Sarah Benavides

“I feel like I’m doing something a little different when it comes to music so it’s really hard for me to find someone that understands the way I sing, the way I think, and the way I act… I wish I could say ‘this is what I am’… but I really can’t because every day I feel different.” - Bruno Mars

For the past five years I’ve been traveling around the world and didn’t have a TV or radio at my disposal, so I relied a lot on my younger siblings to tell me what’s hot these days. Last year, someone told me about a new show called “Glee”. I checked it out and it happened to be the episode where they performed “Billionaire”.

I couldn’t get that song out of my head and googled it to find the original. I really loved the song and asked my siblings, who own pretty much any record that’s been in the charts, if they could hook me up with some Bruno Mars tunes. They sure did, but I usually listen to old (1940s-1980s) music and world music, so I’m always a little reluctant when it comes to modern mainstream music.

At that point, I had only listened to “The Lazy Song” and “Runaway Baby” which I thought were fun and catchy. However, it wasn’t until I stumbled upon an interview with him that I realized I should actually make an exception and listen to the rest of his album. Three months ago I finally listened to the whole thing and was pleasantly surprised by the musical and lyrical variety of his songs. What makes “Doo-Wops And Hooligans” special is that it’s one of the few albums I can listen to from beginning to end, and most of the songs I can really relate to, it’s almost a bit like a soundtrack of my life thus far (but that’s a whole different story).

Aside from his musical variety, Bruno Mars achieves something I admire and appreciate greatly - he’s incredibly versatile in his performances and interviews. Having the attention span of a three year old, I feel bored and lose interest quickly if celebrities tell exactly the same stories or perform a song in the same way over and over again. His versatility and witty demeanor put him (and his fellow Smeezingtons) right on top of my “To-Meet-And-Interview” list.

Video: “Runaway Baby” Today Show performance

Considering my musical preferences, I really appreciate an old school(ish) performance. Needless to say, Bruno Mars’ James Brown inspired rendition of “Runaway Baby” not only made me feel ‘nice, like sugar and spice’ but it also reminded me that there’s still a few über-talented artists left in today’s world of superficiality and synthesized crap.

On a different note, the guys looked absolutely dashing in those suits. A little shout-out to Philip Lawrence, he just cracks me up every time…

Introducing… Bruno Mars

Most of you probably know about this guy, but if you don’t, here’s a little video to get you started.