Music Review: Bruno Mars "Treasure"

Bruno Mars

Treasure

Album: Unorthodox Jukebox

Year: 2013

            Bruno Mars would like to get to know an unconventional girl in the patronizing “Treasure.”

             A nervy electronic voice catcalls to the girl, setting a tawdry tone. (“Baby squirrel, you’s a sexy ************.”) While pretending to text, he watches for his crush to walk by him. He stands up straighter, noticing her getting out of her car. He positions himself to face her and stammers out a “hello” when he sees her. However, she breezes past him without even a glance.  Around school, the other girls ignore her, calling her weird and stuck-up. Some of the guys he knows like her for being different but they are intimidated by it, too. However, he believes she has low self-esteem. She doesn’t talk to anyone, slipping through the halls, trying to get by unseen. (“Give me all, give me all, give me all your attention baby/I got to tell you a little something about yourself/You're wonderful, flawless, ooh you're a sexy lady/But you walk around here like you wanna be something else.”)

             In the pre-chorus, he finally is able to run into her and stops her before she can leave. He tells her she’s beautiful and he would like to take her out. (“I know that you don’t know it but you're fine, so fine/Oh girl I’m gonna show you when you're mine, oh mine.”)

             In the chorus, he says he sees a lot of value in her and cares for her. All he needs is a chance. He’s not like the other guys. He’ll cherish her and treat her well. (“Treasure, that means what you are/Honey you're my golden star/I know you can make my wish come true/If you let me treasure you/If you let me treasure you.”)

          It pains him to see her frown and not make eye contact with anyone. She deserves some happiness in her life and he is the one who can give it to her. Through him, she will have friends, go to great parties and people won’t ever bother her.  She scoffs at him but he tells her means it. (“Pretty girl, pretty girl, pretty girl you should be smiling/A girl like you should never live so blue/You're everything I see in my dreams/I wouldn’t say that to you if it wasn’t true.”)

           The pre-chorus and chorus are sung again.

            In the bridge, he again tells her he thinks she’s special. (“You are my treasure, you are my treasure/You are my treasure, yeah, you you you, you are/You are my treasure, you are my treasure/You are my treasure, yeah, you you you, you are.”)

            The chorus is sung again to close the single.

        Mars’ fast-talking, buttery vocals are judgmental, stereotyping her as depressed and lonely without even knowing a thing about her. He assumes he knows what she thinks and tells her what she would want. After he runs out of things to say, he repeats the compliment over and over to her, brainwashing her into liking him.

        The prickish “Treasure” thinks it’s providing an honorable service just by being nice.