Bruno Mars - XXIVK Magic (LP)

If you’ve ever flipped through the new arrivals at a Melbourne record store and clocked that glossy black-and-gold sleeve, you’ll know 24K Magic has a certain pull. Bruno Mars dropped this one in November 2016, and even back then it felt like a party that knew exactly what kind of night it wanted to be. Spin the 24K Magic vinyl now and it still pops, a tight nine-song set that glides from neon-streaked funk to candlelit slow jams without a wasted minute.

The opener, 24K Magic, sets the bar with swagger, jet-fuel synth bass and the unmistakable talkbox of Mr. Talkbox in the intro. It’s Bruno flexing his showman instincts, quick with the ad-libs, cheeky with the flex, and locked to a groove that nods to the late 80s and early 90s while feeling ridiculously present. That clarity of vision carries through the whole set. He and his core team, Shampoo Press & Curl, ditch the anything-goes sprawl and focus on feel, space and punch. Every snare hits just so. Every harmony arrives like it was plotted on graph paper and then smudged with sweat.

That’s What I Like is the sticky centre, a minimalist R&B bounce that turned into a juggernaut in 2017, topping charts and nabbing Song of the Year at the Grammys the following year. What makes it work isn’t just the hook, it’s the detail: the stacked vocals that slide in on the pre-chorus, the tactile claps, the way he lists off pleasures with such a wink that it sounds like he’s improvising in your lounge room. Then there’s Versace on the Floor, a slow jam with widescreen keys that leans into classic quiet-storm drama. It’s pure prom song material, but he sings it with control and a sense of play. You can hear the lineage from Babyface too, who co-wrote the aching closer Too Good to Say Goodbye. That finale is old-school balladry with real weight, the kind of track you save for late night drives and big decisions.

Elsewhere, Bruno goes full showband. Perm bops like a James Brown workout, horns strutting and drums snapping with that half-time swagger. Chunky is all roller-rink bounce, a strut down a fluorescent corridor. Straight Up & Down feels like the moment the lights dim and the dancefloor halves its speed, hips still moving but with intent. And then Finesse arrives, a love letter to new jack swing. The Stereotypes help bottle that Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis sparkle, all syncopated drums and slick harmonies. The album version was already a time-machine, and when the Cardi B remix hit in early 2018, complete with In Living Color tribute video, it turned subculture nostalgia into a mainstream street party.

What’s striking is how disciplined it is. Nine tracks, about half an hour, no bloat. In an era of playlist-chasing, Bruno made a front-to-back record that rewards listening in sequence. It paid off. At the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018, 24K Magic won Album of the Year and Best R&B Album, while the title track took Record of the Year. That’s What I Like walked away with Song of the Year, as well as R&B honours. Awards aren’t everything, but in this case they matched what fans were feeling on the 24K Magic World Tour, which turned arenas into one long call-and-response.

There are small delights tucked into the corners too. Calling All My Lovelies ends with a cheeky voicemail cameo from Halle Berry, a playful wink that fits the album’s showbiz sparkle. The vocal arrangements are generous, almost choir-like at times, with Bruno stacking harmonies like he grew up sleeping under a mixing desk. And while the record reaches back to Zapp-style talkbox, Minneapolis grooves and new jack swing, it never feels like cosplay. The point isn’t accuracy, it’s joy.

On wax, that joy gets even bigger. The low end thumps with a satisfying roundness, the handclaps sit forward, and those synth beds shimmer just that little bit longer before the fade. If you’re hunting Bruno Mars vinyl, this is the one that leaps from the crate and begs to soundtrack Friday night. For collectors who like their shelves to double as party kits, 24K Magic vinyl earns its space. You can buy Bruno Mars records online easy enough, but catching a clean copy in the wild is half the fun, especially if you’re trawling the usual haunts for vinyl records Australia wide. And if you’re building a funk-and-R&B essentials row, Bruno Mars albums on vinyl sit neatly beside your Bobby Brown, Janet and Prince reissues.

Years on, 24K Magic still feels like an expertly mixed drink. Strong, sweet, a little cheeky, gone before you know it, and somehow exactly what you needed.