Bruno Mars is “chipping away” at his third studio album, according to Mars’ engineer Charles Moniz.
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After Mars’ exhilarating performance at the Super Bowl 50 last Sunday (Feb. 7), it was right back to the Los Angeles studio where Mars and his crew have been working on the Atlantic album “since we got off the road last year,” said Moniz at the Recording Academy’s Producers & Engineers Wing’s salute to Rick Rubin Feb. 11 at The Village studio in Los Angeles.
While he was mum on when the album will be finished, other than to say, “I think we’ve very close,” Moniz said fans can expect a sound evolution. “I think it’s going to be the next movement of Bruno,” he said.
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The atmosphere in the studio is “about having fun. It’s about everyone coming together and having a good time,” Moniz said. “That’s the thing: When the vibe’s right and everyone’s having fun, that’s when the best music comes out.” And yes, they do dance in the studio just like Mars does in concert. “Sometimes it’s in a line, sometimes it’s in a circle,” Moniz says. “We’re not shapists.”
Mars’ last album, Unorthodox Jukebox, came out December 2012. The singer is up for two Grammys Monday night (Feb. 15), including record of the year for “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson, featuring Mars. Moniz said that Ronson has stopped by the studio, but would not confirm whether he is on the new album.
Bruno Mars performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show at Levi's Stadium on Feb. 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, Calif.