Mark Ronson Is Probably One Of Your Favourite Artists, Although You Might Not Know It

Even Mark Ronson super-fans have a hard time keeping up with the musician’s many projects. The London-born, New York-raised polymath has been working solidly for two decades, staying dapper with every evolution.

Right from his debut album, 2003’s Here Comes The Fuzz, Ronson attracted big-name collaborators, from Jack White to Ghostface Killah. He built on that cachet throughout the 2000s, working closely with ascendant stars Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse, and Bruno Mars. After the breakout success of his 2007 covers album Version, the name Mark Ronson was in the zeitgeist.

The past decade has given us two more Mark Ronson albums, a spate of genre-hopping production credits and various side gigs. Then there’s his pair of showstoppers: the mega-hit ‘Uptown Funk’ with Bruno Mars (its casual 3.5 billion YouTube views don’t lie) and an Oscar for his part in Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s ‘Shallow’.

Through every turn of his career, Ronson’s speciality has been retro-tinged party jams, performed alongside a high-watt vocalist. Now we’re getting another angle on the hitmaker. Ronson’s new album, Late Night Feelings, is stocked with what he calls “sad bangers”, sparked by the dissolution of his marriage to French actress and model Joséphine de La Baume.

The tone was set by lead single ‘Nothing Breaks Like Heart’, featuring a vampy, Dolly Parton-inspired turn by Miley Cyrus. This break-up record assembles a powerhouse cast of women to sell the heartbreak, including Lykke Li, Camila Cabello, Alicia Keys, and Angel Olsen. Ever the tastemaker, Ronson also brought in lesser-known names like King Princess, Diana Gordon, and Yebba.

Late Night Feelings came from a painful place, but Ronson reckons it’s the best thing he’s done. As  he told Vanity Fair, “It’s the first time I had no choice but to put my own honesty and realness first – instead of a kitschy or interesting concept”.

So, just how well do you know the far-reaching work of Mark Ronson? Probably better than you think. The man has had a hand in so many success stories, it can be hard to keep up.

Here are some of the highlights that paved the way for Late Night Feelings.

Lily Allen, ‘Littlest Things’ (2006)

Ronson and Lily Allen bonded over a love of hip-hop at the raucous London club YoYo. ‘Littlest Things’, from Allen’s debut album Alright, Still, caught both artists on the cusp of fame, and their sensibilities really clicked. The heartbreak of Allen’s lyrics, delivered with her youthful realness, feels like an early preview of Late Night Feelings.

Mark Ronson ft. Amy Winehouse, ‘Valerie’ (2007)

When you’ve got a titanic talent like Amy Winehouse up front, it’s easy to miss anyone else onstage. For many fans, that’s true of ‘Valerie’, a song that belongs to the late, great singer-songwriter. Not that Mark Ronson – or indeed UK rock band The Zutons, who wrote the original song – would mind ceding the spotlight.

‘Valerie’, which followed the pair’s collaboration on Winehouse’s breakout album  Back To Black, remains the highpoint on Version.

Adele, ‘Cold Shoulder’ (2008)

Adele was still an industry secret when Ronson met her at the headquarters of London label XL Recordings. After hearing the demo of ‘Cold Shoulder’, he jumped at the chance to produce it on her star-making album, 19. With a swelling sound reminiscent of Massive Attack, Ronson knew not to crowd those vocals.

Solange, ‘6 O’Clock Blues’ (2008)

Solange’s second album, 2008’s Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams, featured who else but Mark Ronson in a behind-the-scenes cameo. Ronson co-wrote on ‘6 O’Clock Blues’, a typically breezy number from the album. While hardly a highlight of either artist’s career, it’s another example of our guy’s wide-reaching orbit.

Bruno Mars, ‘Locked Out of Heaven’ (2012)

Ronson and Bruno were making throwback hits two years before they went supernova with ‘Uptown Funk’. Mars’ second album, Unorthodox Jukebox, featured input from his similarly funk-obsessed friend and the duo gelled perfectly on lead single ‘Locked Out of Heaven’.

With 500 million plays on Spotify to date, it remains a fan favourite from the pre-24K Magic days.

Paul McCartney, ‘Alligator’ (2013)

In 2011, Ronson DJed Paul McCartney’s wedding – because of course he did. From there, the pair hit the studio to make some songs for McCartney’s sixteenth solo album, New. Despite feeling incredibly intimidated, Ronson kept it together long enough to lend a hand. Giving constructive criticism to a Beatle? All in a hard day’s work.

Action Bronson ft. Chance The Rapper, ‘Baby Blue’ (2015)

For all his adventures in pop, Ronson remains a hip-hop guy at heart. His earliest work alongside the likes of Rhymefest and Ol’ Dirty Bastard led him all the way to ‘Baby Blue’. Action Bronson is so charismatic on this Mr. Wonderful cut, it’s easy to miss Mark Ronson in the credits. Really, though, that summery brass band composition has his name all over it.

King Princess, ‘1950’ (2018)

Ronson saw a bright future for King Princess, signing her to his burgeoning label Zelig Records. ‘1950’ is the singer-songwriter’s self-described “ode to queer love”, and she’s back in fine form on the latest Late Night Feelings single, ‘Pieces of Us’. Always trust the Ronson radar.

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, ‘Shallow’ (2018)

There were no prizes for predicting ‘Shallow’ as the winner of Best Original Song at the Oscars. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born tearjerker had the category all tied up, but for many it was a surprise to see Ronson take the stage behind a teary Gaga.

As co-writer of the blockbuster song, he was happy to calmly hang back and let the marquee names take the big speech.

Silk City ft. Dua Lipa, ‘Electricity’ (2018)

Just when you think you’ve seen all his moves, Mark Ronson swerves again. In early 2018, he announced the new Silk City project alongside globe-trotting DJ/producer Diplo. Before long, they were turning out slick dance-pop, including this sugary team-up with Dua Lipa. Why not?

Mark Ronson ft. Miley Cyrus, ‘Nothing Breaks Like A Heart’ (2018)

On its release, ‘Nothing Breaks Like A Heart’ was reported as a Miley Cyrus “comeback”, sparking commentary on what it spelled for her musical evolution. With a video devoted to Easter eggs for Miley fans, her studio partner settled into the supporting role.

Now, with hindsight, the song makes perfect sense as our first dose of Late Night Feelings. After decades of letting his co-stars shine, Ronson steps into the spotlight with an album that’s all his own.

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(Images courtesy of Sony Music)

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Late Night Feelings is out now.