Lucky Daye holds Bruno Mars in high regard for his songwriting prowess, making their collaboration on Daye’s new album an honour of a lifetime. ‘Algorithm’, Daye’s third studio LP, features a songwriting credit from Mars on the slow funk-influenced track ‘That’s You’.
Speaking to a magazine, Daye, known for his hit ‘Roll Some Mo’, shared the story behind this full-circle collaboration and praised Mars for inspiring him throughout his career. “Bruno’s a genius, first of all,” said Daye. “I always looked up to Bruno, from the song with ‘B.o.B’ [‘Nothin’ on You’] since way back.
Also Read: How Bruno Mars Makes The Most Groovy Music
I always cherish the way he writes. He’s the reason I started studying Motown, the way Motown music was written. Because I know it’s all his bars and stuff.” Reflecting on their time working on ‘That’s You’, Daye expressed, “For me, being able to work with him was like a dream because I always imagined it.”
“His coming with the idea of trying to mimic my voice was very endearing, and I didn’t want to let him down,” Daye added. “So I recorded his melody on the phone, and we threw that in ProTools, I took it home and threw some words on it.”
Daye, who has written for stars like Beyoncé, Usher, Mary J. Blige, and Boyz II Men, noted that his “goal was to make Bruno proud” with their collaboration. However, Mars isn’t the only notable artist featured on ‘Algorithm’. The album also includes contributions from U.K. musician Raye and singer Teddy Swims. This new project comes over two years after Daye’s sophomore LP, Candydrip, which earned him a 2023 Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album.
Mars, meanwhile, has been relatively quiet about releasing new solo music since 2016’s ‘24K Magic’. In 2021, he teamed up with Anderson Park to form Silk Sonic, their ‘60s and ‘70s-inspired super duo. That year, they released their debut album, ‘An Evening with Silk Sonic’, which featured their four-time Grammy-winning single, ‘Leave the Door Open’.
-Sushmita Sarkar