Bruno Mars has linked up with Charlie Wilson for the R&B legend’s romantic new hip shaker, “Forever Valentine.”
Wilson delivers a vintage vocal performance on the cut, belting and crooning sweet and delightfully over-the-top paeans to his partner — “It ain’t gotta be February/to break out some whipped cream and strawberries” — over a thumping funk groove. Mars provides back-up vocals on the track, his voice simmering under Wilson’s as the latter sings, “Will you be mine/My forever valentine/Say you will and make me/The happiest man alive.”
Along with singing back-up on “Forever Valentine,” Mars co-produced the song with his production team the Stereotypes and D’Mile. They all also co-wrote the song with Wilson, Micah Powell and Seth Reger. James Fauntleroy lent his voice to the track as well.
In an interview with Billboard, Wilson spoke about how he and Mars crafted “Forever Valentine,” saying, “We talked about the song’s vibe for a while, put a chorus down and then didn’t see each other for a while. Then we ended up on the road together. We’d sing every day at lunch time as we further hashed out the song.”
“Forever Valentine” marks Wilson’s first bit of new solo music since the release of his 2017 album, In It To Win It. Over the past few years, Wilson has collaborated with an array of artists, including Snoop Dogg, Kanye West and Tyler, the Creator.