Bruno Mars

In early September 2010, Bruno Mars found himself sitting in the posh lounge of North Hollywood's Larrabee Studios, a high-tech temple designed for creating pop-music smashes. Platinum discs from artists who've recorded there line Larrabee's walls, and in an adjoining room, renowned mix engineer Manny Marroquin rushed to complete the 25-year-old singer-songwriter-producer's debut album, "Doo-Wops & Hooligans," due out less than a month later. Marroquin's Midas touch is legendary, blessing hits for Alicia Keys, Rihanna and Usher, among others; in his short career, Mars' ability to create pop blockbusters is proving similarly gilded.

LAS VEGAS -- On the Billboard stage, there's not much room for surprises, at least not where the awards are concerned. This is a ceremony dictated by radio, sales, streaming and fan voting. So it should be expected that Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber would reign heavily over Sunday's telecast. And they did. Swift walked away with an impressive eight trophies (she was up for 11) and delivered a showstopping performance, and Bieber hit the stage twice in between collecting a handful of awards, including top male artist.

So a Bajan dance-pop femme fatale, a neo-Motown crooner and a bass-wielding British titan of tantra walk into a bar ... or rather, onto the Grammys stage this weekend. CBS announced  Monday that the unlikely collaboration of Rihanna, Bruno Mars and Sting is the latest addition to the telecast set for this Sunday. Kelly Clarkson, fresh off her well-received (and live) performance at President Obama's inaugural, will also perform her own set.  There's no news as to what the trio will perform, but they will certainly make for an unorthodox stylistic mashup.

It hasn't even been 24 hours since Candice Glover was crowned the winner of “American Idol” Thursday night, but her new record label has already fired up a supercharged promo machine by quickly announcing details of her debut album. More than 10 years into the Fox singing competition, the winner's post-“Idol” debut is being prepped quicker than ever, with pre-orders already available. Glover's debut, “Music Speaks,” will arrive July 16 - just two months to the date of her “Idol” victory.

Reuters -- Bruno Mars stormed to the top of the United Kingdom single charts with his solo debut “Just The Way You Are (Amazing)” on Sunday, while veteran Phil Collins clinched his first number one album in 12 years. Mars, who has previously topped the charts with “Nothing On You”, draws on reggae, rock, folk and R&B influences on his new hit single, selling almost double that of his nearest rival, the Official Charts Company said. The second and third places remain unchanged, with Taio Cruz at number two with “Dynamite”, followed by Katy Perry's “Teenage Dream”.

This post has been corrected. See note below for details. Assessments of the Bob Marley tribute number at the 55th Grammy Awards ceremony on Sunday at Staples Center were largely complimentary about the medley delivered by Bruno Mars, Sting, Rihanna and Ziggy and Damian Marley that concluded with Marley's “Could You Be Loved,” but many fans were wondering why it was served up this year. It came not on a significant birthday (he would have turned 68 earlier in the week)

After spending much of 2012 out of the spotlight, Bruno Mars re-emerged Monday night with a YouTube video chat during which he answered fans' questions and premiered his new single, "Locked Out of Heaven. " It's a lean, bouncy soul-rock cut that quickly mushrooms into a dramatic synth-pop epic -- think the Police (circa "Ghost in the Machine") infiltrating the Human League. "Your sex takes me to paradise," Mars moans in the song's chorus, and if you were wondering whether all that grenade-catching had made a man out of him, there's your answer.

On "Saturday Night Live" last month, Bruno Mars followed his performance of " Locked Out of Heaven " -- the delightfully Police-ish lead track from next month's "Unorthodox Jukebox" -- with a slow-and-low piano-ballad take on the album's second single, "Young Girls. " It was pretty but a bit slight, not unlike the singer's 2010 smash, " Just the Way You Are " (which nonetheless topped the Hot 100 and sold over 5 million copies in the United States alone). Posted on YouTube on Tuesday, the studio version of "Young Girls" remedies that flavor deficiency with pounding drums, fuzzy synth textures and a soaring vocal performance full of the passion Mars has sometimes sacrificed in the name of polish.

Fresh off an electrifying performance at the Grammys that boosted sales of his sophomore effort, "Unorthodox Jukebox," Bruno Mars is preparing to embark on a world tour. The Moonshine Jungle World Tour launches in Washington, D.C.  on June 22 and continues across the U.S. through August before heading to Europe in October.  Mars will stop in L.A. on July 27 with a show at Staples Center along with British electro-pop darling Ellie Goulding. Goulding and soul-indie pop outfit Fitz & the Tantrums will support him on select dates.

When Bruno Mars made it big a couple of years ago with his debut, "Doo-Wops & Hooligans," the impeccably attired singer did it with such conclusive style that you never really thought about the effort he put into his image. In an era of amateur-driven "American"/"Voice"/"Factor" pop, here was a guy who seemed to have appeared fully formed one day: a pompadoured crooner in the tradition of Frankie Lymon, yet remade with modern trimmings that appealed to a crowd raised on X-rated hip-hop and post-everything boy bands.

"The Voice" battle rounds entered their second and final week Monday in a night of impressive talent and unpredictable outcomes. With few clear winners and lots of contenders who could be considered worthy of a steal, coaches often seemed to be making their minds up on the fly. Sometimes those choices seemed random (or perhaps opaquely "strategic," as Shakira said at one point), and it was unfortunate to see some solid singers slink away unclaimed. Not to say the talent that made it through was undeserving.

Justin Timberlake is showing no signs of slowing down. Timberlake's “The 20/20 Experience” has notched a third consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, moving an additional 139,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. “The 20/20 Experience,” Timerlake's first album in nearly seven years, is the first to clutch the pole position for three weeks since Taylor Swift's smash “Red” late last year. Timberlake is also the first male to open and rule the charts this long since Eminem's 2010 disc, “Recovery.”   The Band Perry opened at No. 2 with “Pioneer.” The sophomore effort moved 129,000 copies and logged the sibling trio their first No. 1 on the country chart.

Bruno Mars, Maroon 5, Miguel and Demi Lovato are among the chart-toppers slated to perform at KIIS-FM's Wango Tango concert May 11. The annual day-long fan jam at Carson's Home Depot Center stuffs a who's who of current Top 40 (and a few buzzy emerging acts) onto one stage.   Mars will open the festival, now in its 16 th year, which will be hosted by pop purveyor Ryan Seacrest. The multi-hyphenate personality is expected to be joined by guest host Britney Spears. Spears is well-versed with the teen-attracting show, having performed at it twice.

Travis Garland was seated behind the control board at Shortbus Studios in Century City, previewing tracks from his upcoming EP, “Fashionably Late II,” which continues the 23-year-old's reintroduction as a solo artist. He grabbed one of the switches on the sprawling console midway through a lustful R&B jam entitled “Homewrecker” and turned up the volume. As the tempo of the guitar-laden track slowed, the song transformed into a synth-filled futuristic romp that sounded like a formidable pastiche of Drake, Miguel and Justin Timberlake.

After 28.4 million viewers tuned into the Feb. 10 Grammy Awards, Pop & Hiss had some thoughts on how to improve the show . Some of the suggestions were lighthearted -- no more mimes, for instance -- and others took the Grammys to task for regularly booking familiar faces such as Elton John and Sting.  The telecast's longtime executive producer, Ken Ehrlich, wrote a letter to The Times to respond to the criticisms. Ehrlich, a three-decade veteran...

A list of upcoming concerts across the Southland, with on-sale dates in parentheses. Staples Center Beyoncé, July 1 (Sat.) L.A. Memorial Sports Arena Green Day, April 18 (Fri.) Nokia Theatre Lupillo Rivera, May 24 (Fri.) Saban Theatre Jewel, June 5 (Fri.) Club Nokia UZ, March 7 (now); Keyshia Cola, April 19; Blackstreet, May 3 (Fri.) El Rey Theatre Crystal Fighters, June 4 (now); Mika, March 27 (Wed.) The Echo/Echoplex Amanda Palmer, March 5; the Spits, March 21; Nik Turner, March 10; Aussie BBQ #5, March 10; Zola Jesus, Feb. 21; Flume, March 26 (Fri.)

A list of upcoming shows across the Southland, with on-sale dates in parentheses. Staples Center Josh Groban, Aug. 17 (Sat.) Honda Center Rihanna, June 29 (Sat.) Gibson Amphitheatre Bruno Mars & Janelle Monáe, June 14 (now) The Wiltern Okkervil River, June 23 (Fri.) Club Nokia Seth MacFarlane & His Big Band, March 26; Diddy-Dirty Money, May 7; Revolver Golden Gods Awards, April 20 (now) Music Box Chase and Status, April 23; Black Lips, June 24 (now)

Isaac Lamb, we salute you. The 31-year-old Portland-based actor is the creative force behind "Isaac's Lip-Dub Proposal," an over-the-top marriage proposal video that has gone viral on the Internet. In the six days since the video was posted online, it has already racked up more than 11.2 million views, and with good reason. This video is INSANE. About 60 people helped Lamb create the memorable marriage proposal, performing an elaborately choreographed street dance to the song "Marry Me" by Bruno Mars while Lamb's soon-to-be fiancee, Amy Frankel, clutched at her heart and squealed.

Fresh off an electrifying performance at the Grammys that boosted sales of his sophomore effort, "Unorthodox Jukebox," Bruno Mars is preparing to embark on a world tour. The Moonshine Jungle World Tour launches in Washington, D.C.  on June 22 and continues across the U.S. through August before heading to Europe in October.  Mars will stop in L.A. on July 27 with a show at Staples Center along with British electro-pop darling Ellie Goulding. Goulding and soul-indie pop outfit Fitz & the Tantrums will support him on select dates.

 The 55th Grammy Awards honored a wide range of acts on Sunday night. Mumford & Sons' "Babel" was named top album, Gotye won record of the year for "Somebody That I Used to Know" and the New York City group Fun. took home awards for song of the year with "We Are Young" and for best new artist. What to make of it all? Join Times pop music critic Randall Roberts and Times staff writer Todd Martens as they discuss the Grammys in a video chat right here at 10 a.m. The victories in the four major categories were in keeping with an evening that saw relatively youthful acts rewarded by the voting members of the Recording Academy.