2022). "How Silk Sonic is bringing a 'set list of doom' to joyous life in Las Vegas". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  32. ^ Kellman, Andy. "Silk Sonic AllMusic Bio". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  33. ^ a b Bell, Kaelen (October 8, 2021). "Silk Sonic Set New Release Date for Debut Album". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  34. ^ a b Charity, Justin (November 12, 2021). "Indulge in Silk Sonic's Delightful New Album Before You Get Sick of It". The Ringer. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  35. ^ "New Music Friday: Silk Sonic, Lil Wayne, John Legend, and Rick Ross". Lakes Media Network. November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  36. ^ King, Ariel (November 12, 2021). "Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak take listeners down to the disco with debut LP, 'An Evening With Silk Sonic'". Dancing Astronaut. Archived from the original on November 16, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  37. ^ Sowing (November 15, 2021). "Silk Sonic An Evening with Silk Sonic". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  38. ^ Mateus Asato
  39. ^ Sheckells, Melinda (February 26, 2022). "Silk Sonic Bring the Funk, Perform Entire Debut Album at Las Vegas Residency Launch". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  40. ^ "Silk Sonic Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  41. ^ "Silk Sonic Chart History: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  42. ^ a b "Discography Silk Sonic". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  43. ^ "Silk Sonic Chart History: Billboard Canadian Albums". Billboard. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  44. ^ "Discography Silk Sonic". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  45. ^ a b c "Discography Silk Sonic". Irish-charts.com. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  46. ^ a b c "Discografie Silk Sonic". Dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  47. ^ a b "Discography Silk Sonic". Charts.nz. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  48. ^ a b "Discographie Silk Sonic" (in German). Schweizer Hitparade. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  49. ^ a b c "Silk Sonic/Bruno Mars/Paak | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  50. ^ Caulfield, Keith (November 21, 2021). "Taylor Swift Scores 10th No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 with 'Red (Taylor's Version)'". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  51. ^ a b c "American certifications – Silk Sonic". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  52. ^ a b c "British certifications – Silk Sonic". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 24, 2024. Type Silk Sonic in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  53. ^ "Danish album certifications – Silk Sonic – An Evening with Silk Sonic". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  54. ^ a b c d "Canadian certifications – Silk Sonic". Music Canada. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  55. ^ "Dutch certifications – Silk Sonic" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved March 11, 2023. Enter Silk Sonic in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  56. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Silk Sonic". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  57. ^ a b "Silk Sonic Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  58. ^ a b c "Silk Sonic Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  59. ^ a b "Silk Sonic Chart History: Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  60. ^ a b c "Silk Sonic Chart History: Global 200". Billboard. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  61. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2021 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  62. ^ "Dutch single certifications – Silk Sonic – Leave the Door Open" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved August 21, 2021. Enter Leave the Door Open in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 2021 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  63. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart – 22 November 2022". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  64. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart – 24 January 2022". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  65. ^ a b c "Silk Sonic Chart History: Bubbling Under Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  66. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. February 21, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  67. ^ "Urban/R&B Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  68. ^ a b "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  69. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  70. ^ "Silk Sonic Intro - Single by Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak & Silk Sonic on Apple Music". Apple Music. March 5, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  71. ^ Grein, Paul (October 13, 2022). "Bad Bunny Leads 2022 American Music Awards Nominations: Full List". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  72. ^ "BET Awards 2021: Full List Of Winners, Nominees And Honorees". BET. June 28, 2021. Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  73. ^ Germain, Tabie (June 26, 2022). "BET Awards 2022: Full List of Winners and Honorees (LIVE UPDATE)". BET. Archived from the original on June 27, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  74. ^ Dupre, Elyse (May 15, 2022). "Billboard Music Awards 2022 Winners: The Complete List". E!. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  75. ^ Daly, Rhian (February 8, 2022). "Here are all the winners from the BRIT Awards 2022". NME. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  76. ^ "2022 Grammys Awards Show: Complete Nominations List". Grammy.com. November 23, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  77. ^ Centeno, Tony (March 22, 2022). "2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards: See The Full List Of Winners". iHeart. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  78. ^ Chan, J. Clara (January 11, 2023). "iHeartRadio Music Awards: Lizzo, Taylor Swift and Harry Styles Top Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  79. ^ Grein, Paul (October 20, 2021). "Justin Bieber Leads 2021 MTV EMA Nominations". Billboard. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  80. ^ Hussey, Alison (September 13, 2021). "MTV VMAs 2021 Winners: See the Full List Here". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  81. ^ Panaligan, EJ; Earl, William (August 28, 2022). "MTV VMAs 2022: Taylor Swift Wins Video of the Year, Plus Full Winners List". Variety. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  82. ^ Nordyke, Kimberly (February 24, 2022). "NAACP Image Awards: Jazmine Sullivan, Silk Sonic Among Winners From Night 4 of Non-Televised Ceremonies". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  83. ^ Tinoco, Armando (February 20, 2023). "NAACP Image Awards 2023 Winners: Beyoncé, Rihanna & 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Honored On Night One". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  84. ^ Haneline, Amy (November 29, 2021). "Soul Train Awards 2021: Silk Sonic, Jazmine Sullivan, Ashanti, Maxwell, more honored". USA Today. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  85. ^ Grein, Paul (November 26, 2022). "Beyoncé Wins Big at 2022 Soul Train Awards: Full Winners List". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
edit