30 Songs You Had No Idea Bruno Mars Wrote
Bruno Mars' list of writing credits reads like a hitmaker's how-to guide. It's kind of wild how talented he is, but it's not particularly surprising -- we've seen Mars out there, tearing it up on "Uptown Funk" (which he co-wrote with Mark Ronson and a handful of other talents), "Locked Out Of Heaven," "Grenade" and all of his signature songs.
But what you don't often see is Mars' behind-the-scenes production and writing work, which can definitely be described as prolific. Along with Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine, the three make up The Smeezingtons, a powerhouse pop music writing team whose long list of credits needs its own Wikipedia page.
But to save you parceling through all that, we've highlighted 30 of them here -- in honor of Mars' 30th birthday.
So, happy birthday, Bruno! Keep cranking 'em out, and we promise we'll keep listening.
CeeLo Green: "F--k You"
Undeniably THE feel-good soul-pop hit of 2010, CeeLo's "F--k You" was the fruitful partnership between Green, the Smeezingtons and Brody Brown. Still can't get it out of my head, tbh.
Jay Z & Kanye West ft. Beyoncé: "Lift Off"
This Watch The Throne jam is, in fact, a true jam -- co-written by Mars and a whole slew of talented songwriters, including Seal. Yes, that Seal.
Snoop Dogg ft. Wiz Khalifa & Bruno Mars: "Young, Wild & Free"
It's probably too late, but the vid is little NSFW. Or maybe not. It's hard to tell what's SFW and NSFW these days.
Flo Rida ft. Ke$ha: "Right Round"
Mars and Dr. Luke were only two of the mad scientists who helped craft this '80s-sampling tune.
K'naan ft. Adam Levine: "Bang Bang (She Shot Me)"
In an alternate universe, this would be such a Bruno-patented banger with him on the hook. Adam's pretty great, though.
Travie McCoy: "Billionaire"
Travie brought the raps, but Bruno sang the hook on this 2010 tune. And he might as well have, since he co-wrote it and all.
Mike Posner ft. Lil Wayne: "Bow Chicka Wow Wow"
Definitely some proto-"Gorilla" vibes in this one.
Major Lazer ft. Bruno Mars, 2 Chainz, Tyga & Mystic: "Bubble Butt"
This one, uh, kinda speaks for itself.
The Vamps: "Can We Dance"
Bruno had a hand in carving out this 2013 single from The Vamps' debut, co-produced by Norwegian team Espionage.
Flo Rida ft. Akon: "Who Dat Girl"
Co-written by Mars and produced by Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco, this 2011 jam was destined for success from the get-go.
Bad Meets Evil ft. Bruno Mars: "Lighters"
OK, so if Bruno sings on a song, there's a really good chance he had a hand in writing and/or producing it. Just sayin'.
Sean Kingston: "Dumb Love"
A collab between The Smeezingtons and The Jackie Boyz, Kingston's 2010 track was also featured hilariously on the Disney Channel's "The Suite Life On Deck."
Far East Movement: "Girls On The Dance Floor"
This one, produced by Mars and Stereotypes, is further proof of Mars' dominance of the pop charts before he stepped out on his own as a full-fledged performer.
Cobra Starship: "Hot Mess"
Oh, 2009. Remember this one?
Adam Lambert: "Never Close Our Eyes"
#glambert #2012 #throwback
Brandy: "Long Distance"
Brandy absolutely kills it here, but Bruno's version is equally magnificent in its own right.
Matisyahu: "One Day"
Matis + Smeezingtons = a veritable anthem that was used heavily during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Because, obviously.
Alicia Keys: "Tears Always Win"
My personal vote for one of the absolute best songs on this list. Top five, easily. Top three, potentially.
The Cab: "Endlessly"
...starring BB Hailee Steinfeld!
The Sugababes: "Get Sexy"
This '09 electropop hit might not be within Bruno's typical genres of play, but the slinky verse melodies are pure Smeezingtons.
Neon Hitch ft. Tyga: "Gold"
A sunny Beatles-esque melody with a driving, pulsating electronic beat -- yep, the Smeezingtons definitely had a hand in this one.
Mishon: "Just A Kiss"
Borderline unrecognizable as a Mars composition but still a hearty R&B jam. More like this please? Can Bruno's third album be entirely electro-funk?
Charice: "Before It Explodes"
Bruno sang this Smeezingtons composition, too, but it ended up on Charice's album Infinity, released in Japan in 2011.
Vaness Wu: "Knockin'"
Bruno also penned "Better" from Wu's previous album, V.
Keke Palmer: "Walls Come Down"
Bruno collabed with frequent partners The Jackie Boyz and Garibay for this dance-pop gem from Palmer's second mixtape in 2011.
Jibbs ft. Lloyd: "The Dedication (Ay DJ)"
Golden falsetto hook? Check.
Justin Michael & Kemal: "Her World Goes On"
Bruno's on this one, too, obviously. And he sounds damn good.
Melanie Fiona: "Johnny"
A precursor to Doo-Wops And Hooligans, this tune's brass and steady backbeat could've definitely been a Bruno original on his debut album. Instead, Canadian singer Melanie Fiona released it on The Bridge in 2009.
Goodie Mob ft. V: "Amy"
An ode to "my very first white girl," this 2013 song from Goodie Mob's Age Against The Machine album is adorned with horns and soul-inspired rhythms, just like we've come to expect from Bru (and Cee Lo, tbh).
Shontelle ft. Asher Roth: "DJ Made Me Do It"
Further proof -- from Shontelle's 2010 No Gravity album -- of Bruno's absolute mastery.