You may have heard that Silk Sonic, the new supergroup fronted by Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars, made a splash with not one but two performances at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards. What you may not have known is that, as of last Sunday when the Grammy performer lineup was announced, Silk Sonic was not on the bill at all.
As .Paak and Mars celebrated the release of the first Silk Sonic single, “Leave The Door Open“, this past weekend, both frontmen had been particularly active in promoting the release, both with in-depth interviews and via fan engagement on social media. When the Recording Academy announced the list of performers for the coming weekend’s festivities, the two were clearly unamused. In a series of tweets, the two hilariously responded to their omission from the lineup.
YO @BrunoMars WHAT THE FUCK?!? Did you see this?!?! Call me back!! pic.twitter.com/nS2brA54gK
— Anderson .Blacked (@AndersonPaak) March 7, 2021
Wait… are you sure this is even real? where did you find this? https://t.co/Ew3e3mwDKA
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) March 7, 2021
Bro it says CBS right at the top! It’s legit. What the FUCK!!?! ANSWER YOUR PHONE!! https://t.co/RwsX2Swv0q
— Anderson .Blacked (@AndersonPaak) March 7, 2021
FAM STOP!!! Did they even hear the song?!? They don’t love us?? 🥺 https://t.co/LYiyUG3x9W
— Anderson .Blacked (@AndersonPaak) March 7, 2021
See @AndersonPaak You’ve been misinformed. This is the real real bill. we’re all good! 👍 pic.twitter.com/xeqEMwke1f
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) March 7, 2021
And we’re not on this either you PRICK!!! https://t.co/iPs1W4HUvh
— Anderson .Blacked (@AndersonPaak) March 7, 2021
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) March 7, 2021
Do we need to get a hashtag going or something?? @BrunoMars
— Anderson .Blacked (@AndersonPaak) March 7, 2021
Andy just chill. i’m still waking up. https://t.co/RbUzEh4Wtq
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) March 7, 2021
Nah fuck that! I haven’t seen my family in months!! I need this to work, You promised me!! Everybody join in!!! I need all of Twitter to help make this trend!! Come on @RecordingAcad #LetSilkSonicThrive https://t.co/uqiAyYzqTp
— Anderson .Blacked (@AndersonPaak) March 7, 2021
With that, the #LetSilkSonicThrive hashtag was born in an attempt to get Mars and .Paak onstage at the Grammys. Mars stoked the flame with an official, “pretty please” request to the Academy.
#LetSilkSonicThrive @RecordingAcad pic.twitter.com/Ze5nuZQnvi
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) March 7, 2021
WHAT HE SAID! #LetSilkSonicThrive https://t.co/iwE67n0Byt
— Anderson .Blacked (@AndersonPaak) March 7, 2021
The response was immediate. As “Leave The Door Open” raked in streams (it would go on to enter the Billboard Hot 100 at the #4 slot this week), #LetSilkSonicThrive began to trend.
Yo!!! @AndersonPaak It’s working! you’re a real twitter wizard! @RecordingAcad please log on and look at this!!! #LetSilkSonicThrive https://t.co/s8olN2JGjY
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) March 8, 2021
🇧🇷!!! #LetSilkSonicThrive https://t.co/llXpIbI4Oi
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) March 8, 2021
Bro the @RecordingAcad haven’t even responded…🤦🏽♂️ @bts_bighit do y’all need a drummer? #LetSilkSonicThrive https://t.co/HuQcSKXhuo
— Anderson .Blacked (@AndersonPaak) March 8, 2021
You’re right. I got excited we were trending for a while today. I’m sorry I let you down. I hope you & BTS go on to do great things. 😞 https://t.co/kjpiGQdylP
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) March 8, 2021
A little more time passed. Still no word… and it seemed .Paak was beginning to doubt his new partner’s industry clout.
luv y’all for helping us get #LetSilkSonicThrive trending. Still no word from The Grammys but I promise @AndersonPaak and I aren’t givin up.
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) March 9, 2021
Here you go wt the promises again. You “ promised “ me the best promo for our single. It aint working out. and now I’m embarrassed af!! Look, we’ll be brothers for life but maybe it’s best we go our separate ways https://t.co/2mYymZxQcp
— Anderson .Blacked (@AndersonPaak) March 9, 2021
Brothers for life? But you’re really gonna break up the band on twitter?BET! keep that same energy when i see you. You big toof bastard! https://t.co/QdrLoex6Cl
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) March 9, 2021
You ruined my life you little appropriating prick!!! WE’RE DONE!! #RIPSILKSONIC 🖕🏽 https://t.co/ZE3oW8THd6
— Anderson .Blacked (@AndersonPaak) March 9, 2021
Wait who tf you calling little? https://t.co/O4ByUELcnb
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) March 9, 2021
Of course, this wasn’t the death of Silk Sonic. All it took for .Paak and Mars to put aside their comical egos and make with the music was one little tweet from the Recording Academy on Tuesday afternoon:
.@BrunoMars & @AndersonPaak
We have been trying to call you all week. Have you changed your numbers? We would love for #silksonic to make their TV debut at the #GRAMMYs. Are you free this Sunday night? Follow back and we will DM for details.— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) March 9, 2021
Hey we both might of said some things we didn’t mean. I’m really sensitive about my teeth bro…did you see this? Call me back @BrunoMars https://t.co/D0HNbUeZ5e
— Anderson .Blacked (@AndersonPaak) March 9, 2021
Maybe for one night we can put our differences aside and reunite. Not as foes but as friends. “Silk Sonic” on 3? https://t.co/oGAVAvXkNE
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) March 10, 2021
NAH….#SilkSonic FOR LIFE!! @BrunoMars https://t.co/DlpD05FHuZ
— Anderson .Blacked (@AndersonPaak) March 10, 2021
Dear @RecordingAcad we humbly accept your invitation to reunite on your grand stage. Thank you! We swear we won’t do the most. ♥️#SilkSonic https://t.co/tVEk2s9FS4
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) March 10, 2021
THE BOYS ARE BACK!! https://t.co/RbEASlKv3b
— Anderson .Blacked (@AndersonPaak) March 10, 2021
aaaannnddd scene 🎬 pic.twitter.com/jDgzVr4lId
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) March 10, 2021
It’s hard to tell whether this whole #LetSilkSonicThrive ordeal was a well-executed promotional gambit for a buzz-worthy new project or the genuine result of successful Twitter fan campaign. To be honest, it doesn’t really matter. Silk Sonic’s amusing road to the 2021 Grammy stage was quality entertainment in itself. The resulting performances—a retro, ’70s style performance of “Leave The Door Open” and an “In Memoriam” live tribute to Little Richard—were just the icing on the cake. The fact that they were both among the night’s biggest highlights… sprinkles, maybe? Either way, after the explosion of #LetSilkSonicThrive, the instant hit status of “Leave The Door Open”, and the two Grammy performances, it’s safe to say that Silk Sonic has officially arrived. We eagerly await the next offering from the band’s forthcoming debut.
Watch the two Silk Sonic performances from the 2021 Grammy Awards below.
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak) – “Leave The Door Open” – 2021 Grammy Awards Performance
[Video: Bruno Mars]
Silk Sonic – “Long Tall Sally”, “Good Golly Miss Molly” (Little Richard Tribute) – 2021 Grammy Awards Performance
[Video: Bruno Mars]