Bruno Mars Returns With Throwback Album 'The Romantic'
Bruno Mars released nine-track The Romantic, a 30-minute nostalgic pop-soul album whose lead single topped the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 1 in 11 countries.
Associated PressMusic Review: Bruno Mars is for lovers on the throwback 'The Romantic,' his first album in 10 years
The GuardianBruno Mars: The Romantic review – you’re better off listening to the songs he’s blatantly imitating
USA TODAYBruno Mars album is here: The best songs on 'The Romantic'
Overview
Bruno Mars released The Romantic, his first solo album in 10 years, a nine-track collection that runs just over 30 minutes.
The album follows a decade of collaborations and features the lead single "I Just Might," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January and reached No. 1 in 11 countries.
Critics praised Mars's nostalgic production and vocal performances while several reviewers criticized the album as derivative, citing similarities to Curtis Mayfield, Santana and Philly soul influences.
Mars is a 16-time Grammy Award winner and the album's retro-pop sound channels influences from 1970s soul, disco and Latin music across its nine tracks.
Mars holds a 2026 ambassadorship for Record Store Day, and the album's future trajectory will be shaped by streaming, airplay and audience response to its throwback approach.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame Bruno Mars’s new album with celebratory language and selective emphasis: they use glowing adjectives ("impeccably produced," "irresistible," "easy listening king"), foreground familiar influences and production credits, and highlight standout tracks. critical viewpoints are largely absent, and quoted lyrics appear as source content rather than as editorial counterbalance.
FAQ
The lead single 'I Just Might' debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 1 in 11 countries.
The album is a nine-track collection that runs just over 30 minutes.
Tracks like 'Why You Wanna Fight,' 'God Was Showing Off,' 'On My Soul,' 'Risk It All,' and 'Dance With Me' are highlighted as standouts by reviewers.
The album features a nostalgic retro-pop sound with influences from 1970s soul, disco, Latin music, Chicano soul, bachata, and 90s R&B.
The album was co-produced by Bruno Mars and D'Mile.
