Bruno Mars pulls back Silk Sonic from qualifying for the Grammy Awards.
‘An Evening With Silk Sonic,’ was released in November 2021, making it eligible for the music awards handed out on Feb. 5, 2023
Anderson and Bruno Mars Paak will not be leaving the door open at the 2023 Grammys: the R&B duet Silk Sonic did not submit its platinum-selling album or newest single for consideration at music’s largest awards show.
Mars and Paak won this year’s Grammys in April, earning all four honours for their seductive song “Leave the Door Open.” Song of the year, a record of the year, best R&B song, and best R&B performance (tied with Jazmine Sullivan’s “Pick Up Your Feelings”) were among the awards.
However, Mars stated in a statement published by The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday, “Silk Sonic would want to gracefully, humbly, and most importantly, sexually, bow out of submitting our album this year.”
“The instant the world responded to ‘Leave the Door Open,’ Andy and I, and everyone who worked on this project, won.” “Everything else was the icing on the cake,” Mars adds. “We are grateful to the Grammys for allowing us to perform on their stage not once, but twice, and for honouring us at last year’s ceremony.” We’d be insane to expect anything more.”
An Evening With Silk Sonic, Mars and Paak’s debut album as a duet, was released in November 2021, just in time for the 2023 Grammys. It would have been eligible for categories including album of the year, best R&B album, and best-engineered album, non-classical.
In his own statement, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said, “Silk Sonic has been such a wonderful highlight of our last few shows, and they deservedly enjoyed an amazing night at the 64th Grammys earlier this year.” We respect their decision not to submit this year and look forward to enjoying an incredible year in music with them.”
Mars has 15 Grammys, while Paak has eight. The duo also decided not to submit any songs from their collaborative album, including the smash “Smokin’ Out the Window,” which spent 11 weeks at the top of Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs chart, peaked at No. 5 on the all-genre Hot 100 chart, and won video of the year at the BET Awards in June (in a tie with “Family Ties” by Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar). “Smokin,” written by Mars, Paak, and Oscar-winning producer-songwriter D’Mile, would have qualified for categories like song and record of the year, best R&B performance, best R&B song, and best music video.
Songs and albums released between October 1, 2021, and September 30, 2022, are eligible for Grammy nominations in 2023. The first round of nominations will be voted on Thursday and will end on Oct. 23. The nominees will be announced on November 15, and the live transmission will take place on February 5, 2023.
Mars has been a Grammy favorite, winning 15 of 31 nominations. He received his first gramophone for his debut solo single, “Just the Way You Are,” in 2011, and his sophomore album, Unorthodox Jukebox, was named best pop vocal album in 2012. Two years later, he received two Grammys for the Mark Ronson collaboration Uptown Funk, including a record of the year. He was named songwriter-producer for CeeLo, Flo Rida, and B.o.B. won another Grammy — album of the year — for his contributions to Adele’s colossal 25 albums. And Mars’ third album, the ‘90s R&B adventure 24K Magic, won six Grammys in 2018, including album, record, and song of the year.
Paak won four Grammys before linking up in Silk Sonic, including best rap performance for “Bubblin,” best R&B album for Ventura, best R&B performance for “Come Home” and best musical rap performance for “Lockdown.”