"Finesse" is a song by American singerBruno Mars from his third studio album,24K Magic (2016). The song was written by Mars,Philip Lawrence,Christopher Brody Brown,James Fauntleroy, Jonathan Yip, Ray Romulus, Jeremy Reeves and Ray McCullough II. The former three produced it under the name Shampoo Press & Curl, along with the latter four, asthe Stereotypes. The song was composed after a jam session as Mars wanted to recreate the "new jack swing sound". Atlantic Records released a remix, featuring verses from American rapperCardi B, as the album's fifth and final single on January 4, 2018. Musically, it is a new jack swing,hip-hop soul andfunk song. The lyrics demonstrate the happiness of being with who one loves and the positive outcome of that for them and others.
In September 2014,Bruno Mars tweeted, "Now it's time to start writing chapter 3", hinting he was working on new music. Following the release of the successfulMark Ronson and Mars's featured single "Uptown Funk" (2014), Mars headed to the studio to record more songs, and said he had no plans to release a new album "until it's done". The album was due in March 2016, but Mars's appearance at the Super Bowl halftime show postponed it for several months. At the time, seven songs were already recorded.[1]
The Stereotypes had known Mars and worked with him since 2007, but after he signed a deal withAtlantic Records, in 2009, they did not collaborate very often.[2][3] In 2015, Jonathan Yip of the team talked with Mars about working together. Mars was already recording24K Magic and asked for "some beats", which Yip sent. Mars later asked for more samples and the Stereotypes sent them, but they never heard back: "Nothing came of it", they said.[4][5] In June 2016, Yip contacted Mars, who asked the former if the Stereotypes would like to help him finish a song for his album; he needed another song with a certain tempo and key.[4][5][6] Yip sent Mars an idea that caught his attention, with him asking the Stereotypes to go to the studio.[2][4][7] After helping Mars finish "24K Magic" and "That's What I Like", the team brought "in another track idea".[2][7] The idea went into fruition when Mars decided to come up with the "new jack swing sound ofKeith Sweat andBobby Brown".[2][6][7] It was created from scratch after a jam session in Mars's studio. While he was playing a drum set, everyone was either playing an instrument, singing, or yelling.[6][8]
During an interview withRolling Stone magazine, Mars said one iteration of "Finesse" had him singing about "gold chains and cognac over a silky beat", which he found "too corny", and another version sounded "like a Seventies cop show—like I should be on roller skates". Mars explained, "Anytime you see us, on tour, on TV, I want to be moving ... I was very conscious on this album of the bounce." However, he was not satisfied with the 20th version of the song, rearranging its groove. At that time, Mars also decided to fix the bridge of the song, since there was something bothering him on the harmonies or on the chord progression. Mars furthered, "I don't know what's not hitting home. There's just something weird that I ain't fucking with yet."[9]
When Mars chose "Finesse" as a single, he told the Stereotypes that he wanted rapperCardi B to feature on it.[10] The former said on an Instagram post, "I met Cardi B at 3 a.m. after my show in LA, backstage, where we recorded her verse for 'Finesse'. She walked in the room and she was everything I'd hoped she'd be."[11]Charles Moniz, Mars's audio engineer, confirmed this as he recorded their vocals on selected microphones and "brought all the sound elements together".[12] Rumors regarding the collaboration between Mars and Cardi B began on Twitter around Christmas 2017.Billboard's associated director of charts and radio confirmed Mars was set to release new music on January 4, 2018.[13]
"Finesse" was written by Mars,Philip Lawrence,Christopher Brody Brown,James Fauntleroy, Yip, Ray Romulus, Jeremy Reeves and Ray McCullough II. Its production was handled by the former three under their alias Shampoo Press & Curl, along with the latter four as the Stereotypes. Mars, Lawrence, Brown, and Fauntleroy served as the background vocalists. The recording was done and engineered by Moniz, with additional engineering assistance by Jacob Dennis, at Glenwood Place Studios inBurbank, California. It was mixed at MixStar Studios inVirginia Beach bySerban Ghenea, withJohn Hanes serving as the mixing engineer.Tom Coyne mastered the track atSterling Sound.[14] The remix features additional songwriting by Cardi B and Klenord Raphael, and new mastering byRandy Merrill at Sterling Sound.[15][16]
In early January 2018, Mars announced via Instagram that "Finesse" would be the album's fifth single, and unlike the original, the single version features rap verses fromCardi B. The announcement was accompanied with the single's artwork, which features Mars and Cardi B "channeling some serious '90s music video vibes".[17][18] It was released on January 4, 2018, viadigital download andstreaming services in various countries via Atlantic Records.[19]Warner Music Group also issued the track forradio airplay in Italy on January 8, 2018.[20] Subsequently, the song was released to US contemporary hit radio stations on January 9, 2018, by Atlantic Records.[21]BBC Radio 1 began adding the song onto their playlists on January 12, 2018.[22] Americanurban contemporary radio stations began adding the track onto their playlists on January 16, 2018, through the aforementioned label.[23] On March 23, 2018, two additional remixes of the single version were released in various countries by Atlantic Records.[24] A vinyl featuring the single rendition of "Finesse" and its original version was released in 2018.[15] The version with Cardi B was later included on the deluxe version of24K Magic.[25]
"Finesse" is a new jack swing, funk and hip-hop soul song with a light influence ofR&B.[5][26][27] The song draws it main inspiration from the early 1990s new jack swing sound.[26][28] The original version was composed in the key ofA-flat major at atempo of 124 beats per minute.[29] The song features Mars in the center of the track, with a "tightly clipped vocal delivery" sounding likeBobby Brown.[30][31][32] Its instrumentation features walloping clatteringdrum machine rhythms, syncopated rhythms, lurching "orchestral-stab" synthesizers, and "close-harmony background vocals".[33][32][34] It all resonates with the sound of Bobby Brown's albumDon't Be Cruel (1988) and itstitle track.[32][34][35] Most critics say the open "programmed snare line" on "Finesse" resembles the one inBell Biv DeVoe's "Poison" (1990).[31][36][37] Its bass line and beat have also been compared toMichael Jackson's "Remember the Time" (1992), and the new jack swing style to Jackson's albumDangerous (1991).[34][33][38] The lyrics demonstrate the happiness of being with who one loves and the positive outcome of that for them and others.[27] It is also "about being confident with the person you're taking out".[39]
For its single release, the composition of the song was reworked to feature verses from Cardi B. The key of the song was changed toA-flat minor and the tempo was reduced to 100 beats per minute.[40] Her flow and rhymes on the track have been compared to "turn-of-the-1990s cadence", as well as toSalt-N-Pepa andHeavy D styles.[28][34][41]
The album version of "Finesse" has received generally positive reviews frommusic critics. Caroline Sullivan fromThe Guardian praised the song for paying homage to new jack swing, calling it a "resurrection".[42] Nick Levine, writing forNME, thought the song is "pitch-perfect pastiche of the new jack swing sound that recalls" Jackson's "Remember The Time" (1992).[43]AllMusic's Andy Kellman said "Finesse" reminded him of "the era whenTeddy Riley,Dave 'Jam' Hall, andDr. Freeze fused hip-hop with electronic post-disco R&B pioneered byLeon Sylvers III,Kashif, andJimmy Jam and Terry Lewis". He added that the song, just like his preceders, "is a blast".[44] Patrick Ryan ofUSA Today recommended the casual reader to download the song.[45] On the other hand, Jonathan Wroble ofSlant Magazine criticized the song for being a copycat of Bell Biv DeVoe's "Poison" (1990) and for "failing to add anything new to his rehashing of new jack swing".[46] American singer-songwriterMeshell Ndegeocello accused Mars of copying Bell Biv DeVoe,Babyface and the work ofJimmy Jam & Terry Lewis withThe Human League and using it on "Finesse".[47]
The remix also received positive reviews from music critics. Chris Gayomali writing forGQ considered the album version to be a "sleeper jam" and dubbed the remix a "bop". Gayomali continued, "The pairing with Bardi hits all the feel-good throwback notes."[48] Dean Nguyen fromThe Irish Times said the remix is a "2018 single-of-the-year candidate" as its composition recalls "Bell Biv DeVoe andDangerous (1991)-era Michael Jackson".[33] Ron Dicker ofHuffPost complemented the duo and the song, "Mars and Cardi B killed it in a remix for the ages."[49] Jody Rosen, writing forThe New York Times, opined that the single "sounds like the new jack swing Platonic ideal. It's an imitation so fine-tuned it makes the originals seem ersatz."[34]The Independent's Roisin O'Connor andForbes's Hugh McIntyre shared a similar opinion, saying that despite being a Bruno Mars song, Cardi B "steals the show" due to her perfect and reminiscent of the old-school hip hop flow. O'Connor added that despite the flow, "it still manages to capture her distinct style". McIntyre complemented the production and backing vocals, saying it "could have been a serious smash in the early 90s".[50][51]
The song was listed by two publications as being among the best songs of the year. OnBillboard's 100 Best Songs of 2018: Critics' Picks list, the single was placed at number 19. Katie Atkinson wrote that the single "is best described by its one-word title". Atkinson added, "the combination of Mars' nostalgic R&B paired with Cardi's Rosie Perez-channeling swagger was undeniable"."[52]Slant Magazines's Zachary Hoskins criticize the single's opening as it takes from the "programmed snare line" of Bell Biv DeVoe's "Poison". Nevertheless, he praised Cardi B's guest verse, and the happiness Mars and Cardi B feel as it can be heard on the outro, "We got it goin' on / Don't it feel so good to be us?". Hoskins ranked it number 11 on the list of 25 songs.[36] In the same year, the remix was included on Cardi B's 10 Best Features & Collabs: Critic's Picks. Michael Saponara, who compiled the list, placed it at number three.[53] In 2021,Billboard considered the song's bridge as one of the best of the 21st Century, Paul Grein affirmed that Mars "plays cupid", telling men and women "on how to get it goin' on". Grein added that the "romantic interlude balances the streetwise edginess of Cardi's rap segments".[54]
In 2019, the song received a nomination for excellence in Record Production/Single or Track at the 2019TEC Awards.[61] It also received a nomination for Best International Song at theDanish GAFFA Awards, while being nominated for R&B Song of the Year and winning Best Collaboration at the2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards.[62][63] That same year, the track received a nomination forOutstanding Song, Contemporary andOutstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration at the2019 NAACP Image Awards.[64] It also received a Titanium Award from iHeartRadio for reaching a threshold of 1 billion total audience spins.[65] "Finesse" received two awards fromASCAP, one from the Pop Music Awards, as it was one of the winners of Most Performed Song, and another from the Rhythm & Soul Music Awards, as one of the Winning R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[66][67]
Following the release of the remix and its official music video on January 4, 2018, "Finesse" debuted at number 35 on the USBillboard Hot 100 for the week of January 13, 2018. It entered theBillboardDigital Songs chart at number 13 with 30,000 copies in just one day of sales. The song had drawn 8.7 million streams from the time of its release, and debuted at theBillboardRadio Songs chart at number 49 with 26 million audience impressions.[68] After its first complete tracking week, "Finesse" peaked at number three on the Hot 100, becoming Mars's 15th and Cardi B's fourth top ten single on the chart. It sold 87,000 copies, peaking at number two on theBillboard Digital Songs; the song rose to number 12 on the US Radio Songs chart with 52 million audience impressions and debuted at number one on the USStreaming Songs chart with 38.3 million streams.[69] It also peaked at number one on the USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and was Mars's first single, as a lead artist, to top the USDance Club Songs chart.[70][71]
The single made Mars's became the second male artist, afterLionel Richie, to have three top-tens from each of his first three studio albums.[69] When the track topped theBillboard Radio Songs chart, it became Mars's eighth number-one on the chart, making him the first male artist with eight number-one songs. At the time, Rihanna led the list with 13 songs peaking at number one on the chart.[72] "Finesse" also peaked at number one on theBillboardMainstream Top 40, with Mars becoming the first solo male artist in the chart's history to have nine number ones.[73] "Finesse" was certified four times platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[74] In Canada, "Finesse" peaked at number three on theCanadian Hot 100 and on theCanada Hot AC, but it topped theCanada CHR/Top 40.[75][76][77] It was certified eight times platinum byMusic Canada (MC)[78]
In the United Kingdom, "Finesse" entered theUK Singles Chart at number seven, marking Mars's eleventh and Cardi B's first top ten in the country. The following week, the song rose to number five, becoming his highest peak since "24K Magic" (2016), matching the same position. "Finesse" remained within the top ten for six consecutive weeks and was certified double platinum by theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI).[79][80] On the Belgian charts, the single debuted at number 36 on January 13, 2018, on theUltratop 50 in Flanders, peaking at number eight for three non-consecutive weeks.[81] On the Ultratop 50 in Wallonia, the song entered at number 44 on January 20, 2018, and went on to peak at number eight in March, of that year, for two consecutive weeks.[82] It was certified gold by theBelgian Entertainment Association (BEA).[83] Elsewhere, the track topped the charts in Croatia and it peaked at number five on theIrish Singles Chart, spending 24 weeks on the latter chart.[84][85]
The remix of "Finesse" also peaked at number eight on the Portuguese Singles Chart, earning a platinum plaque from theAssociação Fonográfica Portuguesa (AFP).[86][87] It entered theOfficial New Zealand Music Chart at number nine on January 15, 2019. In its fifth week, the track peaked at number two, where it remained for two weeks, becoming Mars's sixteenth top-ten single in New Zealand.[88] The song received a five times platinum certification from theRecording Industry Association of New Zealand (RMNZ).[89] In Australia, the single debuted at number 15 on theARIA Singles Chart. In its fourth week on the chart, the song peaked at number six for two consecutive weeks.[90] It was certified three-times platinum by theAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), for sales and streams equivalent to 210,000 units.[91] The song reached the top ten in several other countries, including Greece, El Salvador, and the Netherlands.[92][93][94]
The concept for the music video began when Mars and Phil Tayag of theJabbawockeez were exchanging ideas, always having consideration for the 1990s song vibe. At one point, Mars asked Tayag, "What if we doIn Living Color?". Tayag was fond of the idea and they decided to go ahead with it.[95] Afterwards, Mars got the permission and help from20th Century Fox and series creatorKeenen Ivory Wayans to pay homage to the American sketch comedy television seriesIn Living Color (1990–1994), thanking both of them for it.[50] Tayag invitedDanielle Polanco, Bianca Brewton, TJ Lewis, and Ysabelle Capitulé to be dancers for the music video and confessed that the shooting day was a celebration of everyone's accomplishments, "It wasn't any funny stuff, it wasn't all Hollywood."DJ Rashida made an appearance as one of several DJs on set.[95][96] Once on the set ofIn Living Color, trying to replicate it, the dancers felt everything was "surreal" with the verbatim, the vibe, the gear, and the clothes.[97]
Capitulé recalled the music video taking three days to make, consisting of two nine-hour rehearsals and one 15-hour shoot. She added that with Mars they had to work hard, but there were moments of goofiness, and the latter was not looking to be the main character supported by backed-up dancers, but instead "wanted it to feel as if they were all in one crew together". She said it was an honor for the dancers "to emulate the show's iconic Fly Girls".[98] The visual was directed by Mars and Florent Dechard, with choreography done by Tayag and Mars, with Tayag as a creative consultant.[99] According to comedian and former actor ofIn Living Color,David Alan Grier, the set-up of the video matched exactly the one in the show, including the original paint can intro and the DJ booth.[100]
The video premiered on January 4, 2018, and pays homage toIn Living Color.[101] The former was formatted in a 4:3 aspect ratio, but the main dance sequence was shot at 60frames per second. Jake Rodkin, the video editor, explained that this was done to evoke the nostalgia of videos shot in the 1990s without using fake scan lines orVHS fuzz.[102] The outfits were inspired by brand theCross Colours.[103] Cardi B was dressed in washed denim cutoffs, a bold neon jacket, tube socks, a backwards baseball cap, oversized gold doorknocker earrings, and bold pink eye shadow. Mars and the male dancers wore vertical-striped tops and denim cloths, while the female dancers wore crop tops, vertical stripes and bold colors.[104][105] The music video opens with Mars and Cardi B using paint and spray paint, reenacting the intro scene from theIn Living Color theme song as the latter raps, before Mars's first verse begins. It features several scenes of old-school choreographed dancing between Mars and a dance troupe similar to the original show'sFly Girls, who dance on a rooftop set in a soundstage while Mars sings the second verse.[27][105][106] DJ Rashida is seen in various scenes of the video on a DJ booth.[100][104]
Roisin O'Connor, music correspondent forThe Independent, classified Mars's and Cardi B's tribute toIn Living Color as "brilliant".[50]Time's Raise Bruner said, "Cardi B and Bruno Mars made the "splashiest '90s music video."[107] Dicker praised their outfits and energy on the music video.[49] Shenequa Golding, writing forVibe, found the outfits on the homage to be "jiggy".[108] Frank Guan fromVulture.com criticized Mars for not being innovative due to the video being in tribute toIn Living Color, but praised Cardi B's playful and goofiness social-media presence, as it fits "the early-'90s aesthetic lovingly re-created by Mars".[109] Several cast members of the TV show, includingDamon Wayans,Marlon Wayans,Kim Wayans, Grier, andJennifer Lopez, praised and thanked Mars for the tribute.[110][111]
The video for "Finesse" was listed tenth onBillboard's 50 Music Videos of 2018: Billboard Staff Picks list.[105] In late 2018, Lyndsey Parker ofYahoo! Music considered the visuals the sixth-best of the year. Parker commented, "Bruno and his Fly Girl sidekick bring '90s-retro finesse back to the TV screen in this spot-on perfectIn Living Color homage."[112] Mike Nied fromIdolator, on his list of The 30 Best Music Videos of 2018 (So Far), ranked it at number ten, saying "The twosome single-handedly brought the '90s back to life in their vibrant collaboration."[113] The video for the song was included onBillboard's 100 Greatest Music Videos of the 21st Century: Critics' Picks list. Ranking at number 53, Taylor Weatherby said, "Just asILC was a cultural moment of the '90s, 'Finesse' helped Bruno Mars and Cardi B solidify their place as icons of 2018."[111]
In 2018, the music video wonVideo of the Year at the 2018 Soul Train Music Awards and was also nominated forBest Dance Performance.[60] That same year, it earned nominations for Video of the Year at the BET Awards and at the MTV Video Music Awards, as well as bothBest Choreography andBest Editing at the latter award show.[56][57] The video received the award for Best Music Video at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards and was nominated forOutstanding Music Video/Visual Album at the 2019 NAACP Image Awards.[63][64] The video received 13 million views within its first two days of release.[103]
Mars's first televised live performance of "Finesse" occurred at theApollo Theater alongside the majority of24K Magic (2016) for hisCBS prime time special titledBruno Mars: 24K Magic Live at the Apollo, which aired on November 29, 2017.[114][115] He performed the single with Cardi B for the first time at the60th Annual Grammy Awards. The performance started with Cardi B entering the stage in a color-blocked outfit, while Mars, along with his band and dancers, also wearing colorful outfits, appeared on a separate stage, which had a background featuring the word "Finesse" spelled out in the show's logo font. It included a dance break performed by Mars and his dancers to the sound ofPrince's "Gett Off" (1991) andHouse of Pain's "Jump Around" (1992). The live show ended with Cardi B rapping verses of her single, "Bartier Cardi" (2017).[116][117][118] The performance received positive reviews, who found it similar to the 1990s theme of the music video.[119][118][120] Chris Payne ofBillboard commented, "In one of the most captivating moments if the 2018 Grammys combined for an action-packed, '90s-tastic performance."[118] Writing forVibe, J'na Jefferson dubbed the performance as "stand-out", whilePeople's Maria Pasquine wrote, "The duo, who broke the internet with theirIn Living Color-inspired video, tore up the Grammys stage."[121][120] Charles Holmes fromMTV News praised the performance, affirming that "the chemistry between Cardi and Mars was so electric the duo should think about dropping a collaboration album to save 2018".[122]Paste's Ellen Johnson considered the performance at the Grammys one of the best of all time, ranking it at number seven, saying that the nostalgia along with Mars's charisma and Cardi B's personable rapping couldn't go wrong.[123] Cardi B confessed that she was nervous during the performance and decided to use a common stage fright technique in picking a blank spot in the crowd. She said that Mars is a perfectionist, henceforth they rehearsed every day for a whole week, and she didn't want to disappoint him.[124]
Cardi B opened the 2018 iHeart Music Awards with a medley of her biggest hits, including a verse from the remix of "Finesse".[125] Hilary Hughes fromBillboard found the performance of the "Finesse" remix to have "shined on its own".[126] On May 20 at the 2018Billboard Music Awards,Kelly Clarkson performed a medley of variousBillboard Hot 100 hits during her monologue, including Cardi B's verse from the remix of Mars's "Finesse".[127][128] On Mars's third tour, the24K Magic World Tour (2017–18), "Finesse" was the opening act of the set list, he also sung it during the shows ofBruno Mars Live (2022-24).[129][130]Pentatonix, an American a cappella group, recorded a cover of the single for their 2018 albumPTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. I.[131] It was part of the soundtracks for the video gamesJust Dance 2019 andNBA 2K19.[132][133] The remix was also used as the background music for the swimsuit competition ofMiss Universe 2018, which was held in Bangkok, Thailand in December of that year.[134]
^Fekadu, Mesfin (November 29, 2017). "Bruno Mars feels the magic".Niagara Falls Review. New York – viaPressReader.Mars's energetic dance moves and smooth vocals are at the forefront of Bruno Mars: 24K Magic Live at the Apollo, which debuts Wednesday on CBS. He recorded the special at the Apollo Theater in New York's Harlem, performing the majority of his third album, 24K Magic.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 02. týden 2018 in the date selector. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 02. týden 2018 in the date selector. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
^"Top 100 Anual Costa Rica".Top anual monitorLATINO Top 100. Monitor Latino.Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. RetrievedDecember 22, 2018.
^"Track Top-100 2018".Hitlisten (in Danish).Archived from the original on February 21, 2019. RetrievedJanuary 16, 2019.
^"Top 100 Anual El Salvador".Top anual monitorLATINO Top 100. Monitor Latino.Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. RetrievedDecember 22, 2018.
^"Tónlistinn – Lög – 2018" [The Music – Songs – 2018] (in Icelandic). Plötutíóindi.Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. RetrievedApril 1, 2022.
