In a world where people are constantly projecting their own personas on the internet and in how they act, there’s not a lot of space for just existing. Enter funk-pop duo Silk Sonic, paving a road for those who don’t put on a facade and are unapologetically themselves.
When Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak teamed up to create Silk Sonic in 2021, I was ecstatic. The music they produced was unique and unlike anything I had ever heard before. I was blown away by not only the rhythmic melodies and insane drum tracks, but also by the lyrics and how they portrayed themselves. There was no irony, no facade, no ulterior motive behind their songs. They were themselves and they weren’t afraid to show it. They were just cool.
This is a sentiment often lost in today’s culture. So many artists try to be cool by including catchy and ironic lyrics that have some deeper meaning left in the music to be translated by some music guru, but Silk Sonic does no such thing. They are completely authentic and that is what makes them cool — and draws listeners to the music.
Part of what makes Silk Sonic so appealing as a band is their lack of irony. In an era of winking self-awareness, artists often include irony in their lyrics that can go over the listeners head and lose meaning. An example of this is Taylor Swift’s song “Me!” where she uses self referential irony to indicate that she is the problem. However, when I actually listened to it, all I heard was a stereotypical love song.
Silk Sonic does not even attempt to take a stab at irony in their music. They are themselves and they mean what they say in the lyrics. While lyrics can often be insightful and thought provoking, Silk Sonic is not trying to do that with their songs. They are portraying a certain feeling with their music that can be encapsulated in every song on the album.
While their album “An Evening with Silk Sonic” was released in 2021, the music has a wild 70s theme that can be heard in songs such as “Smoking Out The Window” or “Skate.” This theme accentuates the personality of the group in a context that suits today’s nostalgia for the past, and for the musical style of the 70s. They are flamboyant and extravagant both in the lyrics they write and their musical performances making sure to keep the audience entertained at all times. All of these aspects of the group contribute to the energy they give off and their genuine coolness.
It is apparent through the songs in the album that the duo are not just seeking monetary gain, notoriety or fame through this album — as indicated by the fact that they withdrew their album from the Grammys after already receiving many awards. Pulling out of the Grammys, while controversial to some degree, showed just how important the music was for the group.
There was nothing else more important than the music and the fact that the fans enjoyed it. They wanted to make music that people would play over and over and over again. They succeeded. To me, it doesn’t get much cooler than that.