Chunky (Bruno Mars song)

"Chunky" is a song by American singer Bruno Mars from his third studio album 24K Magic (2016). It was solely released as a radio single in Australia on November 29, 2017 by Warner Music Australia and Atlantic, and served as the album's fourth single. "Chunky" was co-written by Mars, Philip Lawrence, Christopher Brody Brown, and James Fauntleroy. Mars, Lawrence, and Brown produced the song under their alias, Shampoo Press & Curl. Musically, "Chunky" is a funk and electro-funk ballad, while lyrically acting as an anthem for big buttocks.

"Chunky"
Single by Bruno Mars
from the album 24K Magic
ReleasedNovember 29, 2017 (2017-11-29)
Genre
Length3:06
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Shampoo Press & Curl
Bruno Mars singles chronology
"Versace on the Floor"
(2017)		 "Chunky"
(2017)		 "Finesse (Remix)"
(2018)

The track received mixed reviews from music critics. They noted the resemblance between "Chunky" and the works of rhythm and blues artists from the 1980s and 1990s. The song reached number 79 on the UK Singles Chart and 34 on the French Singles Chart in 2016, as well as was certified gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Mars performed "Chunky" during his 24K Magic World Tour (2017–2018), as well as on television shows including on Saturday Night Live in October 2016 prior to its release.

Production and release

"Chunky" was co-written by Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence, Christopher Brody Brown, and James Fauntleroy. The production was handled by the former three under their alias, Shampoo Press & Curl. The Stereotypes were in charge of programming the drums, while Mars, Lawrence, Brown, Fauntleroy, and Lisenny sang background vocals. "Chunky" was recorded at Glenwood Place Studios in Burbank, California with engineer Charles Moniz. Additional engineering assistance was provided by Jacob Dennis. The song was mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, with John Hanes serving as a mixing engineer. It was mastered by Tom Coyne at Sterling Sound, NYC.[1] "Chunky" was solely released as a single in Australia to contemporary hit radio stations on November 29, 2017 by Warner Music Australia and Atlantic.[2]

Composition

"Chunky" is a funk and electro-funk ballad[3][4] featuring synthesizers and drum machines.[5] The single is a mid-tempo track with a "silky pre-chorus" and a basic structure revolving around synthesizers and a "popping" bass.[6][7][8] The song has female harmonies on the background vocals which alternate with "slower, deeper grooves".[4] According to the digital sheet music, "Chunky" was composed in the key of E-flat major with a tempo of 100 beats per minute in common time. Mars' vocal range spans from the low note of F4 to the high note of F6.[9]

"Chunky" is reminiscent of rhythm and blues songs from the 1980s and 1990s.[6][8][10] Andy Kellman, writing for AllMusic, said that the song recalled the works of Shalamar and even Mars' own "Treasure" (2013).[6] The track "echoes down to the letter structure" of Cameo's "Candy" (1986); further reminsiscenece was noted to the chorus of "Outstanding" (1983) by The Gap Band and to New Edition's "Candy Girl" (1982).[8][10] Troy L. Smith from The Plain Dealer thought the song had the "soulful synths" from Michael Jackson's Off the Wall (1979).[11] The "organic sound" of "Chunky" reflects the decade where neo soul began to replace new jack swing, according to Craig Jenkins from Vulture.[12] Lyrically, "Chunky" is a song about sex and the search for a "sumptuous damsel", and is, ultimately, an anthem for big buttocks.[10][13][14] Its lyrics include: "Lemme hear you say I'm ready / Girl, you better have your hair weave strapped on tight / Girl, once we get goin', we rollin', we cha cha 'til the morning / So just say alright / If you ain't here to party / Take your ass back home".[15]

Critical reception

"Chunky" has received mixed reviews from music critics. Carl Lamarre writing for HipHopDX said the track "screams hit-record",[10] and Annie Zaleski from The A.V. Club dubbed the song as the "standout" of the album.[4] Christina Lee of Idolator praised "Chunky" saying it is "fit for line-dancing at Snoop Dogg's backyard cookout."[16] However, Jonathan Wroble at Slant Magazine criticized the song for being a "copycat" of Michael Jackson's "Baby Be Mine" (1982), while The Independent's Andy Gill said "Chunky" was missing the "roguish and cheeky charm" of "Baby Got Back" (1992) by Sir Mixalot.[7][14] Nick Levine of NME condemns Mars' lyrics for being "old-fashioned" as he "sizes up a woman's body." Levine concluded that Mars is "better off being kitsch than creepy."[17]

Commercial performance

Upon the release of its parent album 24K Magic, "Chunky" charted on the Portuguese and UK Singles charts, peaking at numbers 94 and 79, respectively.[18][19] It debuted at number 66 on the South Korea International Chart and at number 34 on the French Singles Chart on the week ending November 26, 2016.[20][21] Around the same time, the song hit number 108 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart, which acts as an extension to the Billboard Hot 100.[22] It further debuted and peaked at number 44 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[23] "Chunky" peaked at number 2 on the New Zealand Heatseekers Singles Chart, an extension to the New Zealand Top 40 Singles Chart.[24] After its release in Australia in November 2017, "Chunky" was placed in rotation nationally by radio stations.[25] It was certified gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[26]

Live performances

Mars performed "Chunky" live for the first time on October 15, 2016 on Saturday Night Live. According to the Billboard staff, the performance was a "dazzling tour-de-force" as it showed off Mars' vocals and his "inner Michael Jackson."[27] He also performed the song at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2016 during the Pink Nation segment and in 2017 on the Japanese television show News Zero.[28][29] Mars performed the single at the Apollo Theater alongside the majority of the 24K Magic album for his CBS prime time special titled Bruno Mars: 24K Magic Live at the Apollo, which aired on November 29, 2017.[30][31] "Chunky" was the sixth song on the set list of his third tour, 24K Magic World Tour (2017–18).[32]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of 24K Magic.[1]

Recording

  • Recorded at Glenwood Place Studios in Burbank, California; mixed at MixStar Studios, Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Personnel

Charts and certifications

References
  1. 24K Magic (CD booklet). United States: Atlantic Records. 2016. 558305-2.
  2. Release date in Australia to contemporary hit radio:
  3. Corner, Lewis (October 3, 2016). "Bruno Mars new album: 2016 release date, new songs, tour, and everything else you need to know". Digital Spy. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  4. Zaleski, Annie (November 18, 2016). "Bruno Mars takes homage-pop to the next level on the escapist 24K Magic". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  5. Ryan, Patrick (November 18, 2016). "Review: Bruno Mars makes 'Magic' on throwback third album". USA Today. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
  6. Kellman, Andy. "24K Magic – Bruno Mars". AllMusic. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  7. Wroble, Jonathan (November 17, 2016). "Bruno Mars: 24K Magic Album Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  8. Unterberger, Andrew (November 19, 2016). "Bruno Mars' '24K Magic': A Track-by-Track Guide". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  9. "Bruno Mars – Chunky Sheet Music in Eb Major". Musicnotes. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  10. Lamarre, Carl (November 22, 2016). "Review: Bruno Mars Empowers Jheri Curls & 80s R&B Soul With "24K Magic"". HipHopDX. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  11. Smith, Troy L. (November 16, 2016). "Review: Bruno Mars strikes gold (again) with '24K Magic'". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
  12. Jenkins, Craig (November 18, 2016). "Bruno Mars's 24K Magic Is a Fun Trip Back to Early '90s R&B, and You'll Probably Hear It at Weddings Forever". Vulture. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  13. MacBain, Hamish (November 18, 2016). "Bruno Mars – The Full NME Cover Interview". NME. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
  14. Gill, Andy (November 23, 2016). "Album reviews: Kate Bush – Before The Dawn, Bruno Mars – 24K Magic, Sun Ra – Singles, and more". The Independent. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  15. Kreps, Daniel (October 16, 2016). "Watch Bruno Mars Throw Epic Dance Party on 'SNL'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  16. Lee, Christina (October 16, 2016). "Bruno Mars Debuts "Chunky," Performs "24K Magic" On 'SNL': Watch". Idolator. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  17. Levine, Nick (December 1, 2016). "Bruno Mars – '24K Magic' Review". NME. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  18. "Portuguesecharts.com – Bruno Mars – Chunky". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
  19. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  20. "Gaon Digital Chart – Week 48, 2016" (in Korean). Gaon. Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  21. "Lescharts.com – Bruno Mars – Chunky" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  22. "Bruno Mars Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  23. "Bruno Mars Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  24. "NZ Heatseekers Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. November 28, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  25. "The Music Network: Australian Singles Report" (PDF). The Music Network. December 11, 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 4, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  26. "American single certifications – Bruno Mars – Chunky". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  27. Billboard Staff (October 16, 2016). "Bruno Mars Brings "24K Magic" to 'Saturday Night Live': Watch". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  28. Redfearn, Dominique (December 6, 2016). "Watch Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars & The Weeknd Perform at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  29. Murgalé, Yannick (January 29, 2017). "Bruno Mars investit les plateaux de l'émission japonaise 'News Zero' avec "Chunky"". aficia (in French). Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  30. "Watch Bruno Mars' '24K Magic Live at the Apollo' Special". Rap Up. November 30, 2017. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  31. Fekadu, Mesfin (November 29, 2017). "Bruno Mars feels the magic". Niagara Falls Review. New York – via PressReader. 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.
  32. Guerra, Luís (April 5, 2017). "Ele é funk, ele é rock, ele é um romântico. Bruno Mars fê-la bonita em Lisboa". Blitz (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
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