The Smeezingtons Explained

The Smeezingtons
Origin:Los Angeles, California, United States
Years Active:2009–2015
Spinoffs:Shampoo Press & Curl
Associated Acts:The Stereotypes
Past Members:

The Smeezingtons were an American songwriting and record production team consisting of Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence, and Ari Levine formed in 2009.[1] The Smeezingtons were established in Los Angeles, California; the trio primarily served as the producers for the singles and albums of Mars, with additional work for diverse range of artists. Eventually, the trio split, and Mars and Lawrence formed a successor production trio with Christopher Brody Brown called "Shampoo Press & Curl".

Before Mars' mainstream breakthrough as a performer, the Smeezingtons first gained recognition after producing the song "Wavin' Flag" for Canadian singer K'naan in 2009, which was used by Coca-Cola as the theme for television coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In December of that year, the trio produced and co-wrote Mars' debut single appearance, "Nothin' on You" by American rapper B.o.B. It was their first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single, and the first of numerous successful productions for Mars's career—which resulted in two consecutive Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles in 2010 and 2013. In August 2010, they produced and co-wrote the single "Fuck You" for American singer CeeLo Green, which topped the UK Singles Chart and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.

Career

Formation

Before meeting Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence worked in theater and at Walt Disney World in Florida for seven years after finishing college.[2] He moved to Los Angeles and was "holding down these random telemarketing jobs to keep the lights on".[2] After Mars graduated in Hawaii, he moved to L.A. and found he could only pay rent by DJing. Before they met each other, "a lot of time was wasted working with random producers bouncing around from studio to studio but never getting anything done". Lawrence was initially reluctant to meet Mars but their collaboration worked from the start. According to Lawrence:

Mars and Lawrence started writing songs together for Mars to perform but they received rejections from labels. The duo considered moving back to their home cities but that week, they got a call from Mars's former manager Brandon Creed, who was A&Ring a reunited Menudo, who needed songs. Creed liked their song "Lost", which was written for Mars. At first Mars and Lawrence did not want to give up the song so Creed offered them $20,000 for it. Mars and Lawrence were so surprised they said; "You can have that one and whatever else you need!"; the call allowed them to stay in L.A. longer.[2] [3] In late 2008, Aaron-Bay Schuck (A&R), Lawrence and Mars helped write Flo Rida's single "Right Round".[2] [4] Lawrence and Mars decided to call their partnership The Smeezingtons.[5]

In 2007, Mars was a struggling singer-songwriter and Ari Levine was a producer looking to work with new songwriters.[6] [7] Lawrence was the first guest at Levine's studio Levcon Studios; they had previously worked together after being introduced by a mutual friend. Lawrence was responsible for connecting Mars and Levine.[8] [9] One day, Mars and Lawrence were sitting in a car with no money; they decided to try producing for themselves and enlisted the help of Levine, who contributed his equipment and expertise in drum programming, sampling and other electronic sounds.[10] [11] In 2009, The Smeezingtons settled in Hollywood and Levine joined the team. They worked over 10 hours every day for two years.[5]

Collaborations

The Smeezingtons ventured into the U.S. market, mostly writing songs for R&B-pop performers. They were given the chance of working with less-successful acts such as Mike Posner, Cobra Starship, Chad Hugo, and Lupe Fiasco.[4] [12] [13] They also wrote songs for better-known acts Flo Rida, Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa and Cee-Lo Green.[2]

One of their first successful productions was "Get Sexy", performed by Sugababes, released in August 2009. It peaked at number two in the United Kingdom.[14] It was followed by Matisyahu's "One Day", chosen as NBC's 2010 Winter Olympics theme.[4] The Smeezingtons also collaborated with artist K'naan on his fourth studio album Troubadour.[15] Coca-Cola used the album's track "Wavin' Flag" with a composition re-arranged by themselves as the theme for television coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. "Wavin' Flag" topped the Ö3 Austria Top 40, the Official German Charts and the Scottish Singles charts.[16] It brought the Smeezingtons attention from the music industry with their production and writing services increasing in demand.[17] Levine joined them, forming a trio.[5] [18]

In late 2009, The Smeezingtons landed "Nothin' on You" by American rapper B.o.B's featuring Mars; it topped the Billboard Hot 100, the UK Singles chart, and the Dutch Top 40.[19] [20] In 2010, The Smeezingtons were responsible for "Billionaire" by American rapper Travie McCoy featuring Mars.[2] It peaked at number four in the US, number three in the UK and topped the Dutch Top 40.[19] In the same year, "Fuck You" by American singer Cee-Lo Green became another success for The Smeezingtons, reaching number one in the UK and the Netherlands, and number two on the Billboard Hot 100.[21]

In 2011, The Smeezingtons composed "Lighters" for Bad Meets Evil, featuring Mars's vocals.[22] It peaked at number four in the U.S. and on the Canadian Hot 100, as well as number two in New Zealand.[19] [20] [23] They also worked with Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa on "Young, Wild & Free", which features Mars, for the movie Mac & Devin Go to High School. The song was included on the soundtrack.[24] The single peaked at number seven in the US, number two in New Zealand, and number six on the French charts.[19] [20] At the 2013 Grammy Awards, "Young, Wild & Free" was nominated for Best Rap Song.

In 2014, Mars said he was not interested in composing songs for other artists because he had to pay rent.[25] Nevertheless, they produced "All I Ask" for Adele's third studio album 25 (2015).[26] At the 2017 Grammy Awards, The Smeezingtons received the Grammy for Album of the Year for their work on 25; it was their last production as a team.[27]

Productions for Bruno Mars and recognition

In May 2010, The Smeezingtons composed Mars's debut EP It's Better If You Don't Understand,[28] using the attention they gained from the success of "Nothin' on You" and "Billionaire".[29] The EP's four songs were included on Mars's debut studio album Doo-Wops & Hooligans, which was released in October 2010. The Smeezingtons produced and co-wrote the album, funneling lessons learned through label meetings and early hits into Mars's solo work.[30] The album's singles "Just the Way You Are" and "Grenade" topped the Billboard Hot 100, the Australian charts, the UK Singles Chart, and singles charts in other countries.[19] [20] In 2011, "The Lazy Song", another success for the team, topped the UK and Danish charts, and peaked in the top ten of other countries.[19] The three were among the best selling digital singles of 2011.[31]

In the same year, The Smeezingtons composed Mars's single "It Will Rain" for the soundtrack of .[32] The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number two in New Zealand, and entered the top 20s of charts in other countries.[19] [33] [20] The team received six nominations for the 2011 Grammy Awards; they were nominated for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical for their work on "Fuck You", "Just The Way You Are", "Nothin' on You", and others. Their work on "Nothin' on You" earned them a nomination for Record of the Year, while "Fuck You" was nominated on the aforementioned category and Song of the Year. Mars won his first Grammy on the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance category for "Just The Way You Are". With the team's contributions, Levine received a Songwriters' award at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards for "Billionaire," "Just the Way You Are", and "Nothin' On You". The team also earned the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards for Top Rap Song for "Nothin' on You".

At the 2012 Grammy Awards, The Smeezingtons were nominated in five categories, including Producer of the Year, Non-Classical for their involvement on Mars's Doo-Wops & Hooligans, "Lighters", and "Mirror" by Lil Wayne featuring Mars. Their work on "Grenade" earned the team a nomination for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Doo-Wops & Hooligans was nominated for Album of the Year. In the same year, The Smeezingtons also co-produced and co-wrote Mars's second studio album, Unorthodox Jukebox.[34] They were also responsible for the Billboard Hot 100 number-one songs "Locked Out of Heaven" and "When I Was Your Man",[19] which also entered top ten of charts in other countries.[33] [20]

At the 2014 Grammy Awards, The Smeezingtons' work received three nominations. "Locked out of Heaven" was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, while Unorthodox Jukebox won Best Pop Vocal Album. In 2016, The Smeezingtons were not composers of Mars's third studio album, 24K Magic (2016), which led some writers to believe the trio had split. The Smeezingtons were replaced with Shampoo Press & Curl, which was composed of Mars, Lawrence, and Christopher Brody Brown.[27] [35] Eventually, Lawrence left the team and they disbanded.

Other ventures

The Smeezingtons said they hoped to eventually move from for-hire work to development of new artists. Their recording suite Levcon Studios was open to musicians of all genres. "I don't think you can name an artist that we don't want to work with," Mars said.[11]

The Smeezingtons composed songs and played the instruments on those songs.[28] [36] [34] Levine recorded and engineered Mars's debut EP and his first two albums, and mixed the track "Somewhere in Brooklyn".[28] [36] [34] He also engineered, recorded, and mixed "Nothin' on You".[37] Levine engineered and mixed "Billionaire" and "Young, Wild & Free".[24]

Levcon Studios was located in Los Angeles and was co-owned by Levine and his brother and manager Josh Levine. The studios were used by The Smeezingtons and were described as a "tiny Hollywood studio" with a "whiteboard hanging on the wall".[11] The studio is "set in a ramshackle cottage between a laundromat and a medical marijuana dispensary on a seedy Hollywood side street".[7] In the beginning, and according to Lawrence, they "worked long and hard in this little shack, hoping just to pay rent and have someone listen to our songs".[7] The latter also said; "we always find that we still do our best work in our little shack of a studio ... That's where we find our magic."[6]

Influences and style

Lawrence and Mars came from musical families. Lawrence grew up listening to "everything"[2] and Mars was exposed to a diverse mix of reggae, rock, hip hop, and R&B.[38] [39] Their interest in music started at a very young age; Lawrence started to perform when he was four years old,[2] and Mars started to perform when he was three years old and regularly performed with his family band by the age of four.[40] [41] In an article by American Songwriter, Lawrence cites acts such as Billy Joel, Elton John, and Seal as his biggest influences and inspirations. He was raised listening to acts including Isley Brothers, Eagles, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, and Billy Joel. As a child, Mars was influenced by R&B artists such as Keith Sweat, Jodeci, and R. Kelly, as well as 1950s rock 'n' roll and Motown.[42] Later, in high school, Mars began listening to classic rock groups such as The Police, Led Zeppelin, and The Beatles.[42] His influences include Billy Joel, Elton John, Prince, The Police, Michael Jackson, Little Richard, and Bob Marley.[2] [43] [44] Mars has stated, "Ari turned out to be the secret ingredient to what me and Phil were doing", and "I'm used to live stuff. So you give me a studio with a bunch of live instruments, I can do it. But radio's not playing that stuff."[11] The three songwriters also share a love for producers The Neptunes and Timbaland, and the hip-hop musicians of their youths who influenced them in their throwback sounds.[11] The three said their musical influences also come from The Beatles, Police, Motown, Earth Wind & Fire, Michael Jackson, and disco music.

In their usual production style, The Smeezingtons start writing their songs as cathartic, freestyle jams.[6] Lawrence said, "We'll go into the studio, and [Mars will] start playing the piano and I'll start freestyling or vice versa. We're heavily influenced by the '80s [sound]."[45] Lawrence sees himself and Mars as "melody guys", and stated, "That's kind of our main focus, to have really good, memorable melodies".[45] They can also start their songs' production with a "Levine beat, a Mars guitar melody, or a lyric snippet from Lawrence. They reject each other's bad ideas and encourage the good ones in "a melting pot of trial and error", according to Lawrence.[11]

The team explained their songwriting process by saying every song should be like a "three-minute movie" that needs to have a conflict to make it interesting. Mars criticized "hit songwriters" by saying, "I liked hearing that from these hit songwriters because it seems like many times songwriters are more interested in just finishing a song than really taking the time to make a good song a hit song".[46]

After working with The Smeezingtons on Unorthodox Jukebox, Jeff Bhasker said, "One of their great talents is that they have this fun, light vibe in the studio" that enables anyone "to be free so that you can let that primal emotion come out without being embarrassed. Then they polish afterward." Mark Ronson said the key is Mars's charisma.[47]

Mars says the trust that he, Levine and Lawrence have built in seven years of working together is essential. He added "We all know when we're onto something ... We also know when something's not jelling. And that's the thing you pray you will always have."[48] Levine said the musical influences the three share completed his idea: "It's about finding ways to mix the classic we all love with modern songs. That's why people connect to the music on multiple levels: It's familiar-sounding but new-classic songwriting and instrumentation with a little twist".[48] He added, "We're that weird middle ground, where there's live instruments but it's still rhythmic and pop".[7]

Production equipment

The Smeezingtons used an Akai MPC4000, three Roland Fantom S88, V‑Synth GT, a regular V‑Synth, Korg R3, MicroKorg, Novation Ultranova, Dave Smith Mopho, and two Access Virus TI's to produce music. Ari Levine stated he rarely uses MPC, Storm Drum or Addictive Drums software.[49] In August 2012, the team purchased a Korg keyboard.[11]

While recording, they used a Yamaha 02R, Pro Tools HD, a Manley Langevin Dual Vocal Combo as pre/compressor/EQ, a Neumann U 87, and Event SP8 speakers with an 18abbr=outNaNabbr=out Mackie.[49] Levine said the acoustics and vocals are all recorded with the 87 and the Manley, and the basses and electric guitars via DI unit, adding; "the acoustic guitar that we use is a $150 cheap Fender". Levine runs most of the keyboards and the MPC through the 02R and uses a Mackie Big Knob as an interface.[49] He often uses Pro Tools. He does not use MIDI extensively despite it being incorporated in Pro Tools. According to Levine, "We're not making dance songs, so we don't need the synths to do all kinds of crazy stuff. And I fairly quickly render MIDI tracks to audio in Pro Tools". In 2011, Levine was thinking about purchasing a Minimoog.[49]

Levine said he does not use any hardware and rarely uses plugins. He said:

 ... my favourites are the McDSP FilterBank for my EQ, the Waves Rvox and Renaissance Compressor as my compressors, the [Waves limiter] L2, and my favourite reverb is [Avid's venerable plug‑in] D‑Verb. I also use [Line 6] Echo Farm, Sound Toys Echoboy, and, well that's pretty much it. I have many plug-ins, but I don't really use them." He said "I've tried convolution reverbs, but they don't really work. They sound cheap.[49]

He also stated the Avid Reverb One sounded substantially better than Altiverb to him.[49]

Critical reception

The New York Times reviewer Jon Caramanica wrote The Smeezingtons "[Ha]ve got a firm grip on the full spectrum of black pop, and white pop as well".[50] Randall Roberts of Los Angeles Times wrote The Smeezingtons "[are] making some of the most cohesive yet expansive pop music today ... incredibly well-versed in the language of American music and the ways in which it can still be stretched and molded".[51] Before Mars played at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2014, Idolator critic Kathy Iandoli praised The Smeezingtons' work on the Sugababes single "Get Sexy", calling them "a crew of talented fellas".[52] Erik Adams, music critic, of The A.V. Club, criticized the production team by saying; "If The Smeezingtons want to keep synthesizing yesterday's favorites into today's hits ... I could find it within myself to stomach Mars on more than one night of the year", referring to "their work on Cee-Lo Green's song "Fuck You".[53]

Discography

See main article: The Smeezingtons production discography.

Awards and nominations

ASCAP Pop Music Awards

!|-! scope="row"|2011|Ari Levine|Songwriter||style="text-align:center;" |[54] |}

ASCAP's Rhythm and Soul Music Awards

!|-! scope="row"|2011|"Nothin' On You" (with B.o.B)|Top Rap Song||style="text-align:center;" |[55] |}

Billboard

!|-! scope="row" rowspan="4"|2013|The Smeezingtons|Top 10 Producers in Music|style="text-align:center;"|4th|style="text-align:center;" |[56] |-|Bruno Mars|rowspan="3"|Hot 100 Songwriters|style="text-align:center;" |6th|rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"|[57] |-|Philip Lawrence|style="text-align:center;" |7th|-|Ari Levine|style="text-align:center;" |8th|}

Grammy Awards

!|-! scope="row" rowspan="7"|2011|"Just The Way You Are"|Best Male Pop Vocal Performance||style="text-align:center;" |[58] |-|The Smeezingtons|Producer of the Year, Non-Classical||rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;" |[59] |-|rowspan="3"|"Nothin' on You"|Best Rap/Sung Collaboration||-|Best Rap Song||-|rowspan="2"|Record of the Year||-|rowspan="2"|"Fuck You"||-|rowspan="2"|Song of the Year||-! scope="row" rowspan="6" |2012|rowspan="3"|"Grenade"||rowspan="6" style="text-align:center;" |[60] |-|Record of the Year||-|Best Pop Solo Performance||-|rowspan="2"|Doo-Wops & Hooligans|Album of the Year||-|Best Pop Vocal Album||-|The Smeezingtons|Producer of the Year, Non-Classical||-! scope="row"|2013 |"Young, Wild & Free"|Best Rap Song ||style="text-align:center;" |[61] |-! scope="row" rowspan="4"|2014|rowspan="2"|"Locked Out of Heaven"|Record of the Year||rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;" |[62] |-|Song of the Year||-|"When I Was Your Man"|Best Pop Solo Performance||-|Unorthodox Jukebox|Best Pop Vocal Album||-! scope="row" |2017|25|Album of the Year|| style="text-align:center;" |[63] |}

Music Week

!|-! scope="row"|2010|The Smeezingtons|Biggest Songwriters of the Year||style="text-align:center;" |[64] |}

The Hollywood Reporter

!|-! scope="row"|2013|The Smeezingtons|Top Hitmakers|style="text-align:center;"|5th|style="text-align:center;"|[6] |}

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hot producers who (heart) beats. January 9, 2010. USA Today. Josh. Levine. July 4, 2013.
  2. Web site: Philip Lawrence: Bruno Mars' Right Hand Man Goes Solo. Rob. LeDonne. American Songwriter. September 4, 2013. December 7, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151223092130/http://americansongwriter.com/2013/09/songwriter-u-philip-lawrence-bruno-mars-right-hand-man-goes-solo/. live. December 23, 2015.
  3. Bruno Mars and Manager Brandon Creed Part Ways. Halperin. Shirley. Billboard. May 10, 2016. May 10, 2016.
  4. Q&A with Bruno Mars. Brad. Wete. EW. April 13, 2010. October 12, 2013.
  5. After Dominating the Pop Charts as part of the Writing/Producing team The Smeezingtons, Bruno Mars Strikes out on his own. Lipshutz. Jason. Billboard. 39. 122. October 2, 2010.
  6. Web site: THR Names Music's 35 Top Hitmakers. Colin Stutz. The Hollywood Reporter. February 6, 2013. July 5, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130214035955/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/smeezingtons-418358. February 14, 2013. dead.
  7. Web site: Bruno Mars' astronomical success. Diehl. Matt. Los Angeles Times. February 6, 2011. June 18, 2022.
  8. Web site: Interview: Philip Lawrence – talks new Album, Smeezingtons, Hooligans . Isaiah . Jackson . Next2Shine . July 1, 2013 . July 5, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130806231647/http://blog.thenext2shine.com/interview-philip-lawrence-talks-new-album-smeezingtons-hooligan-fedora-hat-collection . August 6, 2013.
  9. Web site: Songwriters turned pop stars: the Bruno Mars strategy. . Michael . Cragg . October 21, 2010 . July 5, 2013.
  10. Web site: Producer Crosstalk: Philip Lawrence (Lil Wayne, Cee Lo Green). Rob. Putnam. Music Connection. May 29, 2013. July 5, 2013.
  11. Web site: Bruno Mars Heads Back To Grammys With Production Team, Smeezingtons. Pearson. Ryan. Huffington Post. February 2, 2012. October 17, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304125612/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/08/bruno-mars-grammy-the-smeezingtons_n_1262313.html. March 4, 2016.
  12. Web site: Bruno Mars Calls on B.o.B, Cee-Lo for EP. Georgette. Cline. Rap-Up. March 3, 2010. October 11, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20160314163510/http://www.rap-up.com/2010/05/03/bruno-mars-calls-on-bob-cee-lo-for-ep/. March 14, 2016.
  13. Web site: B.o.B's 'Nothin' On You' Was Slated For Lupe Fiasco, Producer Reveals. https://web.archive.org/web/20110129032532/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1638649/bobs-nothin-on-was-slated-lupe-fiasco-producer-reveals.jhtml. dead. January 29, 2011. Jayson. Rodriguez. MTV News. May 6, 2010. October 10, 2013.
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  15. Troubadour. 2009. A&M/Octone. liner notes .
  16. Web site: Discography K'naan. Hung Medien. February 1, 2018.
  17. Pop Matters. Smirke. Richard. 23. 123. July 23, 2011. Billboard.
  18. Web site: Bruno Mars: Out of this world!. Pete. Lewis. Blue & Soul. 1063. October 2010. October 11, 2013.
  19. Bruno Mars Chart History (Hot 100). Billboard. October 12, 2013.
  20. Web site: Discography Bruno Mars. Hung Medien. February 1, 2018.
  21. Web site: Cee Lo Green – Charts History. Official Charts Company. December 7, 2013.
  22. Hell: The Sequel. Hell: The Sequel. . 2011 . 13–19 . Digital booklet . . Santa Monica, California .
  23. Bruno Mars Chart History (Canadian Hot 100). Billboard. December 20, 2016.
  24. Mac & Devin Go to High School (soundtrack). 2011. standard. Atlantic, Rostrum, Doggystyle, Fontana Records. liner notes.
  25. News: Before Super Bowl, Bruno Mars heads to Grammys. Mesfin Fekadu. New Haven Register. 2014. February 8, 2014.
  26. 25. 2015. Adele. Adkins. 12–13. Booklet. XL Recordings. 88875176782. London, England, U.K..
  27. Web site: Who is Bruno Mars' mystery producer Shampoo Press & Curl? and what happened to the Smeezingtons?. Mench. Chris. Genius. November 18, 2016. November 30, 2016.
  28. It's Better If You Don't Understand. 2010. Digital booklet. Atlantic Records, Elektra Records.
  29. Bruno Mars: The Billboard Cover Story. Billboard. July 15, 2011. September 22, 2012. Smirke. Richard. https://web.archive.org/web/20151130044918/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/469242/bruno-mars-the-billboard-cover-story. November 30, 2015.
  30. Web site: Bruno Mars Heads Back To Grammys With Production Team, Smeezingtons. Pearson. Ryan. February 2, 2012. Huffington Post. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304125612/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/08/bruno-mars-grammy-the-smeezingtons_n_1262313.html. March 4, 2016. October 17, 2013.
  31. Web site: Digital Music Report 2012 . . January 23, 2012 . February 1, 2012 . 7 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161205091833/http://www.ifpi.org/content/library/DMR2012.pdf . December 5, 2016 . dead .
  32. . 2011. standard. Chop Shop Records, Atlantic. liner notes.
  33. Web site: Bruno Mars – Chart Positions. Official Charts Company. October 13, 2013.
  34. Unorthodox Jukebox. Atlantic Records. 533064-2. CD liner.
  35. Web site: The mysterious production team Shampoo Press & Curl earns nods for Bruno Mars' 24K Magic. Roberts. Randall. Los Angeles Times. November 28, 2017. February 1, 2018. limited.
  36. Doo-Wops & Hooligans. 2010. inlay cover. Atlantic Records, Elektra Records.
  37. B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray. B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray. 2010. CD booklet. Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock, Atlantic. 2-518903. Canada.
  38. Web site: New band of the day: Bruno Mars (No 865). September 13, 2010. Paul. Lester. The Guardian. September 15, 2010.
  39. Web site: Bruno Mars and Philip Lawrence. March 18, 2010. ASCAP. September 15, 2010.
  40. Web site: Starring Bruno Mars. April 14, 2010. Melissa. Moniz. MidWeek. September 15, 2010.
  41. Web site: Bruno Mars on Songwriting, Singing as a Tot, Working with Ne-Yo. Hope. Clover. Vibe. October 4, 2010. March 7, 2011.
  42. Web site: Bruno Mars on Damian Marley Track, Hip-Hop Influences, B.o.B.. Hope. Clover. Vibe. October 4, 2010. February 1, 2011.
  43. News: Bruno Mars Interview – JustBrunoMars.com Exclusive . November 11, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110504144758/http://justbrunomars.com/bruno-mars/interviews/bruno-mars-interview-justbrunomars-com-exclusive/ . May 4, 2011 .
  44. Web site: Bruno Mars follows his summer of hits with a big debut album 'Doo-Wops & Hooligans'. Farber. Jim. Daily News. October 3, 2010. December 26, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101006141327/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2010/10/03/2010-10-03_bruno_mars_follows_his_summer_of_hits_with_a_big_debut_album_doowops__hooligans.html. October 6, 2010. dead.
  45. Web site: B.o.B's 'Nothin' On You' Came Together 'Magically,' Smeezingtons Say. https://web.archive.org/web/20121112114419/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1639369/bobs-nothin-on-came-together-magically-smeezingtons.jhtml. dead. November 12, 2012. Jayson Rodriguez. MTV News. May 17, 2010. September 8, 2013.
  46. Web site: ASCAP Loves The Smeezingtons, Just the Way They Are. Expo Staff. ASCAP. April 21, 2012. October 10, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20170313115634/https://www.ascap.com/eventsawards/events/expo/news/2012/04/ascap-loves-the-smeezingtons-just-the-way-they-are.aspx. March 13, 2017.
  47. Web site: Bruno Mars gladly loses his cool on 'Unorthodox Jukebox'. Wood. Mikael. Los Angeles Times. December 26, 2012. June 26, 2016. 2. limited.
  48. Bruno Mars: Billboard Artist of the Year Cover Story. Mitchell. Gail. Billboard. December 13, 2013. December 20, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131214121024/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/5827385/bruno-mars-billboard-artist-of-the-year-cover-story?page=0%2C1. December 14, 2013 .
  49. Web site: Ari Levine & The Smeezingtons: Producing Bruno Mars. Sound on Sound. Tingen. Paul. June 2011. July 27, 2013.
  50. Web site: Bruno Mars in Ascension. Caramanica. Jon. The New York Times. October 5, 2010. October 7, 2010. limited.
  51. Web site: Grammy Awards: Bruno Mars celebrates his seven nominations at the Smeezingtons party at Bardot. Roberts. Randall. Los Angeles Times. February 13, 2011. March 10, 2014. limited.
  52. Web site: Super Bowl 2014: 5 Songs You Didn't Know Bruno Mars Was Behind. Iandoli. Kathy. Idolator. January 31, 2014. March 8, 2014.
  53. Web site: Bruno Mars should sound less like himself more often. Adams. Erik. The A.V. Club. January 22, 2014. March 10, 2014.
  54. Web site: ASCAP Celebrates the Songwriters Behind Pop Music's Biggest Hits at Annual Awards Ceremony in Hollywood. Ascap. April 27, 2011. October 12, 2013.
  55. Web site: Sean "Diddy" Combs, Dr. Dre, Drake, Mary Mary and Other Top Names in Music Attend ASCAP's Rhythm & Soul Music Awards. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. June 24, 2011. September 25, 2013.
  56. Sound Selectors: The Top 10 Producers in Music. Billboard Staff. Billboard. October 21, 2013. October 22, 2013.
  57. Hot 100 Songwriters. Billboard. January 2, 2013. December 31, 2013.
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