An Evening With Silk Sonic
| Silk Sonic
An Evening With Silk Sonic
An Evening with Silk Sonic is the debut studio album by American R&B duo Silk Sonic, composed of recording artists Bruno Marsand Anderson .Paak. It was released on November 12, 2021, by Aftermath Entertainment and Atlantic Records. Mars reunited with Christopher Brody Brown, while .Paak reached out to Domitille Degalle and JD Beck. Silk Sonic recruited American musician Bootsy Collins for narration and American record producer D'Mile to compose the album. Recording sessions for An Evening with Silk Sonictook place in 2017 and between early 2020 to mid-2021 at Shampoo Press & Curl Studios.
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s faithful and loving ode to ’70s R&B has a distinctly light touch, which works both for and against the project.
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State Hornet
An Evening with Silk Sonic’ is nostalgia gone right.
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Rolling Stone
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s love letter to Seventies soul is more than just a retro good time.
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Rated R&B
Silk Sonic Thrives on ‘An Evening With Silk Sonic’.
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HipHop DX
An Evening With Silk Sonic will assuredly be the soundtrack to Starbucks rendezvous all around the world.
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Kansas State Collegian
“An Evening with Silk Sonic” is a fantastic album.
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NME
The highly anticipated collaborative album from Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak is bold, vibrant and totally compelling.
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The Post
'An Evening With Silk Sonic' is a perfect strut back in time.
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Music Connection
An Evening with Silk Sonic will be responsible for a population boom.
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Consequence
An Evening with Silk Sonic Is a Moonlit Dream That We Never Want To End.
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Paste Magazine
The pairing of Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars makes for an enjoyable tribute to retro soul, funk and R&B.
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The Spokesman-Review
“An Evening With Silk Sonic” doesn’t have many negatives besides the fact that it’s too short; in fact, it’s a very strong contender for album of the year. But an album nod wasn’t in the cards Tuesday; the duo earned four Grammy nominations for record of the year, song of the year, best R&B song and best R&B performance.
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Soul in Stereo
As great as this album is – as of this writing, it’s likely the best R&B album of 2021 – there’s no need christen Silk Sonic as R&B’s saviors in your next Death of R&B debate. The spotlight might not be as large but R&B never really left the building.
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The George-Anne
Paak and Mars, both successful musicians in their own right, have come together to produce a R&B album filled with funk and soul. The tracks are just covered in seventies flare with hints of modernity in the lyrics.
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EW
The pair are clearly having fun with their loverman shtick here — a knowing throwback to a more-cowbell era when all the cars were Monte Carlos, the lamps were lava, and #MeToo was but a distant, joy-killing dream. Mostly that comes through with an obvious wink; other times it lands somewhere between Pepé Le Pew and Ron Burgundy on the self-awareness scale. But Silk didn't come to talk politics. They just want to take you out for a superfly Evening, and send you home basking in the afterglow.
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The DA
Regardless, Silk Sonic’s love for the era of music they are emulating is incredibly infectious, and so thoughtfully brought into the modern age that the highs of their joyride soar higher than the stumbles during experimentation. It’s an album crafted from the heart and few records all year have had a thumping rhythm so unapologetically fun.
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Sputnik Music
Through rigorous dedication to authenticity, some God-given talent, and a few style points, An Evening With Silk Sonic is looking more and more like an album worthy of the rich ancestry from which this whole project drew inspiration. Maybe Motown isn’t dead after all.
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The Daily Aztec
There may have been too much reliance on nostalgia, and not enough of their own artistic expression on some of the songs, resulting in an end product that’s a little too tame. The biggest difference between listening to this and a ‘70s funk album is noticing the room for improvisation that’s substituted for a straight edge radio play sound. But even with these flaws, their talent still shines through enough.
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The Lantern
Mars and .Paak skillfully place the cherry on top of this '70s spaceship with attention to detail and a wholly unique sound.
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Buns
All in all, “An Evening with Silk Sonic” is everything one would expect: the typical R&B soul jams from Anderson .Paak as well as Bruno Mars’ catchy lyrics that every national retail chain commercial will hammer into the ground come Black Friday.
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The Appalachian
The record truly does feel like more of an experience — an evening if you will — than a contained album. It does leave listeners longing for more than nine tracks, especially since those nine hardly vary in instrumentation. Regardless, there’s no doubt the talent and capabilities Mars and Paak hold as a duo. We can only hope that “An Evening With Silk Sonic” is just the beginning and that Silk Sonic will come back down to Earth with new music soon.
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Our Culture
Perhaps Silk Sonic’s retro utopia was never destined for permanence, but it certainly makes a lasting impression.
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Uproxx
n Evening With Silk Sonic will be capsuled as a moment in time for years to come. So let’s enjoy the great music and make room for the memories that will arrive with it because An Evening With Silk Sonic won’t be forever.
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WKNC 88.1
While “An Evening With Silk Sonic” may not be as much of a classic as its inspirations, the amount of passion and detail on this record is too great for any comparison to be made. Mars and .Paak have further proved their capabilities as musicians and producers by creating a project that not only celebrates the music of the past, but is capable of standing on its own. Silk Sonic clearly knows how to deliver; let’s just hope they keep delivering.
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Westside Wired
Overall, I really enjoyed listening to this album. All of the tracks flowed together smoothly, creating a continuous listening experience. Although I had high expectations, Mars and .Paak still managed to surpass them. I think that “An Evening with Silk Sonic” should be in the conversation for Album of the Year. I would highly recommend this album to everyone, regardless of whatever music you like listening to.
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Baylor Lariat
Every single song on this album belongs exactly where it is. Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak are the perfect creative duo. “Silk Sonic” has the kind of swagger and expensive taste that make the music itself sound like gold. The name says all you need to know; the music is lustrous and glamorous.
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SXU Student Media
We can all agree that although it was a long wait for us to finally hear the album, this masterpiece was worth the wait!
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Wolf Pack Press
An Evening with Silk Sonic is definitely an album worth listening to. In my opinion, it’s one of the best albums of 2021. And that leaves us with the question: Will we get another evening with Silk Sonic? I guess we’ll have to wait to find out.
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LWOS Life
This album plays into what I already love in music, Motown and Soul, so I will recommend listening to it. Great music but entirely without risk.
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Exclaim!
But although it captures the feeling of a bygone era with such accuracy, An Evening with Silk Sonic still feels current and avoids sounding parodic. .Paak and Mars each contribute their own modern take on the music rather than trying to mimic greats of the past. They're expert method actors who provide less of an album and more of an experience.
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The Ringer
True to the title, An Evening With Silk Sonic is music for an event. I don’t doubt the gang’s power to hoist the album’s entire runtime onto the charts—they’re already partially there—but I can imagine these songs turning any large gathering of middle-aged people into sweaty heathens for the foreseeable future.
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Black Boy Bulletin
In the same way that 24K Magic was an admirable entry point into the world of New Jack Swing, An Evening With Silk Sonic assumes a similar role for the world of 70s R&B. After the album is done, you’re better off reaching for the real thing instead of hitting the play button another time.
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The Needle Drop
A fun little blast of classic soul revivalism.
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Her Campus
Overall, I thought An Evening Silk Sonic was a fantastic first album and I cannot wait to see the other fun stuff they put out as a fairly new duo. As both a Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak fan, this duo holds a very special place in my heart! If you haven’t checked them out yet, make sure to add some Silk Sonic to your playlist!
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Medium
Nevertheless, I feel that Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, and the Silk Sonic alias they have created together have absolutely knocked it out of the park regarding this album and it’s vibrantly loving and wondrous feel. It’s most certainly a show-stopping way of heralding the conclusion of what has been a truly phenomenal musical year.
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Fantastic HipHop
Overall, the soulful ambiance and lustful environment created within An Evening with Silk Sonic makes for both one of the most enjoyable and impressive musical experiences I have heard in the past few years. From the homage paid to the 70s soul era to the amazing performances from both Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, every single minute of this nine-track experience is absolutely genius. Going forward, I’m not sure what’s next for Mars and Paak as a duo, but whatever they do together or on their own, I would expect to be nothing less than excellent.
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The Slate
Silk Sonic's breakout album is the smooth dose of serotonin we need this winter.
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The Daily Evergreen
As someone who has been critical of Mars’ work in the past, I am absolutely blown away. Mars always had creativity and talent, but he could not unlock his full potential until Paak came along to help him. The album was a great listen and it deserves all the praise it has been receiving lately.
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The Diamondback
‘Silk Sonic’ is a rollercoaster of soul, funk and joy.
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The Aquarian
The dreamiest 31 minutes of music come from Silk Sonic, but with their successful R&B meets pop meets soul track record, we aren’t too surprised.
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Mic Cheque
Silk Sonic are smooth but sterile, finding Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak precisely mimic their influences for an irresistible experience that yearns for more.
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The Minnesota Republic
The 80s vibes being brought from “Silk Sonic” and “An Evening with Silk Sonic” have never been done before in 2021. If the songs on this album had been released in the 80s Bruno and Anderson would have been legends. They are incredibly talented singers and songwriters, and I cannot wait to see what happens next.
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Weise Words
My ultimate standout track is "After Last Night" because everything Thundercat touches turns to gold. The song is the ultimate summation of the Silk Sonic vibe: it's overflowing with soul and touches of funk, it's wildly provocative, and made the album worth the wait.
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Gigwise
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak team up for one of the best albums of the year.
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Commedia
Through their chemistry, and their sheer-raw talent, Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak have created a classic album.
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Under the Radar Magazine
In the world of Silk Sonic, the champagne never stops flowing, the grooves go all night long, and everybody is having a great time. It doesn’t get much more complicated than that, and it doesn’t need to. Take the trip back in time and you’ll find escapist pop at its finest.
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Body of Work
Regardless, A Night with Silk Sonic was definitely worth the way and should be considered among the greatest releases of the year.
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Clash Magazine
The pair request on the album’s opener, 'Silk Sonic Intro', that you “don't have us lock this groove down for nothing.” That the groove will be locked down is never in question. Silk Sonic are gonna do what Silk Sonic are gonna do. The only question is whether you or the unnamed love interest are joining them. And you should. 'An Evening With Silk Sonic' is a real good time.
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Riff Magazine
Integrating humor and harmony, Silk Sonic is hopefully beginning a long and funky side project.
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Daily Titan
Silk Sonic's debut album is a playful ode to 70's R&B.
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The Eagle Eye
‘An Evening with Silk Sonic’ is a romantic R&B masterpiece.
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Spectrum Pulse
immensely enjoyable as both a throwback and something that could well become a modern staple in more ways than one, and it would be a goddamn shame if they don’t put out another few projects. But even if it just remains a side venture, I’m having too much fun with this to care. You’ve probably heard it already - go listen to it again a few more times.
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Eastern Echo
'An Evening With Silk Sonic' is a blast from the past.
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The Winonan
This album is such a fun listen, with a foot in both the past and future, amazing instrumentals, fantastic performances, a variety of concepts, and tempos.
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The Mirror
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak did something incredible with this album. From the vibe to the production to the singing, they captured the feeling of funk and soul. It sounded incredibly refreshing leaving me wanting more.
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Ben's Beat
Bruno Mars has been gone for five years, and sometimes that’s what it takes to create something this good. It’d be a true shame if this was an end to the Silk Sonic partnership, because more than half of the tracks here are essentially completely flawless. If this is it, at least give me a tour. Or a couple features on the next solo album. Or both. I’ve been waiting for the year’s first perfect album, and it has finally arrived.
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The Quarantine Content
An Evening with Silk Sonic comes off as a love project and dedication to the music that’s inspired both Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak. The album feels like a jam session between two creative, joyous friends in a manner that doesn’t take itself too seriously yet doesn’t leave room for mistakes.
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The Beacon Beat
Speculation aside, An Evening with Silk Sonic is incredible. The strengths of both members of the duo are on full display on an album that has 90 seconds of filler at most.
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The Harbinger
An Evening With Silk Sonic, which provides a 70’s R&B, rap funk feel that is a blessing to our ears, stands out from the music that dominates the charts these days. Bruno Mars and Anderson. Paak outdid themselves, leaving fans wanting more. After only a few days of listening to it, claiming it as album of the year may not be so far-fetched after all.
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Ambient Light Blog
This album is not reinventing the wheel by any means, but that was never the intention with this collaboration. This is quite simply too talented guys having fun and making music based on the music they grew up on and by which they cut their teeth. This is music that still packs a punch today and that anyone can enjoy, and what is not to enjoy with songs as funky and as soulful as this.
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The Harvard Crimson
“An Evening with Silk Sonic” is definitely an album worth waiting for.
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Beat
This track and the entire album took me to places I did not want or need, to leave. I want to live in a world where music feels like this, whatever the genre. My evening with Silk Sonic is likely to stretch into a day, a week, nay, a lifetime; as I revisit this instant classic of an album again and again.
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