Bruno Mars wanted to capture the ''emotion'' of school dances on his latest album.

The 'That's What I Like' hitmaker's '24k Magic' LP was inspired by his childhood heroes, such as Mariah Carey, New Edition, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

He said: ''This is what we were dancing to at school functions, at a barbecue.

''So, that feeling, that emotion I wanted to capture, that's what I was chasing. I'd think about those songs and it makes me feel like, 'Man, it was fun to dance, it was cool to smile on the dance floor with a girl and flirt with a girl on the dance floor.'''

The 32-year-old singer thinks it is a ''luxury'' to bring people together at his concerts but admitted it is quite an unnerving experience in a time of so much conflict and division in the world.

Speaking on 'Charlie Rose', he explained: ''We're creating this positive vibe and everyone's dancing and it feels like we're all in love.

''It's a great night. And then, you go to the hotel room and watch the news, and that's not what's happening. It's very - it's tricky because I don't know what I'm doing. I'm creating my world. I'm creating my America. I'm creating what I want to feel every day.''

Meanwhile, Bruno recently admitted he is very selective about who he collaborates with.

He said: ''I just don't want to feel gross. It's as simple as that. I don't want to feel gross, I don't want to regret any decisions. Even if I turn down a sweet cheque because I don't want to be on that billboard, hawking some s**t to the world - I just don't need to do that. Because you get one shot at this.

''I'm not a model. I'm not an ice skater. I'm not a chef. I'm here to do music. And I want to be able to look back and say, 'Yeah, I did it the way I wanted to do it.' Whether it triumphs or fails, I can live with that.''