Multi-award-winning singer-songwriter Bruno Mars performed his own rendition of the AKB48 hit single ‘Heavy Rotation’ during his first of seven sold-out performances in Tokyo.
On January 11th, Mars took to the stage at Tokyo Dome for his opening show as part of his ‘Best of Bruno Mars Live at Tokyo Dome’ series. In an unexpected turn, Mars seamlessly integrated AKB48’s triple platinum single ‘Heavy Rotation’ into his own diamond-certified mega hit ‘Marry You’, much to the surprise of the audience and netizens alike.
Adding to the list of unexpected covers from the show, Mars’ keyboard player John Fossit got his own slice of the action with a short keyboard cover of Kenshi Yonezu’s ‘Lemon’.
Fans expressed their mixed reaction on social media, with most finding it a fun and hilarious inclusion, while others disappointed with his song choice.
“Bruno’s live in Japan 🇯🇵 included a surprising performance of AKB48’s ‘Heavy Rotation’ and Kenshi Yonezu’s ‘Lemon’!! I’m so happy he practiced Japanese songs 😭 I love it 😭”
“I thought Bruno Mars might have disliked us since last time the audience didn’t sing along, but he’s enjoying it so much, and on stage, he even prepared songs like Kenshi Yonezu’s ‘Lemon’ and AKB’s ‘Heavy Rotation.’ It’s just amazing how much he loves Japan. The best!”
“Bruno Mars is so cool, but why AKB… I don’t like it. AKB and such are embarrassing. I wish he sang something else instead of that.”
Overall, fans praised Mars’ singing, dancing, and overall stage presence, making it a dream-like experience for his Japanese fanbase. Despite varying preferences on the AKB48 choice, it’s evident that Bruno Mars left an indelible mark on Tokyo Dome.
Also, if you’re wondering, yes that photo of him wearing the “I love Japan” t-shirt and reading a volume of Jujutsu Kaisen is real, and you can find it over on his official Instagram account.
Bet you didn’t have this one on your bingo card for “unlikely things to happen in 2024”.
