"That's What I Like" is a song by American singer-songwriterBruno Mars from his third studio album,24K Magic (2016). The song was written by Mars,Philip Lawrence,Christopher Brody Brown,James Fauntleroy, Johnathan Yip, Ray Romulus, Jeremy Reeves, and Ray McCullough II. The former three produced the song under the name of Shampoo Press & Curl with the latter four, asthe Stereotypes, co-producing it.Atlantic Records released the song toHot AC radio in the United States on January 30, 2017, as the second single from the album. The song is ahip hop soul,pop, andR&B track. The song's lyrics address extravagance, a luxurious lifestyle, and love.
"That's What I Like" received mixed reviews; some music critics considered the song to be one of the best on24K Magic, while others criticized its lyrical content. The song was a commercial success in the US, where it peaked at number one on theBillboard Hot 100; it reached number three in Canada and number four in New Zealand. It has been certifieddiamond by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA), eight-times platinum byRecorded Music NZ (RMNZ) and diamond platinum byMusic Canada (MC). The song was also certified diamond by theSyndicat national de l'édition phonographique (SNEP). It is the highest-charting single in the US from the album and was the world's fourth-best-selling digital single of 2017. It sold 9.7 million units, ranking among thebest-selling singles worldwide.
The Stereotypes(pictured) co-produced and co-wrote "That's What I Like".
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's single, "Uptown Funk" (2014) featuring Mars, the latter headed to the studio to record more songs. Mars affirmed he had no plans to release a new album "until it's done". It was due in March 2016, but Mars's appearance at the Super Bowl half-time 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 they did not collaborate very often.[2] In 2015, Jonathan Yip talked with Mars about working together. Mars was already recording24K Magic and asked for "some beats", which Yip sent. Mars later asked for more beats and the Stereotypes sent them, but they never heard from him; "nothing came of it".[3][4] In June 2016, Yip contacted Mars, who asked Yip if they would like to help him finish a song for his album; he needed another song with a certain tempo and key.[3][4][5] Yip sent Mars an idea that caught his attention; he asked the Stereotypes to go to the studio.[2][3][6] After they helped Mars finish "24K Magic", Mars challenged the team to help him with two more songs.[2][6]
At this point, Mars had already shown the Stereotypes two songs, including a fully written and produced demo of "That's What I Like" that sounded like a ballad, according to Ray Romulus.[2][5][7] Mars, however, told the Stereotypes he wanted the song to make him move in a certain way and that it was missing a certain "bounce". He wanted them to focus on the "groove, shifting and fine-tuning" until they found the "precise ingredient of danceable joy" that he wanted.[5][7][8] The team started to change the rhythms and the drums of the song, and Mars danced along to it and stopped when he could not move to a chord or drum.[2][8][9] Once the programming of the drums was finished, the song had a different feeling; despite its slow tempo it had a "danceable double-time". This is due to the trap beats, which modernized the track and gave it "bounce".[2][5][7] Then, the Stereotypes tore everything else apart, giving the track new chords and a new pre-hook, B section, and bridge.[2]
In November 2017, Mars was a guest on theCharlie Rose Show. He said the album was intended to make people feel fabulous: "I'm talking about eating shrimp scampi and lobster tails and drinking strawberry champagne".[10] Romulus said the lyrical concept came from Mars, adding, "All that about the Cadillacs and champagne ... that's how Bruno is. He's giving you a day in the life".[7] During a phone interview with CBS Mars said that he second guessed the song, having to listen to it "for over a year to make sure it's all right."[11] It was the first song that Mars askedJames Fauntleroy to help him write.[12]
"That's What I Like" was written by Mars,Philip Lawrence,Christopher Brody Brown, Fauntleroy, Yip, Romulus, Jeremy Reeves, and Ray McCullough II. It was produced by Mars, Lawrence and Brown under the aliasShampoo Press & Curl; and co-produced by Yip, McCullough, Romulus, and Reeves as the Stereotypes. Eric "E-Panda" Hernandez played the live drums while Mars, Fauntleroy, and Lawrence performed background vocals. At Glenwood Place Studios inBurbank, California,Charles Moniz recorded and engineered the track with assistance from Jacob Dennis. It was mixed at MixStar Studios inVirginia Beach bySerban Ghenea, withJohn Hanes serving as mixing engineer. The track was mastered byTom Coyne at Sterling Sound, NYC.[13]
"Versace on the Floor" was scheduled to be the second single released from Mars's third studio album24K Magic (2016). In early January 2017, however, AllAccess reported that "That's What I Like" was being sent to Top 40 radio stations as the second single instead.[14][15] Atlantic Records released the track on January 30, 2017, toadult contemporary,hot adult contemporary andmodern adult contemporary radio stations in the United States and to Americancontemporary hit radio andrhythmic contemporary stations on the next day.[16][17][18]BBC Radio 1 began adding the song onto their playlists on February 24, 2017.[19] In Italy, the song was sent forradio airplay on March 3, 2017, through Warner.[20] On April 21, 2017, a package with four remixes of the song was released fordigital download in various countries.[21]
"That's What I Like" is ahip hop soul,pop,R&B, andfunk song.[4][22][23] It was composed in the key ofB♭ minor at a tempo of 67 beats per minute.[24] The song features Mars in the center of the track, supported by enthusiastic backing vocals,Boyz II Men-style finger-snaps, a "silky pre-chorus", and "punctuating ad libs".[25][26][27] Bill Lamb ofThoughtCo described the single as an "R&B groove, giving a nod to the new jack swing music of the late 1980s and early 1990s".[28]
Billboard's Andrew Unterberger said the song is reminiscent of the R&B from the early 1990s, infused with New Jack Swing and a little hip-hop, comparing it to the "harmonies and Uptown production of earlyJodeci".[22] Christopher Weingarten ofRolling Stone wrote that the track "brings the silky vibes" ofR. Kelly's12 Play (1993) "into the boom of moderntrap".[29] Chris Molanphy fromSlate defined "That's What I Like" as a mix of the "80s-into-90s styles likeNew Edition pop-and-B and New Jack Swing" infused with "the skittering, thumping808 drums of a modern trap" song. He compared Mars's vocals to those ofBobby Brown, especially in his "high-register vocal".[30] Katherine St. Asaph ofPitchfork compared its sound to that ofThe 20/20 Experience (2013) byJustin Timberlake.[31]Vulture's Craig Jenkins noted a resemblance between the composition of "That's What I Like" andThe Neptunes' production of "Kitty Kat" (2006) byBeyoncé.[32] The lyrics of the song have been described as "playful" and "opulent"; they were written from the point of view of someone "who loves himself" and luxury ("strawberry champagne and ice bucket") as much as his lover, with her being promised everything she wants, being allowed to "dictate the pace of the night".[23][31][33] Mars references "Julio" from "Uptown Funk".[27][34] On February 26, 2019, West Java's Indonesian Broadcasting Commission placed a daytime ban on the radio broadcast of several songs, including "That's What I Like", due to their adult, offensive and obscene lyrics.[35]
"That's What I Like" received mixed reviews from music critics. Andrew Unterberger, writing forBillboard, and Rob Arcand ofSpin found the single to be one of the best on24K Magic.[22][36]Vulture's Jenkins said the track is one of the best on the album and sonically one of the "most modern" songs due to "a killer vocal and tasteful trap drums".[32] Peter Helman ofStereogum said the recording is one of the "catchiest" tracks on24K Magic.[37] Caroline Sullivan fromThe Guardian praised the song for paying homage to R Kelly, calling it a "resurrection".[38] Karen Gwee fromConsequence of Sound commended Mars's vocals and said the singer takes his vocals to the limit. Gwee dubbed the track "giddy".[25]The Observer'sKitty Empire praised the lyrics, saying Mars is able to give "conspicuous consumption with more charm than boorishness".[34] In a mixed review Nick Levine, writing forNME, said he did not enjoy the track's lyrics, despite finding them playful.[26]
Jonathan Wroble ofSlant Magazine criticized the lyrics, saying they appear to be "written with a dollar store's rhyming dictionary". He chose the rhymes between "beach house in Miami" and "Julio, serve that scampi" as an example.[27]The Independent's Andy Gill and Patrick Ryan fromUSA Today both found the lyrics on "That's What I Like" to exhibit a list of "unimaginative" and "obnoxious" hedonism.[39][40]
"That's What I Like" was listed as the second best song of 2017 according toAssociated Press's Mesfin Fekadu. She said, "Bruno Mars is perfect. That is all."[41] It was the 34th among Billboard's 100 Best Songs of 2017: Critics' Picks list; Ross Scarano wrote that Mars "is a pop star of total hospitality" showing several clichés of a luxurious life, such as "sex in front of the fireplace and champagne with strawberries", "waking up inside clean sheets without any clothes on", and "the private chef, Julio, preparing shrimp scampi for dinner".[42] In late 2017, Bill Lamb ofThoughtCo considered the single the fourth-best song by Mars.[28] Minou Clark fromHuffPost called the single "the ultimate cuffing season anthem" due to its "sexy smooth melody".[43]
It was nominated forTop Hot 100 Song,Top Streaming Song (Video),Top Radio Song andTop R&B Song at theBillboard Music Awards, winning in the latter category.[52] The song was one of the Top 10 Gold International Gold Songs at theRTHK International Pop Poll Awards.[53] That same year, the track received the first issued accolade for Outstanding Song, Traditional category at the2018 NAACP Image Awards.[54] "That's What I Like" received two awards fromASCAP, one from the Pop Music Awards as one of the Most Performed Songs, and another from the Rhythm & Soul Music Awards as Top R&B/Hip-Hop Song.[55][56] In the following year, at the same award ceremonies, it won, again, Most Performed Songs and it was one of the winners of Winning R&B/Hip-Hop Song.[57][58]
Upon the album's release, "That's What I Like" debuted at number 79 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart for the issue week of December 10, 2016.[59] In February 2017, Mars's performance at the2017 Grammy Awards helped the song to enter the top 10 of the Hot 100, where it remained for two months. The single rose to number two on the chart, spending four weeks there behindEd Sheeran's "Shape of You" (2017).[30] After the release of several remixes, featuring artists such asGucci Mane andPartyNextDoor, "That's What I Like" climbed to number one in its fifteenth week on the chart, replacingKendrick Lamar's "Humble" (2017). Both songs spent one week on the top of the chart and the former became Mars's seventh number one single on the Hot 100.[60][61] The track spent a total of ten weeks at number two on theBillboard Hot 100.[62] It spent 24 weeks in the top five of theBillboard Hot 100, becoming one of five singles to spend at least 24 weeks in the top five and 28 weeks in the top ten.[63][64] As of 2018, Mars, Sheeran, andJewel are the only artists with two songs to spend at least half a year in the top 10 of the Hot 100.[65] The song spent a total of 52 weeks on the chart and ranked at number three on the Year-EndBillboard Hot 100.[66][67]
On theRadio Songs chart, "That's What I Like" peaked at number one and spent nine weeks there, becoming Mars's longest run at the top as a solo artist.[68] It surpassed his previous seven-week number-one runs for "Just the Way You Are" (2010) and "Locked Out of Heaven" (2013).[69] On theMainstream Top 40 chart, the single peaked at number one, tying Mars withJustin Timberlake for the highest total among solo males of number one songs on the chart, with eight each one.[70] For the week of July 22, 2017, the song returned to the top of the HotR&B Songs chart, spending 20 weeks at number one. It tied withThe Weeknd's "Starboy" (2016) andDrake's "One Dance" (2016), featuringWizKid andKyla, for the most weeks spent at number one.[71] In August 2020, the achievement was broken by The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" (2019).[72] "That's What I Like" peaked at number one on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart and topped the Year-End Chart in the format.[73][74] The track reached the top spot on theRhythmic chart.[75] The single was certified diamond by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[76] It became the fourth best-selling song of 2017 in the US, with 1,673,000 downloads and 835,856,000 streams.[77] In August 2025,Billboard revealed the "Top Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs of the 21st Century", "That's What I Like" was number six one the chart.[78]
On theCanadian Hot 100, the song peaked at number three on April 17, 2017, spending 38 weeks on the chart, and it was certified diamondMusic Canada (MC).[79][80] The song ended 2017 at number seven on the Year-End Charts in Canada.[81]
"That's What I Like" peaked at number 12 on theUK singles chart and was certified triple platinum by theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI), denoting sales and streams equivalent to 1,800,000 units.[82][83] On the Belgian charts, the single debuted at number 34 on February 25, 2017, on theUltratop 50 in Flanders, peaking at number three for two consecutive weeks in April.[84] On the Ultratop 50 in Wallonia, the song debuted at number 34 on March 25, 2017, and went on to peak at number eight in May.[85] It was certified platinum by theBelgian Entertainment Association (BEA).[86] The track peaked at number seven on the Portuguese Single Charts.[87] It earned a platinum plaque from theAssociação Fonográfica Portuguesa (AFP), for its sales and streams equivalent to 20,000.[88] "That's What I Like" entered theOfficial New Zealand Music Chart at number 26 on February 20, 2017. In its sixth week, the track peaked at number four, where it remained for two weeks.[89] The song ranked at the fifth spot on the 2017 Year-End List and received an eight-time platinum certification from theRecording Industry Association of New Zealand (RMNZ).[90][91] In Australia, the single debuted at number 47 on theARIA Singles Chart for the week of March 5, 2017. In its sixth week on the chart, the song peaked at number five, becoming Mars's twelfth top-ten single in Australia.[92] It was certified four-times platinum by theAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for exceeding 70,000 units.[93] The song reached the top 20 in several other countries, including Denmark, Ireland, and Scotland.[94][95][96] The song was the fourth-best-selling digital single of 2017, with 9.7 million units.[97]
On March 1, 2017, Mars announced on his Twitter account that he had been filming the accompanying music video for "That's What I Like"; he said, "Just finished shootin it! I'm gonna edit it, take a bubble bath & then we party. Gimme 2 hours! Let the count down begin #TWIL". The visual was directed by Mars andJonathan Lia.[98] The choreography was done by the singer andPhil Tayag prior to the shooting, allowing Lia and Mars to produce animations before filming the video. Some animations were added in post-production by GenPop. The music video was filmed against a grey background in Los Angeles using a stationary camera throughout the entire shot. Several hand-drawn animations "relating to the lyrics" appeared and vanished off-frame; to create this effect, Lia filmed Mars while the song was played at half-speed. Lia then doubled the speed of the footage, making the "synced playback" have a "surreal feel to it", with a single, eight-minute take. Mars and Lia had a different concept for the music video, but the result was not what they expected when the two carried out a test shoot, and they decided to use a single light. When Mars started to dance, him and Lia they knew "that was the video".[99] The video was released on March 1, 2017, viaYouTube.[98]
The visual begins with Mars wearing a black, white, and gold-striped silk shirt, black track pants, white sneakers and sunglasses.[100][101][102] During the video, Mars dances alone against a white background with several animations, which move with him during his choreography, enacting the lyrics and music.[43][98][100] The black-and-white animations include a mirror, Manhattan condominium, sipping strawberry champagne glasses, driving a Cadillac and its wheels, traveling to Paris, and dancing partners that appear as Mars dances across the screen.[98][101][103] The cartoon sketches, related to the lyrics, were drawn to show the flexibility of the singer's dance moves.[102][104][105] According to Rania Aniftos, Mars exudes charm throughout the music video.[102]
Critics including Althea Legaspi fromRolling Stone and Minou Clark ofHuffPost complimented Mars's dancing skills and choreography.[43][98][100] Mike Wass, writing for Idolator, andVulture's Karen Brill compared the video to Drake's "Hotline Bling" (2015) due to its simplicity and "unadulterated feeling-yourself-ness". Wass and the staff ofRap-Up called Mars's footwork "fancy", while Brill said the visual is "wondrous" but that it should include "the ubiquitous music video cube".[104][105][106]Vibe's J'na Jefferson shared a similar perspective, saying "the magic of this video is in the simplicity" because of Mars's performance skills, visual effects, and editing.[101] Alex Young ofConsequence of Sound praised the combination of the choreographed dance and the animation.[107]Billboard's Rania Aniftos praised the music video, saying it will make viewers smile and hit "the replay button".[102] In 2017, it wonBest Male Video at theMTV Video Music Awards Japan and was nominated forBest International Video at theLOS40 Music Awards 2017, a category decided by a Jury.[108][109] The video received the award forVideo of the Year at the 2017 American Music Awards.[46] In 2018, it won the award forOutstanding Music Video at the NAACP Image Awards and earned a nomination for Best Music Video at theiHeartRadio Music Awards.[50][54] The video effects were available on Facebook for users to try; it was the first time the platform made a based camera effect around music.[110] As of October 2025, the music video has reached over 2.4 billion views.[111]
Mars's first live performance of "That's What I Like" occurred at the59th Annual Grammy Awards on February 12, 2017.[112] Mars danced in synchronization with his backup singers, and towards the end of the song he made a "doo-wop harmonizing" breakdown while interacting with women in the crowd and using his falsetto vocals.[112][113][114] The performance was well received by critics. Joe Lynch ofBillboard rated Mars's performance 11 out of 20, saying, "Bruno Mars is one of pop's finest showmen" who "can make an unextraordinary song such as 'That's What I Like' sound like a bona fide hit ... he sang the hell out of it".[113] Billy Nilles ofE! News wrote that Mars showed his "smooth dance moves and silky vocals", and that "every lady in the crowd looked as they were putty in Bruno's hand".[115]Rolling Stone's Elias Leight described the singer as being on "seduction mode", using his vocals to demonstrate it. Mars's voice reminded Leigh of the "firepower" ofNew Edition'sJohnny Gill.[114]
Mars performed the song live at the2017 Brit Awards on February 21; he was "dressed in a vintage-inspired 1990s color-block collared top with navy slacks" and along with his band, performed a routine choreography. Halfway through the track, Mars serenaded the audience.[116] At the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards, he performed the song as part of a medley with "Treasure", a track on Mars's second studio albumUnorthodox Jukebox (2012). Andrew Unterberger, writing forBillboard, found the performance to be the best of the night because Mars made the medley work "seamlessly".[117] An acoustic version of the single was performed on theCharlie Rose Show; it featured Mars and some of his bandmates sitting at a table and using it as a soft drum set.[10][118] Mars performed the single at theApollo Theater alongside the majority of the24K Magic album for hisCBS prime time special titledBruno Mars: 24K Magic Live at the Apollo, which aired on November 29, 2017.[119][120] "That's What I Like" was also sung during the Mars's third tour,24K Magic World Tour (2017–18) and it was part of the set list ofAn Evening with Silk Sonic at Park MGM (2022), a concert residency performed by Mars withAnderson .Paak, asSilk Sonic.[121] Mars also performed it as a medley with "Wake Up in the Sky" and "Please Me" on his shows ofBruno Mars Live (2020-2022).[122] Starting on October 4, 2024, the medley one included "That's What I Like" and "Please Me".[123]
Kurt Hugo Schneider and Mario Jose covered "That's What I Like", releasing their version for download on July 13, 2017.[124]Macy Kate recorded a cover of the single, which is now only available on YouTube.[125]
^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 – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 15. týden 2017 in the date selector. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 14. týden 2017 in the date selector. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 09. týden 2017 in the date selector. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
