‘Uptown Funk’ by Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
By Jerrison Oracion, Senior Columnist
Bruno Mars could be considered the next James Brown given the similar sound and interesting dance moves Mars showcases in the music video of his and Mark Ronson’s hit song “Uptown Funk” from Ronson’s recent album Uptown Special.
The music video begins with Ronson and Mars watching attractive women walk down the street, then dancing through the street in a very funky way with the band. They also get their shoes shined and their hair permed in the music video, concluding with all of them performing in a 1980s-styled nightclub.
In the song, you hear the signature sound of funk, which combines soul with jazz and R&B to create a smooth sound. It’s reminiscent of the work of funk legends, such as James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, and Chaka Khan. There are also classic funk dance moves in the music video, including a walking shuffle and jazz hands. The camerawork in the music video is amazing as it cuts to various angles of Mars, Ronson, and the band dancing, as well as rotating around while the group dances.
When the music video for “Uptown Funk” was released in November, it went viral on the Internet and inspired a lot of people to imitate and parody the dances in it. It currently has more than 400-million views on YouTube.
The music video is also part of the beginning of the return of funk music. Thanks to this song and music video, we could see more songs involving funk music being released in the next few months.
