If Michael Jackson and Prince were still alive, they might listen to Bruno Mars' latest and wave their hands in the air like they just don't care.
Either that, or quietly applaud the young American's continuation of the grab-bag approach that served them so well in the 1980s and '90s.
Chockful of electronic handclaps, bubbling synths, swooning falsettos, fat and funky basslines and down and dirty lyrics, 24k Magic could have been an empty exercise in hat-tipping, yet Mars has succeeded in created a R'n'B homage that is light and muscular.
His self-aware lyricism helps greatly.
Bruno Mars. 24k Magic
Atlantic
Four stars (out of five)
Single download: That's What I Like
For those who like: Versace and Cadillacs
- Shane Gilchrist
