"Marry You" is a song by American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars from his first album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010). The song was written and produced by the Smeezingtons and is the sixth track on the album. It was released as a single in countries outside the United States. "Marry You" is a pop, doo-wop, and soul song. The recording focuses on the idea of spontaneous marriage, and since its release, it has often been used as a proposal song. Music critics had mixed opinions about the song, with some praising its production and its style similar to 1960s pop music, while others pointed out a lack of creativity.
Although it was not released as a single in the United States, the song reached number 85 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It reached the top ten in most international markets, including number 10 on the Canadian Hot 100, number 8 in Australia, and the top five in New Zealand. The single received seven platinum certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), four platinum certifications from Recorded Music NZ (RNMZ), and a diamond certification from Music Canada (MC). Bruno Mars has performed "Marry You" during all of his tours. The song has been covered by many artists, including the cast of Glee. Their version of the song performed better than the original, reaching number 32 on the Hot 100.
Background
The song "Marry You" is one of eleven songs created by the Smeezingtons, a team made up of Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence, and Ari Levine. It appears on Mars's first studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. Philip Lawrence shared the song's inspiration during an interview with American Songwriter. He described imagining a slow-motion video set in Las Vegas showing a couple running, with the bride wearing a gown and the groom in a tuxedo, while the wedding party follows them. He called the scene "crazy and daring," capturing the excitement of a wedding. Lawrence was surprised by the song's influence after seeing videos on YouTube. He said, "We always thought it was a good and catchy song, but we didn’t expect it to change pop culture so much. The first time we saw a YouTube video of it, we were almost in tears. We realized how powerful our music can be and how it can shape people’s lives."
In an interview with Idolator, Bruno Mars explained that the song began with him playing some chords and then freestyling the lyrics "I think I wanna marry you!" He added, "You’re in Las Vegas, had way too many drinks, and you love everyone. You want to do something you probably shouldn’t do, and you’ll regret it in the morning."
Production and release
The song "Marry You" was written by Mars, Lawrence, and Levine. Lawrence and Levine played all the instruments on the track. Levine also helped create the song at Levcon Studios. The single was mixed by Manny Marroquin and his helpers, Christian Plata and Erik Madrid, at Larrabee Sound Studios in Los Angeles, California. Stephen Marcussen mastered the song at Marcussen Mastering in Hollywood, California. On August 22, 2011, "Marry You" was released in the United Kingdom through digital download. On September 9, 2011, the single was shared for radio airplay in Italy by Warner Music Group. On September 13, 2011, the song was released in Germany by Warner Music Group.
Composition
The song "Marry You" blends pop, doo-wop, and soul music styles. It is written in the key of F major and has a tempo of 145 beats per minute, as noted in sheet music from Musicnotes.com. The track includes double hand-claps, drum beats that sound like a fast heartbeat, echoing church bells, and a simple, catchy chorus. Bruno Mars's singing ranges from the note C4 to D5. His voice is described as sad and gentle, with a soft, longing tone throughout the song. The music has a strong, fast energy and a melody that is easy to sing along to. It is also called lively, cheerful, and a "Motown marriage track."
The song is a celebration of getting married after drinking, but it also shows a more cynical view of men's behavior. Lyrically, it tells the story of a couple who go to Las Vegas, give up their sudden desires, and decide to get married on a whim. The song became known as a classic wedding tune. The writers intended to suggest a playful, bold idea. Critics compared the song to 1960s pop and girl groups, the wide, open drum sounds of Coldplay, and the surf-style music of The Beach Boys.
Critical reception
The song "Marry You" received varied opinions from music critics. Lewis Corner of Digital Spy gave it four out of five stars. He said the song would impress an Elvis impersonator at a Las Vegas chapel and could make that person the top romantic of 2011. He also called it a jive-starter inspired by the 1960s. Nina Baniamer from Contactmusic.com described the track's production as large in scope and bold. She called the song "anthemic," meaning powerful and catchy, and predicted it would be a hit. Ken Capobianco of The Boston Globe praised the song's "artfully arranged throwback" and complimented Bruno Mars's singing. Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly said the song has a "malt-shop heart" beneath its modern style, showing creativity and innovation. Andy Gill of The Independent called the single "overly ingratiating," meaning overly friendly. Blues & Soul noted that "Marry You" is the second part of "Just The Way You Are," with similar feelings of happiness and simple music that highlight Mars's emotional singing.
Tim Sendra of Allmusic gave a mixed review, saying the song's production was dynamic and detailed, and called it "pleasantly silly." The Scotsman said the track shows Mars's strengths and weaknesses, including his ability to create cheerful tunes and catchy but forgettable rhymes. Mike Diver of BBC Music called the song "too-clingy and very creepy" and said it lacked inspiration. Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine suggested the song was based on Cee Lo Green's "Forget You," with the word "fuck" replaced by "marry." He also called the single "bizarrely syncopated," meaning its rhythm was unusual and forceful.
In September 2024, Kyle Dines of Billboard said "Marry You" was one of the earliest songs guaranteed to be a wedding anthem for the young decade. In February 2026, Maya Georgi of Rolling Stone said the song was used as the soundtrack for various marriage proposals and weddings.
Commercial performance
The song "Marry You" first appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States on December 11, 2010, at number 91. It reached its highest position at number 85 on January 15, 2011, and stayed on the chart for 5 weeks. The song was not released as a single in the United States, even though it was played frequently on mainstream and adult top 40 radio stations. By January 2015, the song had sold 2.2 million copies in the United States. It was awarded seven times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Outside the United States, the song performed better. In Canada, "Marry You" reached number 10 on the Canadian Hot 100 in early November 2011 and was certified diamond by Music Canada (MC). In the United Kingdom, the song debuted and peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, staying on the chart for 39 weeks. It was certified three times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The song also did well in other European countries, reaching the top 10 in Austria, Czech Republic, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Slovakia, and the top 20 in Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, and Switzerland. In 2014, the song returned to the Spanish Charts, reaching a new peak of number 26. It also reached number 34 on the Danish Charts and was certified double platinum by IFPI Denmark. Even though it never entered the Italian Single Charts, it was certified platinum by the Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (FIMI).
In Australia, "Marry You" first appeared on the ARIA Singles Chart at number 50 on December 12, 2010, and stayed on the chart for 3 weeks. It returned to the chart on June 19, 2011, reaching number 8 for two non-consecutive weeks and dropping off after 19 weeks. The song was certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) in 2011. In New Zealand, the song reached number 5 on the Official Singles Chart, remained on the chart for 5 months, and was certified four times platinum by Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ). In Asia, the song reached number 67 on the Japan Hot 100 and was awarded gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). It also reached number 12 in South Korea.
Live performances and covers
Bruno Mars sang the song "Marry You" at many events. He first performed it at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on August 25, 2010. On November 6, 2011, Mars and his band sang it live at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards. He also performed it on December 8, 2012, during the 2012 Jingle Bell Ball, an annual event held at the O2 Arena in London by Capital FM. Mars included the song in his first world tour, The Doo-Wops & Hooligans Tour (2010–12), and in the Hooligans in Wondaland Tour (2011). He sang it again during The Moonshine Jungle Tour (2013–14) and at his debut concert residency, Bruno Mars at The Chelsea, Las Vegas (2013–15). The song was also part of the setlist for the 24K Magic World Tour (2017–18) and Bruno Mars Live (2022–2024).
The song has been covered by other artists. It was first performed on the "Furt" episode of the television show Glee, which aired on November 23, 2010. This version reached number 19 in Canada, number 32 in the United States, number 27 in Australia, and number 31 in Ireland. On January 1, 2013, members of the South Korean girl group Girls' Generation—Sunny, Sooyoung, and Yoona—performed a cover of the song for their comeback special, Girls' Generation's Romantic Fantasy. Rapper and actor Donald Glover, who performs under the name Childish Gambino, sang a cover of the song for the movie Magic Mike XXL. This version was included on the movie’s soundtrack album, released on June 30, 2015. In 2020, American musicians Brynn Elliott, Christian Lalama, and Forest Blakk each performed covers of "Marry You" as part of the tenth anniversary celebration of Bruno Mars’s debut album.
Personnel
Credits are taken from the liner notes of Doo-Wops & Hooligans.
- Bruno Mars – lead vocals, songwriting, playing musical instruments
- Philip Lawrence – songwriting
- Ari Levine – songwriting, playing musical instruments, helping to record the music
- The Smeezingtons – overseeing the creation of the music
- Manny Marroquin – mixing the music
- Erik Madrid – helping with mixing the music
- Christian Plata – helping with mixing the music
- Stephen Marcussen – final adjustments to the sound