Welcome to the new age of R&B, soul and funk. “An Evening With Silk Sonic” is the debut studio album by the duo comprised of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, also known as Silk Sonic. The debut album debuted on Nov. 12. It was first recorded in 2017 and subsequently continued to be worked on from early 2020 to the middle of 2021.
The album is a blend of R&B with hints of soul and funk. Some inspiration was taken from the 70s. Most of the album’s tone is accompanied by smooth guitar glissando, bass and some underlying Motown funk.
The first single of the album, “Leave the Door Open” debuted March 5, 2021. The lead set the tone for the whole album as it had Mars and .Paak performing a song with the characteristics and tones of the album as stated above. The song is heavily inspired by Philadelphia soul and R&B, and depicts Mars and .Paak in a vintage studio to accompany the old-school sound and feel. It was also a success as it was marked number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 2021.
Following the album’s first No. 1 single, Silk Sonic released seven more songs from the album, not including “Silk Sonic Intro,” which was released on the same day as “Leave the Door Open.”
VALLEY will be breaking down some of the rest of those songs off of the album.
Fly As Me
“Fly as Me” is the third song off of the album; it exemplifies the style of funk inspired by the 70s and 80s. In this song, both Mars and .Paak are explaining how great it would be for a woman to be with them. The uptempo beat with the strumming of the bass guitar adds to the feel of this message and song.
Smokin Out The Window
“Smokin Out The Window” is the fifth song on the album and is the third single released. The smoothness of the song with harmonizing vocals, accented percussions and mid-tempo bass lines contrast with the message of the song. In this song, both .Paak and Mars are upset with their lovers’ infidelities, which has led them to stress so much up to the point where they are smoking. Although the instrumentals aren’t traditional for a breakup song, this song is for anyone going through personal romantic troubles.
Skate
“Skate” is the eighth song and second single off the album. Starting off the song with the beat of a drum, bongos and strings, the song introduces the listener to a disco-like atmosphere. The duo sings about hoping for their significant other to come over, similar to the message of “Leave the Door Open.” This song, however, holds the message in a more uptempo beat and bassline.
Blast Off
“Blast Off” is the closing track on the album. With the slow tempo and R&B and funk instrumentals, the song exemplifies the super-duo being transported to a psychedelic place out of this world.
The rest of the songs and the whole album are available now on Spotify, YouTube Music, Pandora and Apple Music. Let VALLEY know which songs are your favorites by tweeting us, @VALLEYmag, on Twitter.
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