Here’s the popular understanding of the field for the top prize at the Grammy Awards next weekend: Adele and the four chumps who will lose to her. Of the four, singer Bruno Mars is considered the chumpiest. His "Doo-Wops and Hooligans," an album that contains neither doo-wop nor hooliganism, is under consideration for Album of the Year. It has about as much chance of winning as Lady Gaga does of being named the next pope.
Mars has a reputation as a crowd-pleasing lightweight. But he’s got more in common with Adele than it may appear. They both draw heavily from ’60s pop and soul — Mars mimics the inflections of David Ruffin and Sam Cooke as unapologetically as Adele imitates Etta James and Carole King. Both favor organic sounds — acoustic guitar and piano in particular — over the synthetic sonic backdrops that dominate most radio productions. Both write or co-write most of their material, which is a true mark of distinction in 2012.
And both are outsiders, or at least outliers. Adele is a Brit obsessed with the sound and feel of classic American soul. Mars is a Hawaiian, and this is sometimes reflected in his idiosyncratic taste in clothes: patterned shirts, island shorts and broad-brimmed Rat Pack hats. While he doesn’t make much of his heritage, the half-Filipino Mars is one of the most successful Asian-Americans in Billboard chart history.
Adele is the most prominent pop artist of the moment. Mars is nipping at her heels. "Grenade" and "Just the Way You Are" were both No. 1 hits; "It Will Rain," his latest weeper, has been inescapable this winter. Mars’ dominion extends to famous songs by other artists. He co-wrote the juggernaut "Forget You" for Cee-Lo Green and contributed the hook to "Nothing on You," the song that made B.o.B an unlikely rap star. "Doo-Wops and Hooligans" has sold more than a million copies in the United States, and twice as many in Europe.
Why doesn’t he get more respect? His gender is part of his problem: We don’t expect men to be as polite as Mars is. Girls are supposed to be respectful; guys are celebrated for breaking the rules. There’s a reason why Tyler, the Creator — rap’s current bad boy — devotes a couplet in "Yonkers" to a fantasy of stabbing Mars in the throat. Mars’ songs are so tightly written that they almost feel algorithm-driven. "It Will Rain" introduces his narrator as a "troublesome guy." Would a genuine "troublesome guy" manicure his arrangement as Mars does? Everything from the digital echo on his voice to the sudden beat drop at the beginning of the second verse feels calculated to maximize the song’s radio-friendliness.
There’s no arguing with success, and Mars has another monster hit on his hands. But even as he racks up the spins, his careful approach is taking the teeth out of his attack. Isolate the lead vocal track on "It Will Rain" and even Tyler, the Creator couldn’t deny that there’s genuine grit and emotional heft to his performance. Bathe it in strings and marinate it in backing vocals, and it can be difficult to locate.
A giddy streak runs through Mars’ catalog: His production team is called the Smeezingtons and the reggae-influenced "The Lazy Song," which was also a Top 10 hit, references Snuggies and dodgy home workout equipment. Sam Cooke he is not, but a playful, raw, invigorating soul man is hidden somewhere under that hat. My guess is we’ll see it soon enough.
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