The untold truth of Bruno mars

As one of today's most popular artists, Bruno Mars has already achieved all kinds of milestones - a handful of Grammys and Super Bowl performances to name a few. And after a short hiatus, he's back!

Bruno Mars just released the title track off his new album, 24K Magic, as its first single, along with the colorful music video. The album is set to be released Nov. 18 and is hopefully filled with more of the disco-funk tunes Mars is famous for. But how much do you know about the artist behind the music?

1. He grew up in Hawaii

Mars was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father, originally from Brooklyn, New York, is half Puerto Rican and half Ashkenazi Jew, while his mother, who emigrated to Hawaii as a child, was of Filipino descent.

2. His stage name was inspired by a wrestler

Mars was born Peter Gene Hernandez. So where did the name Bruno Mars come from? Back in the day, his dad gave him the nickname "Bruno" because Mars was chunky as a baby and reminded him of the hefty wrestler Bruno Sammartino. As for the "Mars" part, the singer told Rap-Up, "The 'Mars' came up just because I felt like I didn’t have no pizzazz, and a lot of girls say I’m out of this world. So I was like, I guess I’m from Mars."

3. Musical talents run in his family

His father is a drummer and his late mother was a hula dancer. In fact, the two met while performing at a show. Apparently, they passed on their abilities to their kids. Mars' sisters have a musical group called The Lylas. Meanwhile, his brother Eric is a drummer in Mars' backup band, The Hooligans.

4. He was a young Elvis impersonator

When Mars was a kid, his dad and uncle ran a Hawaiian variety show that sometimes featured the singer as an Elvis impersonator. That's right — he's been performing since age 4.

5. He's a songwriter

Aside from creating his own hits, Mars has also penned many popular tracks for other artists. In fact, before becoming a successful solo artist, he was a known music producer, writing tunes for writing artists like Travie McCoy, Brandy, Sean Kingston, CeeLo Green and Flo Rida.

6. It took him a while to break out

Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, Mars signed to Motown Records in 2004 in a deal that "went nowhere," and a conversation with Will.i.am's management also turned out fruitless.

In 2006, he met his future manager at Atlantic Records, Aaron Bay-Schuck. After hearing Mars play a couple of songs on the guitar, Bay-Schuck wanted to sign him immediately. But the label felt that it was too early and that Mars still needed development as an artist, so Mars didn't officially sign to Atlantic Records until three years later. He broke out when he was featured on the B.o.B single "Nothin' on You," which he also wrote.

7. He's run into trouble with the law

In 2010, Mars was arrested in Las Vegas for possession of cocaine. He pleaded guilty to felony drug possession, and in return for his plea, he was told that the charges would be erased from his criminal record as long as he stayed out of trouble for a year, paid a $2,000 fine, did 200 hours of community service and completed a drug counseling course.

8. His first Super Bowl performance made history

Mars made history at the Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show in 2014 as the youngest artist ever to serve as the sole NFL Super Bowl halftime headline.

9. He's already matched Elvis Presley in a big way

In 2013, Mars scored his fifth No. 1 hit with "When I Was Your Man." The song came just a little over three years after his first chart-topper — meaning that Mars racked his first five Hot 100 No. 1s faster than any male since Elvis Presley.

10. He has four Grammys

Mars has won four Grammys: the first in 2011 for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Just the Way You Are," the second in 2014, for Best Pop Vocal Album for Unorthodox Jukebox, and two in 2016 for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, both for "Uptown Funk."

Throughout his singing career, he has sold over 100 million singles and albums, making him one of the world's best-selling artists of all time. Seven of his singles are also counted among the best-selling singles of all time.

11. He's one of the world's best-selling artists of all time

Throughout his singing career, he has sold over 100 million singles and albums, making him one of the world's best-selling artists of all time. Seven of his singles are also counted among the best-selling singles of all time.

12. He does more than sing

Not only is Mars a talented singer, but he plays the drums, keyboard, bass and guitar.

13. He has tattoos

Mars has four tattoos: a gypsy, an anchor and two on his upper arms, which are dedicated to his parents. On his right upper arm is his late mother's name, Bernadette, written in a heart, and on his upper left arm are the word's "Pete's Boy," as a tribute to his father.

 

The shady side of Demi Lovato

First things first : Demi Lovato is awesome. She's one of the best vocalists of her generation, she's gorgeous, and she's one of the most vocal advocates for mental health awareness ever. That being said, she's not without her flaws. Here are some ways the stunning "Confident" songstress can be really shady.

In November 2010, Demi Lovato was accused of punching backup dancer Alex Welch in the face during a flight, forcing Lovato to leave her joint tour with the Jonas Brothers to go to rehab. What spawned the sucker punch? The Daily Mail reports that Lovato thinks Welch snitched and told tour crews that Lovato was off partying with a small group after a show.

Selena Gomez and Lovato first became pals when they both starred in Barney and Friends as children. Their friendship continued into their Disney days, with Gomez reportedly getting Lovato her Camp Rock audition. In 2010, their friendship showed its first signs of strain when a fan was on camera asking Lovato, "How's Selena?" and Lovato replied, "Ask Taylor [Swift]." The pair eventually made up and Lovato revealed that Gomez was one of the only people to contact her while she was in rehab in November 2010.

While Gomez has remained publicly diplomatic about their roller coaster friendship, when Complex asked Lovato in September 2015 if she and her Princess Protection Program buddy still talk, she simply replied, "Nope."

During a Complex interview in summer 2015, Lovato threw what many interpreted as Taylor Swift #squad shade. "I don't really hang out with celebrities," she said. "I'm not the type of person that's on Instagram posting pictures of me and tons of my best friends…I don't have anybody around me who kisses my ass."

She also spoke to Cosmopolitan, which many interpreted as Miley Cyrus shade. "There are a lot of girls in pop. They have badass lyrics, but I feel like I'm the only person other than Rihanna and Nicki Minaj who isn't afraid to say, 'Try something on me and I'll f***ing beat your a**.'" Yeah, Alex Welch knows.

In October 2015, Lovato was finalizing a deal with American Idol alum Adam Lambert for a co-headlining tour…and then she pulled the rug from under him. TMZ reports that Lovato backed out at the last minute, replacing Lambert with her labelmate and BFF, Nick Jonas. Sources close to Lambert claimed the move was totally unexpected and "very unprofessional and unethical."

It looks like that move is going to cost fans, too: Jonas and Lovato's tour packages are pricier than ever. People reports that their "Ultimate VIP Dressing Room" package has a ton of perks for $10,000…but doesn't even include an actual ticket to the concert. The VIP package's meet and greet may not even be a good experience. In November, a disappointed fan from a meet and greet wrote an angry letter to Lovato on Instagram saying that she was rushed, rude, and eager to get away from the very supporters who give her success and tons of extra money.

Lovato's Twitter beefs are endless. She continued an ongoing beef with comedienne Kathy Griffin in September 2015. She publicly and visibly unfollowed on-again, off-again BFF Selena Gomez in August 2014. Lovato lashed out at singer Pink in September 2015 after taking offense at her comments about the MTV Video Music Awards. Back in 2009, she and Miley Cyrus' older brother, Trace Cyrus, actually broke up on Twitter.

Lovato told Complex in summer 2015, "I think 'Waiting for Ya' is a pretty ballsy song…that's the song where I show you that a lot of people have their cute little feuds in public, but I don't really have those because if you want to have a feud, you can just come to me in person and we'll settle it." Right.

When Lovato was on The X Factor in 2012, she and Simon Cowell made it quite clear that there was something up with One Direction singer Niall Horan. The two insinuated that Lovato and Noran frequently Skyped together. Lovato revealed on Girl Code Live in October 2015 that she ghosted on a Skype relationship, telling the hosts, "I've actually had a situation where I think somebody had an alarm set on their phone. They would Skype me every time…I told them basically, 'Hey, I am not interested. Please leave me alone.' And then, yeah, they kind of took the hint, I guess. And then I changed my number and completely ignored them…I wasn't even dating him. That's the thing…Like, if you knew who it was…he is not a stalker."

Sure, she didn't mention any names, but if you follow Horan or Lovato at all, it's pretty clear to whom she was referring.

Lovato began dating former That '70s Show star Wilmer Valderrama in 2010. Their relationship started out tumultuously, with a lot of breakups and makeups. They seem rock solid now, and Lovato credits Valderrama with a lot of her recovery.

Still, their history is a little creepy. They began dating when she was just barely 18 to his 30, and that's been a pattern for him. Valderrama dated Mandy Moore for two years when she was just 16 to his 20 and Lindsay Lohan when she had just turned 18 to his 24. He later boasted, quite vulgarly, about his intimate relationships with both of these much younger women. It makes you wonder why Lovato thinks she doesn't deserve better—and if, at 23, she may be getting almost too old for his tastes.

Lovato prides herself on celebrating a healthy body image, especially after her public struggles with bulimia. That makes her friendships with the Kardashians questionable, as these women document their diets, their "waist training" corsets, and their obsession with cosmetic fillers constantly. It seems to completely counter Lovato's message to fans to love themselves as they are when she pals around with people who not only transform themselves with plastic surgery, but also deny it.

Lovato seems to struggle with her musical identity, because with every album, she seems to have a new sound. That would be fine, but she also insists that every new sound is who she really is. For her sophomore effort Here We Go Again, Lovato told MTV News, "It's going to take a different sound, so hopefully it goes over well. I sing a lot of rock, but this time I want to do more John Mayer-ish type of songs."

For Unbroken in 2011, Lovato told The Ralphie Radio Show, "Every other album I haven't had time to really take my time and craft it like I really wanted to…you can definitely tell that I took my time with this record." When promoting Demi in 2012, she told Billboard, "For me, Unbroken wasn't my favorite album, and this one is my favorite one so far."

Demi Lovato Official Website

25 Sobering Questions That Will Tell You Whether Or Not Your Relationship Is Going To Work Out

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This story was brought to you by Thought Catalog and Quote Catalog.

By Brianna Wiest, author of 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think.

When you’re trying to determine whether or not a relationship is “right” for you, the reality is that you already know the answer – sometimes you just need to hear the question posed in a different way to really acknowledge it.

When a relationship doesn’t work out, most people can acknowledge that they had a hunch that would be the case right from the beginning. Sometimes, your hopes and attachments blind you, and the reality – whether or not it was actually working in the first place – becomes a sobering fact you have to come to terms with.

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1. Do you argue about petty frustrations, or do you argue about whether or not you want to be together?

2. Do you think about breaking up when you’re angry, or when everything should be great and easy?

3. Are you happier when you’re thinking about them, or when you’re spending time with them?

4. Do you maintain a level of complete comfort and romance with them? Both are essential if you want it to work out long-term. You need to be in love, and you need to be in like.

5. Do you argue because you’re upset that you aren’t aligned on an important issue and want to be on the same page, or because you inherently dislike one another and it blows up every now and again?

6. Do you learn from them because they try to teach and change you, or are you inspired by them and interested in how they think and live?

7. Do you vent to other people about them, or do you vent to them about other people?

8. Are you spending all of your time wondering whether or not you should be together, or are you actually together and just navigating the ups and downs of a relationship?

9. Do you have more inexplicable anxiety or hesitation than you do inexplicable feelings of joy, fate, and infatuation?

10. If you had to marry them tomorrow, or marry them never, which would you choose?

11. If you knew that they would be the exact person they are today for the rest of your lives together, would you still want to be with them?

12. Are you more proud to show them to your family than you are hesitant?

13. Are you interested in having sex with them, but not regularly and consistently touching them in even more intimate ways like cuddling or kissing?

14. Are they the first person you want to call when something great – or something painful – happens?

15. Do they treat you like a priority, or an option?

16. Are you able to be honest with your friends about how your relationship is really going, or do you feel like you have to hide the truth?

17. Do your friends love to be around you and your partner more now that you’re together, or do they seem less than thrilled about them?

18. Is the timing actually not right, or do you feel perplexed by why you don’t want to fully commit to someone who otherwise seems perfect for you, so you chalk it up to “timing?”

19. Are you willing to acknowledge the fact that the timing is never right until it’s the right person, and that absolutely nothing would stand in the way of being with someone if you were really meant to?

20. Are you holding onto a past idea of what you had in your relationship more than you’re working toward your future together?

21. Are you aligned on the non-negotiables? (Where you want to live, whether you want to have kids, your level of monogamy, etc.?)

22. Can you (mostly happily) spend long stretches of time together without needing a break?

23. If you were going to be stranded on a desert island for the rest of your life and could only bring one person to spend all of those days with, would you choose them?

24. Are you overwhelmed with uncertainty? Are you willing to acknowledge that being unsure is actually being sure, and being afraid to accept that fact?

25. Are both of you showing up? Are you willing to acknowledge that “I just want to be on my own” is code for “You are not the right person yet, even though it seems like you should be?”

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Get your copy of Brianna Wiest’s book, 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think, here.

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