Anderson .Paak continued his incredible trajectory on Sunday (February 13) by joining Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent for the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show. The Oxnard, California native played drums as Eminem performed his 8 Mile smash “Lose Yourself,” a primetime gig that has already upped his price.
On Monday (February 14), Anderson .Paak capitalized on his Super Bowl look by releasing a new song with his Silk Sonic cohort Bruno Mars. Arriving right on time for Valentine’s Day, the track is called “Love’s Train” and is a cover of funk band Con Funk Shun’s 1982 hit of the same name.
“We wanna dedicate this to that special someone!” .Paak wrote on Instagram on Monday. “NEW MUSIC FROM @silksonic IS OUT NOW! ( link in bio ) #LOVESTRAIN.”
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While Silk Sonic’s rendition largely stays faithful to Con Funk Shun’s original, Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars apply a fresh sonic coat to the love ballad.
Rather than ushering the song into the new millennium, though, the R&B duo turn the clock back even further by swapping the ’80s production for lush, analog instrumentation that would sound at home in the previous decade.
Of course, the combination of .Paak’s raspy timber and Mars’ soaring falsetto adds even more sensuality to the Valentine’s Day jam.
“Love’s Train” arrives on the heels of another major look for Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars, who saw themselves become playable characters in the popular video game Fortnite earlier this month.
The Silk Sonic duo released their debut album, An Evening with Silk Sonic, last November. The project peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 thanks to hit singles such as “Skate,” “Smoking Out the Window” and the chart-topping “Leave the Door Open.”
.Paak and Mars are currently gearing up for their recently-announced Las Vegas residency, which includes a run of 13 shows at the Dolby Live theater between February 25 and April 2.
The day after its conclusion, Vegas will host the 2022 Grammy Awards, where Silk Sonic are up for four awards including Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best R&B Performance.