SPIN

This week at New York City's Roseland Ballroom, two of pop music's hottest newcomers, Janelle Monae and Bruno Mars, launched their 24-date Hooligans in Wondaland tour, named after Bruno's new album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, and Monae's Atlanta crew, the Wondaland Arts Society.

SPIN contributing photog Kathryn Yu was on the scene shooting live concert photos and a portraits of the duo backstage.

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(Additional reporting by Christopher R. Weingarten)

Monae is like a dolled-up, pint-sized James Brown onstage, dancing in fits and hitting each high note with ease. "She's just incredible," Mars told SPIN of the 25-year-old siren's onstage skills. "She sings so damn good."

Mars, who played numerous instruments onstage, including the ukulele from his native Hawaii, busted out a riff on the electric guitar.

Monae turned up the intensity at the Roseland Ballroom for a special someone: "I knew Mick Jagger was there," Monae told SPIN. "That was cool. So I was looking forward to having a good time."

Mars and Monae's friendship started during rehearsals for their joint performance at the Grammys. "That's when I found out that she's so funny," Mars told SPIN. And the duo aren't just touring together -- their friendship extends beyond the stage. "We hung out all day," Mars said of the day before their tour kickoff. "She's a great person to talk to… she's so intelligent. I'm a big fan of that."

Both Mars and Monae were all smiles onstage, the R&B crooner tells SPIN. "That's why this tour is so special," Mars explained. "We share the same thing on stage -- we have fun. It's definitely not work up there."

In addition to crafting hits of his own, Mars has written (and often performed on) chart-rocking jams like Cee Lo's "Fuck You," B.o.B.'s "Nothin' On You," Travie McCoy's "Billionaire," Flo Rida's "Right Round," and rapper K'naan's World Cup anthem "Wavin' Flag."

Both singers were a hit in 2010: Monae's debut full-length album, The ArchAndroid, was given nine out of 10 stars by SPIN. "Monae boasts so much shape-shifting talent that she had to invent an android persona just to begin to accommodate it," we wrote. Meanwhile, Mars was a staple on the airwaves with his numerous hits, and his first-ever headlining tour earned the hype.