‘Uptown Funk’ Poised To Pull In Five Awards At 2015 VMAs
Stellar groove “Uptown Funk” is slated for five award categories at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. Grabbing any of the awards would be icing on the cake for co-writers Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars.
If you’ve been living under a rock for the past year, “Uptown Funk” is an earworm that pounds your ears into submission. The catchy bassline and infectious hook will have your head bobbing and feet tapping instantly. The familiarity and sheer coolness of the song has done its job. The tune and clip are in the running for multiple Moon Men, including Video of the Year, this Sunday night.
Taking any of the awards won’t be an easy feat. “Uptown Funk” is up against Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran, and Taylor Swift. Yet Ronson’s “Uptown,” with Bruno Mars in the lead vocal, was the most played and purchased song of 2015, spending 14 weeks at No. 1.
The video for “Uptown Funk” has hit a special nerve with fans. It has been viewed more than 950 million times on YouTube. By Sunday, “Funk” should be well over the billion mark for hits.
Ronson knows that much of the song’s success is due to the lead vocals of Bruno Mars. Mars doesn’t just sing, he also has a co-writing credit on “Uptown Funk.”
The song started out as merely a studio jam with Bruno and Ronson. Mark would play some licks on guitar and bass while Mars laid down hypnotic rhythms on drums. But as they messed around, it became more than just a funky beat.
At one point, Ronson wasn’t sure “Uptown Funk” would survive.
“I’ve never worked so hard on a song. We’d be working for two days straight and didn’t like what was coming out. We couldn’t get a verse, weren’t sure what the chorus should be, or if it should have a chorus.”
After all the mixing and editing, it took six months to put the finishing touches on “Uptown Funk.” The sweet and final touch was the name. It was inspired by Ronson’s having to ride the subway uptown from New York’s Upper West Side.
Ronson has a diverse musical background. Those flavors ultimately led to “Uptown Funk” being his biggest hit. Mark, who will turn 40 next week, is still giddy over being a pop star. The well-seasoned writer of “Funk” is well past his sell-by date.
Usually, when a song has captured the collective psyche of a nation, you see tons of parodies. Such is the case with Ronson’s “Funk.” But nothing would be smoother than the song claiming one of those Silver Space Men.
[Image via NBC]
