This piece is based on the Spotify Philippines Top 50 listing one day last week. The chart changes every day depending on the streaming performances of the songs. This is also what I would call the “I don’t give a damn about the charts” column. As in how the music-loving Pinoys do not give a care about what the hit charts of the U.S. of A. or of the whole world says. He chooses his songs himself and these are the ones they enjoy listening to. And that is where Versace On The Floor by Bruno Mars comes in.
The song is one of the cuts in Mars’ latest 24K Magic album and is heard in almost every radio station nowadays. You can include some TV shows, too, and on Spotify where the song is No. 1 in the Philippine chart. And I am sure many of you have also experienced this several times these past weeks. Once or twice or more during a day, you can count on meeting somebody or hearing somebody close by singing “Versace on the floor…” unconsciously or not.
Versace, as a popular term refers to Gianni Versace, the Italian designer and head of a famous house of clothes, accessories, home furnishings, etc. It is the one with that Medusa logo. He was the brother of Donatella Versace. He was murdered by the 27-year-old part-Filipino serial killer Andrew Cunanan on July 15, 1977 right near the gate to the opulent Versace mansion in Miami Beach Florida. Cunanan, who had previously killed four other men in various parts of the U.S. of A., shot himself and died a few days after.
Mars’ Versace On The Floor has nothing to do with Gianni. It is a song about seduction. It refers to a dress which could be labeled Versace or not. It goes: “I unzip the back to watch it fall/ while I kiss your neck and shoulders/ No, don’t be afraid to show it off/ I’ll be right here ready to hold you/ Girl you know you’re perfect/ from your head down to your heels/ don’t be confused by my smile/ cause I ain’t ever been more for real/ for real… so just turn down the lights and close the door/ oooh I love that dress/ but you won’t need it no more/ Let’s just kiss ‘til we’re naked, baby…” And so the Versace dress landed on the floor.
Versace On The Floor was one of the promo singles released from Mars’ new album 24K Magic. Touted as the LP’s big ballad, it is a brilliant piece of pop songwriting, simple but with an irresistible hook. So is the arrangement which has nothing superfluous that can detract from the earworm, “I can listen to this all day,” appeal of the melody. It is sleek with a sweet soul vibe that harks back to the traditional R&B of The Miracles or Boyz II Men. And with that image of a discarded Versace outfit on the floor, the song is also very sexy.
24K Magic has already given Mars three big hits. Aside from Versace On The Floor, there are also the title track and That’s What I Like. The album also includes Chunky, Perm, Straight Up And Down, Calling All My Lovelies, Finesse and It’s Good To Say Goodbye. 24K Magic is Mars’ third album. It comes after the also very successful Doo-Wop and Hooligans and Unorthodox Jukebox.
Here now are the tunes that Pinoys are listening to these days: Versace On The Floor by Mars; Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran; Say You Won’t Let Go by James Arthur; Paris by The Chainsmokers; Closer also by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey; I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker) by Zayn and Taylor Swift; Don’t Wanna Know by Maroon 5 and Kendrick Lamar; How Far I’ll Go by Alessia Cara; 24K Magic also by Mars; Starving by Hailee Steinfeld, Grey and Zedd.
Bad Things by Machine Gun Kelly feat. Camilla Cabello (formerly of Fifth Harmony); All We Know by The Chainsmokers feat. Phoebe; Call On Me by Starley, Ryan Reback Mix; Starboy by The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk; All Night by The Vamps feat. Matoma; Perfect Strangers by Jonas Blue and JP Cooper; That’s What I Like also by Mars; Sila by Sud; Fresh Eyes by Andy Grammer; and Cold Water by Major Lazer. MO and Justine Bieber.