Bruno Mars has never been one to shy away from pushing a boundary, but his new single, “Fat Juicy & Wet,” featuring Sexyy Red, doesn’t feel like a cheeky gamble so much as a full-throttle tilt into flat-out ridiculousness. Renowned for his smooth, nostalgically suave brand of pop-funk, Mars veers hard left into sleazy club anthem territory, and the outcomes are as mind-boggling as they are hilarious.
From the second Mars leans into a faux-sultry, spoken-word flow, “That good kitty-kitty, good kitty-kitty Make it my pet,” it’s apparent we’re in for something… different. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is strictly a matter of how much raunch you can handle without filters. Sexyy Red, a master of X-rated lyricism, does not hold back either, throwing out lines about signing autographs in bodily fluids and a “milk mustache” guaranteed to stick around long after “Fat Juicy & Wet” already concluded.
“Fat Juicy & Wet” nostalgically references early 2010s West Coast club bangers, but where you’d expect Mustard-style minimalism, you instead have Bruno’s trademark high-gloss polish. The result? A sonic identity crisis is something between the strip club anthem and the Vegas show tune.
Is it catchy? Yes. Will it make you chuckle in astonishment? Absolutely. Should it sit on a playlist with “That’s What I Like” and “24K Magic”? Not even a little.
For Mars, this is some tongue-in-cheek parody or an utterly ridiculous creative detour. For Sexyy Red, this is the office. Either way, “Fat Juicy & Wet” is guaranteed to be one of the most-discussed and memorable releases of the year. Whether it turns out to be a guilty pleasure or a cautionary tale, one thing is sure: you will never forget it.