Locked Out of Heaven

Background and production

After his 2010 debut album Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Bruno Mars wanted to create something unexpected with its follow-up, stating, "This is me going into the studio and recording and writing whatever I want." The track originated backstage during a jamming session in a greenroom while singing the phrase "Locked Out of Heaven." Philip Lawrence noted that as they wrote, the song developed a meaning about being with someone who shows you a new way to love. The Smeezingtons traveled to New York to work with Jeff Bhasker, Emile Haynie, and Mark Ronson; during a jam session with drums, bass, and guitar, Mars created the riff and sang the chorus over it. The production team then returned to Los Angeles, where they finished the lyrics and altered the original melody. Lawrence described the recording as "sort of empty but it had a carnal vibe to it," which motivated them to add a driving rhythm.

He recalled feeling it was "something special" in the studio, similar to his experience with "Just the Way You Are" and "Billionaire." Bhasker explained that the track came together in the middle of assembling the album, beginning as a "cha-cha-style duet" reminiscent of Santana's "Smooth." Ronson asked the Dap-Kings to collaborate to achieve a "crisply syncopated, locked-in groove." Michael Leonhart contributed "Thriller"-vibe horns that did not make the final version. Mars mentioned the song took a long time to create, with intense studio sessions over drums and bass lines. Lawrence believes the absence of heavy hitting drums and the inclusion of a small guitar solo allow Mars's vocals to carry the song.

Composition and influences

The sheet music for "Locked Out of Heaven" is in the key of D minor, with vocals ranging from A3 to C5. Ari Levine said parts of the song are assembled from vocals rather than instruments; Mars's voice was recorded, chopped, and processed to sound like an instrument. The composition relies on a guitar-worthy groove guitar, a soaring sing-along chorus, and sexual innuendo. Mars sings about a relationship so good that he repeats "Your sex takes me to paradise," a verse inspired by Halle Berry.

During a Google Hangout, Mars picked the lyric "But swimming in your water is something spiritual" as his favorite. The song has been described as reggae rock and pop rock heavily influenced by new wave and funk. Tim Sendra of AllMusic called it "a breezy mashup of 'Beat It,' the Police, and Dire Straits." Paul MacInnes of The Guardian described it as a brazen welding of Dire Straits' "Sultans of Swing" and the Police's "Can't Stand Losing You." Carl Williott of Idolator noted the angular guitars and Mars's Sting-like staccato delivery are indebted to the Police, with hints of Foster the People. Melinda Newman of HitFix commented on a Police/80s rock skipping beat plus a touch of the Romantics' "What I Like About You." Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times likened it to the Police's Ghost in the Machine era influenced by Human League, while Jon Caramanica of The New York Times called it "a vivid carbon copy of Zenyatta Mondatta-era Police."

Critical reception

The song received generally positive reviews from music critics. Robert Copsey of Digital Spy gave it 5 out of 5 stars, praising the "80s-styled funk beats and wildly infectious percussion" and calling it "one of the most interesting musical evolutions of 2012." Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone gave 3.5 out of 5 stars, writing that the song is about unbridled passion but the aesthetic is tidy and impeccable, with jittery Police-esque rock-reggae verses erupting into a steamrolling chorus. Carl Williott of Idolator also gave a positive review, calling the song "interesting" and marking it as a shift for Mars. Ryan Reed of Paste Magazine described it as "a driving pop anthem that moves from a punchy, 'Roxanne'-esque new-wave groove to a soulful, synth-driven chorus." Matt Cibula of PopMatters wrote that it starts like an early Police single with a Sting vocal impression, but the chorus becomes less Police-y and more Bruno Mars-y.

Kitty Empire of The Observer noted the song channels the Police but its 21st-century builds owe as much to rave-pop as to producer Mark Ronson. Jason Lipshut of Billboard gave a very positive review, stating it is Mars's best solo single to date, with chopped guitars and vocal exclamations buttressing his leading-man act. Melinda Newman of HitFix praised Mars's singing and the catchy background vocals, noting that even clumsy lyrics like "your sex takes me to paradise" cannot diminish the joy the beats and melody bring.

Commercial performance

"Locked Out of Heaven" entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 34, selling 92,000 copies in its debut week. By its fourth week on the chart, it had risen to number seven, giving Bruno Mars his ninth top-ten hit on the Hot 100 within two years. On December 22, 2012, the song took over the number-one spot from Rihanna's "Diamonds," becoming Mars's fourth chart-topper since his 2010 arrival.

This achievement marked the fastest accumulation of a male artist's first four number-one singles in 48 years, a record previously held only by Bobby Vinton. The track held the top position for six consecutive weeks, making it the second-longest-running number-one among Mars's eight chart-toppers at the time. On the Mainstream Top 40 chart, it debuted at number 26, extending a streak that began with his featured single "Nothin' on You" in 2011—the longest such career-opening run for a male artist in that chart's 20-year history. It also became his ninth consecutive top-ten hit on the Radio Songs chart, extending his record among male artists.

On the Adult Pop Songs chart, its debut at number 26 was the highest entry for a solo male since Rob Thomas's "Lonely No More." The Recording Industry Association of America certified the song diamond. As of December 16, 2012, it was the first track to surpass one million streams in a single week on Spotify and became the platform's most-streamed song at that time. In Canada, it reached number one on the Canadian Hot 100, becoming Mars's third chart-topper there, and was also certified diamond by Music Canada.

Did You Know?

• The music video was filmed using an old VHS camera to give a vintage feel.
• Mars first performed the song live on Saturday Night Live on October 20, 2012.
• The song was used at Mars's Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show set list.