Bruno Mars – The Romantic

Nearly ten years after the multi-platinum success of 24k Magic, and four years following the Grammy-winning Silk Sonic collaboration with Anderson .Paak, Bruno Mars returns with his latest effort, The Romantic. This record arrives just ahead of a mammoth 71-date stadium tour across North America and Europe. Mars has maintained a vice-like grip on the charts recently, guesting on Lady Gaga’s Die With a Smile and Rosé’s APT, both of which dominated the Billboard Hot 100. Despite these contemporary distractions, the singer’s heart remains firmly rooted in the past, drawing deep inspiration from Motown-era soul, funk, and Latin-infused retro sonics.

The record commences with Risk It All, an acoustic ballad featuring exquisite string arrangements. Violas, cellos and violins provide a lush foundation, but the piece is truly elevated by the sharp inclusion of saxophone and trumpet. As with any Mars delivery, the performance is pristine; it is a composition destined to be a wedding staple for decades. The subsequent track, Cha Cha Cha, draws from the Cuban dance genre of the same name. Here, the artist displays remarkable versatility, effortlessly switching between his trademark soaring tenor tessitura and rich baritone lows in a manner reminiscent of a prime Marvin Gaye.

Lead single I Just Might is a shimmering disco-funk affair, echoing the heights of Leo Sayer’s You Make Me Feel Like Dancing but with a sleek, modern gloss. While the lyrics are playful – notably the line, “But what good is beauty if your booty can’t find the beat?” – the post-chorus remains simple and infectious. Elsewhere, the standout On My Soul showcases perhaps his finest technical work to date, with seamless transitions between the fourth and fifth octaves and sensational phrasing.

While some industry observers point to the 31-minute runtime and nine-track count as slight, or argue a lack of stylistic departure, such criticism feels redundant. Mars’s identity is built on paying homage to the greats with a contemporary twist; for him, brevity is a mark of quality over filler. By masterfully blending Latin rhythms with 70s grooves within a pop framework, The Romantic proves that he is not just a student of history, but a timeless master of the present. This is a definitive statement from an artist who remains the pre-eminent male vocalist of his generation, delivering a project that prioritises artistic substance over mere commercial longevity.