"24K Magic" is a hit single released by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars. It was released in October 2016 as the lead single from his third studio album of the same name. The song received positive reviews from music critics, with many praising its throwback sound and catchy lyrics. The song is heavily influenced by the funk and R&B sound of the 1980s, featuring a groovy bassline and a memorable chorus. It has been compared to the works of several legendary artists such as Prince and Michael Jackson. Mars has stated that the song was inspired by his love for classic funk music and his desire to bring that sound back to popular music.
Mars has stated that the song was inspired by his love for classic funk music and his desire to bring that sound back to popular music. "24K Magic" was a commercial success, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. It also reached the top ten in several other countries, including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
A Remedy for Witchcraft and Demonic Possession in Seventeenth-Century Ireland
There were only a handful of witch trials in early modern Ireland, and only one witch-lynching, of an old woman by her neighbours in Antrim town, Co. Antrim in 1698. The ‘witch’ was accused of using witchcraft to demonically possess a young girl of Presbyterian gentry stock.
An early eighteenth-century depiction of a witch conjuring up demons to do her evil work. From: Richard Boulton, A Compleat History of Magick, Sorcery and Witchcraft … (London, 2 vols, 1715-1722), vol. 1, frontispiece.
This case is detailed in Ireland’s only published witchcraft pamphlet by Daniel Higgs, The Wonderful and True Relation of the Bewitching of a Young Girle in Ireland, What Ways she was Tormented, and a Receipt of the Ointment that she was Cured with (Edinburgh [?], 1699). Higgs was a gentleman of considerable means who spoke Latin and French and was familiar with the contents of both English witchcraft pamphlets and learned, demonological works.
Higgs’ pamphlet is particularly important because he included (pp. 15-16), ‘for the good of others’ afflicted by witchcraft, a full description of the ‘receipt’ of the ointment he had used to cure the possessed girl with:
Take of dogs grease well dissolved and cleansed, four Ounces; Of bears Grease eight Ounce; Of Capons Grease, four and twenty Ounces; three trunks of the Misletoe of the Hazle while green, cut in pieces & pound it small[l], till it become moist; bruise together the wood, leaves and Berries, mix all in a vial, after you have exposed it to the sun for nine weeks; You shall extract a green Balsom, wherewith if you anoint the Bodies of the Bewitched, especially the parts most effected and the joynts, they will certainly be cured.
Higgs discovered his remedy in an obscure medical text by Bartholomew Carrichter, Practica Aus Den Furnemesten Secretis (Strassburg, 1579). Carrichter was physician to Emperor Maximillian II and a follower of early sixteenth-century Swiss physician, alchemist and astrologer, Philippus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim (Paracelsus). This did not mean that Higgs did not take full credit for the girl’s miraculous recovery.
He had, after all, rediscovered the ointment by researching, in his view, long forgotten books. Furthermore, he had manufactured and applied the remedy himself after apothecaries in Dublin refused to do it for him (for reasons unknown), and local physicians had been powerless to help the girl. Higgs suspected that in some cases physicians had refused to offer assistance because they did not believe in witchcraft. Disbelief in witchcraft shocked Higgs because he equated it with atheism.
Before Higgs had used Carrichter’s ointment, he had administered to the girl an ‘ex fuga Daemonum’ in the form of a drink concocted of ‘southeren wood, Mugwort, Vervene &c’ (Higgs, 16). This folkloric cure was similar to those used domestically in seventeenth-century Scotland to expel demons and counter witchcraft. Although we cannot be sure, Higgs was probably of Scots descent, he or his parents having come to Ulster in the later seventeenth century along with thousands of other Scottish Presbyterians. The Scottish ‘ex fuga Daemonum’, however, did not relieve the girl’s symptoms, prompting Higgs to search for a book-based remedy, which he duly found.
Higgs, in common with many educated men in early modern Europe, condemned the popular magic of cunning-folk as vulgar and “low-browed”, especially their anti-witch measures. Although he did not go as far as some who suggested that if the magic of cunning-folk had any efficacy at all, it was demonic in origin.
Ironically, HIggs did not regard the drink he gave the girl, nor the ointment he applied to her body, as magical, despite the fact that the ingredients of both held precisely that cultural connotation. He saw both remedies as alternative medicine, which the established medical profession had ignored to the peril of their patients and which he had finally brought to public attention.
Editors’ note
Extra, extra! Read all about it!
Andrew discusses this case further in his brand-new book, Witchcraft and Magic in Ireland (Basingstoke, Palgrave, 2015). You can take a look at the very tempting table of contents on the publisher’s page. Congratulations, Andrew!
Take of dogs grease well dissolved and cleansed, four Ounces; Of bears Grease eight Ounce; Of Capons Grease, four and twenty Ounces; three trunks of the Misletoe of the Hazle while green, cut in pieces & pound it small[l], till it become moist; bruise together the wood, leaves and Berries, mix all in a vial, after you have exposed it to the sun for nine weeks; You shall extract a green Balsom, wherewith if you anoint the Bodies of the Bewitched, especially the parts most effected and the joynts, they will certainly be cured.
The song's music video, which features Mars and his crew partying and dancing in Las Vegas, has received over 1.3 billion views on YouTube. The success of "24K Magic" led to several accolades for Mars, including Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. The song also paved the way for the success of the album of the same name, which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart and has been certified multi-platinum in several countries. Overall, "24K Magic" marked a significant moment in Bruno Mars' career, showcasing his talent for creating catchy, feel-good pop music with a retro twist. The song's success helped solidify his status as one of the leading artists in contemporary pop music and further established him as a force to be reckoned with in the industry..
Reviews for "Revisiting the Critical Reception of Bruno Mars' '24k Magic"
1. Kim Smith - 1/5
I was really disappointed with Bruno Mars' release of "24k magic". The whole album just lacked originality and felt like a carbon copy of his previous work. The songs all had the same generic pop sound with predictable lyrics. I was hoping for something new and exciting, but was left feeling underwhelmed and bored. Overall, it felt like Mars was just going through the motions with this release.
2. John Anderson - 2/5
While there were some catchy moments in the album, I found "24k magic" to be repetitive and monotonous. It seemed like Bruno Mars was trying too hard to create another hit, resulting in a lack of depth and substance in the songs. The overall production also felt overproduced and overly polished, which diminished the organic feel that made Mars' previous releases enjoyable. It's a shame because I was a fan of his previous work, but this album just didn't live up to my expectations.
3. Emily Thompson - 2/5
"24k magic" by Bruno Mars was a major letdown for me. The songs felt formulaic and lacked the heart and soul that I usually associate with Mars' music. The whole album seemed to prioritize style over substance, with flashy production and superficial themes. I was hoping for more depth and innovation from Mars, but all I got was a repetitive and forgettable pop record that fails to leave a lasting impression.
4. Michael Johnson - 1/5
I couldn't believe how unoriginal and uninspiring "24k magic" was. Bruno Mars seemed to rely heavily on overused tropes and clichéd lyrics throughout the album. It felt like he was playing it safe and sticking to a tried and tested formula instead of taking risks and pushing boundaries with his music. As a result, the songs lacked artistic integrity and failed to resonate with me in any meaningful way. I expected more from Bruno Mars and this release left me sorely disappointed.