Bruno Mars’ Unorthodox Jukebox is a record of homages. “Locked Out of Heaven” was a love letter to the Police; “When I Was Your Man” went heavy on the Elton vibes. The influence of new single “Treasure” is easy to spot: Michael Jackson circa Off the Wall. Of course, Mars isn’t trying to hide it, as the song’s new low-def makes obvious — compare it next to, say, the video for “Rock With You.”
But, Mars’ expert homages are nothing if not really good — Unorthodox Jukebox was SPIN’s No. 5 Best Pop Album of 2012.
