It's Better If You Don't Understand

After the release of the singles "Nothin' on You" by B.o.B and "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy, both featuring Bruno Mars in the chorus, it was decided that the following step would be releasing a four-track digital EP as fast as possible, so that people would understand that Mars was a "real artist". Those two singles contributed to launching his career as a solo artist. Ari Levine talked in an interview with Sound on Sound about producing some of the songs. "The Other Side", whose production was re-arranged, was intended for somebody else, and several people wrote parts of the track. Concerning the lyrics' concept Mars said they describe: "the lifestyle you end up living as an artist". In the same interview, Levine explained that "Talking to the Moon" took a long time to record, while he, Mars, and Lawrence decided which drums to use. As a result, the song was arranged and produced "in four different ways". When the team started composing the track, they "only had the first verse and the horns". However, their gut told them they were onto something. At one point the team: "had three different bridges and [they] spent a lot of time trying to find out which one was the best". American record producer and songwriter Jeff Bhasker also collaborated on the track's composition. "Talking to the Moon" was the first song written for the debut release once the three of them finished working with other artists and focused on the EP. ==Composition==

''It's Better If You Don't Understand'' is composed of four pop songs. The opening track, "Somewhere in Brooklyn", was labeled as a "romantic croon". The two final tracks were described as "bittersweet ballads". The closing track, "Talking to the Moon", was described as a pop song with power ballad influences. ==Production and release==

''It's Better If You Don't Understand'' was produced by the Smeezingtons, an American songwriting and record production team consisting of Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence, and Ari Levine. "The Other Side" was produced with Mike Caren, while "Talking to The Moon" was co-produced with Jeff Bhasker. Mars and Levine played all the instrumentation on "Somewhere in Brooklyn" and "Count on Me". Atlanta-based rappers Cee Lo Green and B.o.B performed their verses on "The Other Side". Graham Marsh engineered Green's vocals, while Levine engineered and mixed the EP at Levcon Studios, Los Angeles, California. ==Promotion==

On July 16, 2010, a home video for "The Other Side", directed by Nick Bilardello and Cameron Duddy, was released. The song features guest vocals by Atlanta-based rappers Cee Lo Green and B.o.B. It follows Mars in a casual day in his life; showing him rehearsing, posing at photo shoots or wandering aimlessly around Los Angeles. His artistic abilities are highlighted throughout the video as he plays various instruments, trying to integrate his overnight success with his daily life. "Somewhere in Brooklyn" was a bonus track on the deluxe version of the record. All of the songs were featured on the set list of Mars's Doo-Wops & Hooligans Tour (2010–12), with the exception of "Somewhere in Brooklyn". The tracks were also included during the co-headline tour with Janelle Monáe, Hooligans in Wondaland Tour (2011), with a portion of "Somewhere in Brooklyn" along with "Talking to the Moon" performed as an encore, in some shows. ==Reception==

Critical reception Upon its release, ''It's Better If You Don't Understand received rave reviews from music critics. Bill Lamb of About.com labeled the EP a "pop pleasure", further praising the record by saying "with justice in the pop music world, this is the music that should be on your radio", rating It's Better If You Don't Understand four and a half out of five stars. As of 2017, the numbers of copies sold remained the same. It's Better If You Don't Understand'' reached number 97 on the UK Singles Chart on the week of August 28, 2010, In 2025, the EP was certified platinum by Music Canada (MC) and peaked at number 35 on the Hungarian Physical Albums chart. ==Track listing==

Credits adapted from ''It's Better If You Don't Understand'' liner notes. • signifies a co-producer. ==Charts and certifications==

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''It's Better If You Don't Understand'' and AllMusic. Technical and composing personnel • The Smeezingtons – producer • Bruno Mars – lead vocals, background vocals, instrumentation • Ari Levine – engineer, instrumentation, mixing • Bobby Simmons Jr. – vocals • Thomas Callaway – vocals • Mike Caren – producer • Jeff Bhasker – producer • Graham Marsh – engineer ==Release history==