Bruno Mars takes the path less traveled on the cover of his full-length debut album Doo-Wops & Hooligans, arriving October 5. The 23-year-old singer-songwriter behind B.o.B’s “Nothin’ on You” and Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire” is already living up to the hype with the project’s first single “Just the Way You Are,” which moves up to No. 9 this week on the Billboard Hot 100.

Check out our Q&A and photo shoot with Hawaii’s hottest export here.