Will Bruno Mars Funk Beijing Up on Apr 25? Buzz About Wukesong Show Begins
[UPDATE: Feb 1, 2pm]: Live Nation just posted about the April 21 Bruno Mars concert in Shanghai on its official WeChat account. No official word on a Beijing date just yet.
Today you might not want to do anything. You might just want to lay in your bed. But here’s some news that’ll make your laziness disappear and have you get up and humming “The Lazy Song”, instead. That's right: all signs point to chart-topping Grammy winner Bruno Mars coming to perform in Beijing on Apr 25 at the Cadillac Arena (better known by its former name, Wukesong Arena).
Sources linked to touring giant Live Nation recently told the Beijinger that the concert has been booked and that it was due to be officially announced in February. However, the news of an Apr 25 stop in the capital leaked via a well connected Beijing club owner's WeChat Moments late last night (Jan 24), alongside a photo of the Filipino-descended chart-topper (whose Chinese fans affectionately dubbed 火星哥 huǒxīng gē or “Big Brother Mars”), as well as dates for his other China stops (Shanghai, Apr 20-21 and Guangzhou, Apr 23).
All that makes sense, given the extensive number of Asia gigs that Live Nation already has Mars pegged for this Spring (see here; the China shows aren't shown there yet except for Macao, Taipei and Hong Kong). Though Beijing often misses out on such big names during the Asian legs of their tours – in part because of notoriously strict booking hurdles, the need for pre approved set lists and more – Mars has performed in the capital once before, to great success. More than 200,000 presale tickets for that 2014 Beijing show were sold in the first hour of availability, according to Sina’s entertainment news outlet.
Ahead of that show, we interviewed the pop star about winning a Grammy and other feats, during which the typically haughty looking Mars admitted that accepting that award was, “the most nerve-wracking week of my life. I know I got nervous when I accepted that Grammy.” At the time Mars was not only touring behind his successful sophomore album (2012’s Unorthodox Jukebox) but also one of the decade’s biggest hit singles, “Uptown Funk”, a collaboration with producer Mark Ronson for his 2015 LP Uptown Special. It topped the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Mars’ sixth number one hit.
Since then, he’s released his third album, 24K Magic. It continued Mars' gold-streak while garnering praise from more discerning music critics who acknowledged him as not only a teen idol but also a seriously talented performer. A writer at NME probably put it best when he said, “Few albums designed to sound like a party actually play like one, but Bruno Mars has pulled it off with style.”
Mars kicked off 2018 by releasing the remix of “Finesse”, a collaboration with hip-hopper Cardi B (she had the song of the summer with “Bodak Yellow”). The pair recently announced they’ll share the stage at the Grammys this Sunday (Jan 28) a ceremony where Mars is up for Album of the Year and Best R&B Album (24K Magic); Record of the Year (“24K Magic”); and Song of the Year, Best R&B Performance, and Best R&B Song (“That’s What I Like”). A win in any of those categories will add to his already impressive total of five trophies.
We’ll update this blog when the official announcement is made and when tickets are set to go on sale. All that’s enough excitement to, as Mars would put it, make a player put his pinky rings up to the moon.
Photo: etonline.com
