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Bruno Mars is back! Announces new joint project with Anderson .Paak

By Megan Armstrong | Last updated 2/26/21

Rejoice, Hooligans.

Where some musicians—looking at you, Taylor Swift—used their down time during quarantine to pump out new music, Bruno Mars remained relatively quiet. That changed Thursday night when the 35-year-old announced he and Grammy winner Anderson .Paak joined forces to create a band called Silk Sonic.

"We locked in and made an album," Mars tweeted. "The band's called Silk Sonic. First song drops next Friday 3/5."

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A post shared by Bruno Mars (@brunomars)

WE MADE AN ALBUM!! YALL GET THE FIRST SONG NEXT FRIDAY 3/5!! ROCKET EMOJIS AND ALL THAT!!! @BrunoMars @Bootsy_Collins pic.twitter.com/pLCunbYdGH
— Anderson .Blacked (@AndersonPaak) February 26, 2021

Mars last dropped 24K Magic in 2016. The album garnered six wins at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, including album of the year and song of the year ("That's What I Like"). More recently, he teamed up with label mate and fellow powerhouse Cardi B for "Please Me" in 2019.

Anderson, meanwhile, released his fourth studio album Ventura in 2019. An instrumental version followed in 2020, as well as Black Lives Matter protest anthem "Lockdown" last June. The single then got a remix featuring Jay Rock, JID and Noname.

Silk Sonic's forthcoming project will feature former James Brown right-hand and Parliament-Funkadelic staple Bootsy Collins, who confirmed "a lot of funked up sheet" is coming our way.

In other words, the charts better brace themselves.

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