Bruno Mars plays Birmingham O2 Academy

Smooth-voiced Lazy boy Bruno Mars has come a long way since his days as an eight-year-old Elvis impersonator.

Known to his mother as Peter Gene Hernandez, the 25-year-old Hawaiian-born crooner has earned himself legions of teenage girl fans the world over with lyrics like: "When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change, 'cos girl you're amazing just the way you are."

He says: "I don't take myself too seriously. You know as far as, it's a fun life. I take my music serious, but I like to have fun.

"When people meet me, that's what they get out of it. I want there to be a piece of me in my music, you know? I genuinely believe that's the secret of all the success.

"Even with Just the Way You Are, it's a very simplistic love song with words that have been said before in 1,000 other love songs. But people can hear my songs are coming from something real."

And it's a formula that has worked a treat with the tweenie generation.

Debut album Doo Waps & Hooligans has gone multi-platinum, hitting the top spot around the world, while all three of his singles – Just The Way You Are, Grenade, and Lazy Song – have reached number one in the UK and gone multi-platinum in countries from New Zealand to Canada.

Mars was also nominated for a whopping seven Grammy awards in his first year as a solo artist. "Talk about flattering – it just goes to show that hard work pays off," he adds.

As well as his laid-back upbringing, he says he gets his inspiration from a broad range of musical influences. "I love the Sex Pistols. I'm a big Beach Boys fan and a huge Zeppelin and Queen fan," he adds.

"I'd like to collaborate with Alicia Keys and Kings of Leon as well. I recently did a song with Eminem and would love to do another."

Even before he decided to take on the charts, Mars was a successful songwriter. He has written tunes – and achieved hits – with Alexandra Burke, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, Brandy, Sean Kingston, and Flo Rida.

However, an undercurrent of unease has stirred among critics above the legal driving age, affronted by his chart-friendly brand of over-egged nonsense.

Faux-heartfelt lyrics and cheesy sentiments have cast doubt over whether he is capable of ploughing any real emotion into his songs, and the whole thing has started to leave a sickly, saccharine-sweet taste in the mouth.

The release of the silly Lazy Song has not helped matters either – anyone who sings about a desire to spend a few hours with his hand in his pants is bound to get eyes rolling.

He has made the mistake of only really making an audience of young, swooning girls in the throes of their first crush, giggling as they imagine he's singing about them.

This, unfortunately for him, means Mars is unlikely to have the broad appeal of those he has written songs for.

Bruno Mars plays Birmingham's O2 Academy tonight (Thursday, August 18, 2011).