Bruno Mars on 'SNL' success and new single

Call it Saturday Night Fever.

Bruno Mars' Oct 20 appearance as host and performer on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" gave the hit variety show its best ratings this season, as the singer-songwriter was praised for his hilarious and silly sketches. The 27-year-old said doing the show helped him rid some of his fears.

"It was kind of a way for me to face my fears and just let it all hang loose, literally," the singer said, laughing in an interview late Monday. "People don't understand that they're changing things right before the show, so you can't memorize lines because they're going to change it. They cut sketches and it's an amazing operation. I wouldn't trade that experience for the world."

Mars was featured in sketches where he dressed as a woman and as an intern for Pandora, where he literally worked as a jukebox, singing songs from acts like Michael Jackson and Aerosmith.

His appearance pulled a 5.4 rating and 14 share in metered market households, making it the show's best ratings since Lindsay Lohan appeared in March.

Could Mars pull a Justin Timberlake as a result?

"Whatever 'SNL' wants from me they can always call me," he said about doing more skits for the show. "Till this day I'll never be able to, you know, I don't know who told them I can act or anything 'cause I can't. I don't know what they saw, whatever they need from me they can get."

Mars' also performed on the show, debuting the song "Young Girls" and singing his new single, the upbeat "Locked Out of Heaven." It's this 12th Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 charts as either a lead performer, featured performer, songwriter or producer.

"That one feels the best man. 'Locked Out of Heaven' feels so good that it's doing something and it's fighting on the charts," he said. "I love that because it's different ... than what you're used to hearing me maybe sing normally. I had so much fun creating it and I felt so good writing it."

His sophomore album, "Unorthodox Jukebox," will be released Dec. 10 and Dec. 11 in the United Kingdom and the United States, respectively. It features a song with Grammy-winning jazz singer Esperanza Spalding (bonus track "Old & Crazy") and production and songwriting work by Mark Ronson, Jeff Bhasker, Diplo, Paul Epworth, Emile Haynie and the Smeezingtons, the production trio that includes