Bruno Mars has officially popped Playboy magazine’s cherry.
After 60 years in existence, Bruno is the first Latino man to grace the cover of the legendary men’s publication. Rocking out on the cover of the April “Sex and Music” issue in between the legs of Playmate-of-the-Month Raquel Pomplin, Bruno is also only the 10th male to ever be featured on the cover.
Previous male Playboy covers include Peter Sellers, Burt Reynolds, Steve Martin, Donald Trump, Dan Aykroyd, Jerry Seinfeld, Leslie Nielsen, Gene Simmons, and Seth Rogen.
Inside the issue, Bruno models tropical looks from Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, and Dolce & Gabbana and opens up about his music. “My album is called Doo-Wops & Hooligans, but it’s not a 1950s ‘Earth Angel’ sound like you hear in Grease-type movies,” admitted the Puerto Rican/Filipino singer. “I could sing you a thousand and one doo-wop songs. I love the simplicity in that music. It’s not superpoetic, it’s just from the heart.”
The pompadour prince also mentions some of the artists that inspire him. “Growing up in the showbiz world, I looked up to those guys: Frank Sinatra and, of course, Elvis Presley,” gushed the 26-year-old. “My dad was into the 1950s doo-wop era. If you look at those groups or at James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and the Temptations in the 1960s, you’ll see you had to be sharp onstage. Jimi Hendrix… I think he’s the greatest guitar player in the world. He’s the reason I picked up a guitar in the first place.”
