Bruno Mars Inspired By Amy Winehouse's Genre-Bending Music: "It Was Perfect!"

12 December 2012, 10:46 | Updated: 12 December 2012, 11:10

The 'Locked Out Of Heaven' singer admits he was jealous of Amy's success with 'Back To Black'.

Bruno Mars says he was inspired and jealous of Amy Winehouse's huge success with 'Back To Black' because of how successfully she created an album that defied one particular genre.

The 'Just The Way You Are' singer, who launched his latest offering 'Unorthodox Jukebox' this week, says he had "always wanted to make music" that could be played on radio stations of any genre, and admitted that Amy and producer Mark Ronson's 2006 team-up was "perfect".

"I felt like everything I've been saying, everything I wanted to do, she did it," Bruno revealed in a new interview, reports AP. "It was one of those things like, 'Damn it! Damn it' It was perfect'.

"You couldn't put it in a box 'cause it could be played on rock stations, it could be played on rhythmic stations, it could be played on pop radio," Bruno explained. 'I've always wanted to make music like that - that could be spread out and can't be pigeon-holed to one thing. And they did it. Her and Mark Ronson."

Check out a picture of Bruno Mars performing on the O2 Arena stage at Capital FM's Jingle Bell Ball 2012 last weekend below (Credit: PA):

Bruno paid tribute to both Amy and her producer Mark Ronson, who produced his own new single 'Locked Out Of Heaven', by covering their hit single 'Valerie' during his performance on day one of the Capital FM Jingle Bell Ball 2012.

Bruno Mars performed a crowd-pleasing set of his biggest hits, including 'Grenade' and new single 'Young Girls' to close the first night of this year's Jingle Bell Ball at London's O2 Arena.