Bruno Mars and Cardi B both finished 2017 strong, Cardi with three songs propelling her to record-setting chart success, and Mars sitting pretty with a slew of major Grammy nominations. So it looks like they decided to bring the momentum with them straight into 2018, dropping a remix and video to Mars’s song “Finesse” off of his third album, the blockbuster 24K Magic. It’s a 90s-inspired jam with a visual that pays spot-on homage to In Living Color, the popular sketch comedy show featuring the Wayans family, Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx and even Jennifer Lopez back in the day.
Mars and Cardi teased the joint release on Wednesday on Twitter, with Mars saying the video was dedicated to one of his “favorite T.V. shows of all time.” They’re faithful to the spirit of the original show throughout the video, from the fashion to the throwback setting and Mars’s sharp group choreography, while Cardi brings the tune right into 2018 with a saucy rap intro. “Bossed up and I changed the game (you see me),” she reminds us off the top, all confidence as ever.
And if you’re in need of even more 90’s-inflected tunes, Lin-Manuel Miranda and blogger Anil Dash have you covered: inspired by the release of “Finesse (Remix)” and reminiscing about the music of past decades, they collaborated on Twitter to put together a Spotify playlist of their favorite jams of the era, to keep the “Finesse” party going with the likes of TLC, Boyz II Men and Mary J. Blige.
