Monday, October 1, 2012 2:37pm ET by  
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Bruno Mars: 'Label bosses have told me I suck'

'Grenade' sensation Bruno Mars has opened up about his growth as an artist in the music industry and admitted that there were times when he couldn't catch a break.

Speaking to Billboard, Mars explained that he was turned down by labels on more than one occasion for his often genre-defying sound and he is no stranger to being denied opportunities:

"I've had big record label presidents look me in the face and say, 'Your music sucks, you don't know who you are, your music is all over the place, and we don't know how to market this stuff. Pick a lane and come back to us.'"

"That was disgusting to me, because I'm not trying to be a circus act. I listen to a lot of music and I want to have the freedom and luxury to walk into a studio and say, 'Today I want to do a hip-hop, R&B, soul or rock record.'"

Referring to his forthcoming new album, 'Unorthodox Jukebox', he added that as he's progressed with his career he has learned to control his musical direction more and has managed to regain authority so worked on material he loved rather than what he was told would be popular:

"This is me going into the studio and recording and writing whatever I want. This album represents my freedom."

"I had to change lanes from hustling trying to be a producer and songwriter for other acts. So I was writing a lot of pop songs and radio-friendly songs. It was a different mind-set. When I worked on ["Doo-Wops"], maybe that trickled off into my stuff and I didn't really have a chance to custom-make the sounds and sonics that I wanted to do. On this one, you're going to feel a little more me and what I stand for."

'Unorthodox Jukebox' is due to be released on December 10 in the UK and a day later in the U.S.

 

 

 

Watch his music video for 'It Will Rain' here: