Bruno Mars - 24K Magic

What this video is

Released October 7, 2016, '24K Magic' arrived as the lead single from Bruno Mars's third studio album and functioned as a cultural reset: a wholesale embrace of 1980s–90s funk, disco, and R&B at a moment when trap and EDM-influenced pop dominated the charts. Set against the maximalist backdrop of Las Vegas, the video codified a visual language of unapologetic Black American excess and celebration that resonated…

Why it matters

A landmark of the mid-2010s retro-soul revival, '24K Magic' synthesized funk synthesizers, disco pulse, contemporary R&B vocal performance, and hip-hop bravado into a mainstream-accessible package. Critics drew direct lineage from James Brown, Prince, The Gap Band, Zapp & Roger, and Tupac Shakur's…

The director

Cameron Thomas Duddy (born December 6, 1985) is an American music video director and musician whose directorial portfolio has accumulated over 9 billion views. Son of cinematographer Christopher Duddy, he began directing music videos for Bruno Mars circa…