In a 2013 GQ interview, Bruno Mars said he “like[s] songs that are events“. Throughout his career, the pop star has upheld this mantra. The 2014 hit “Uptown Funk“ is both lived-in and extravagant; not just the soundtrack of a night out, but the embodiment of one. Mars’ 2016 Grammy-winning album 24K Magic is a glossy, R&B throwback with enough contemporary references to justify a Cardi B feature (on the remix of “Finesse”).
Although his most recent release, The Romantic, is Mars’ first solo album in a decade, the singer has remained a pop culture fixture in the intervening years, collaborating with Anderson Paak on 2021’s An Even With Silk Sonic and dueting with Lady Gaga on 2024’s “Die With a Smile”. The latter track appeared to be a cash grab for both artists, but nonetheless proved Mars’ voice is just as suited for arena rock as it is for 1970s soul tributes.
The Romantic fortifies Bruno Mars’ artistic mission: to use a bygone era of complex musicianship and straightforward charisma as a vessel for modern pop stardom. The lead single, “I Just Might”, is a catchy blend of doo-wop and disco, a stylistic retread that manages to avoid feeling safe. Only Mars could deliver the “do-do-do”s of the song’s post-chorus without sounding corny. It’s his territory, and he is entitled to linger there to a certain extent.
The Romantic also tries a few new tricks. “Risk It All” is an acoustic confession of love backed by a mariachi band, and “God Was Showing Off” reminds listeners that Mars can transform R&B into a top-40 confection without betraying the genre’s essence. The electric guitar riff on “Nothing Left” offers the strongest proposition of what a new Bruno Mars era might look like by combining his signature wistfulness with a rock sensibility.
However, for all of its technical prowess, The Romantic sounds like a studious musician phoning it in. “Nothing Left” pushes the album as far as it is willing to go by including a rock moment, but every other track treads familiar ground. The appeal of Mars as a nostalgic showman lies in his ability to convince audiences that the sounds of previous decades still matter. The Romantic makes no such argument for its own existence.
Because the record lacks a clear purpose, its predecessor 24K Magic now feels like a decade-old cliffhanger. With no shortage of nostalgia, the previous record provided a fresh take on Mars’ persona at the time of its release. “Versace on the Floor” sounds like it would be an over-the-top track, but Mars made it sentimental by portraying a designer label as both an innocuous detail and a cool-guy flex. The punchline of Mars’ raunch has always been a revelation of classiness.
On the other hand, The Romantic lacks any trace of irony, threatening to force Mars’ persona over the line from endearing to obvious. Perhaps, at 40, Mars has lost the desire to stir up mischief. He just wants to make good music, and, to be fair, The Romantic is a good, if not great, album that will satisfy fans and wedding planners alike.
Despite this reliability, one cannot help but miss the version of Bruno Mars who, in 2013, told GQ that the lyrics of his chart-topping hit “Locked Out of Heaven“, a song about sex, were “poetry.” He made this comment in response to the idea that the song might be blasphemous, a quip that sums up his appeal as a celebrity: whimsical yet irreverent, striving for class while acknowledging the grit required to achieve it. Is such an ethos romantic? Not exactly. However, Bruno Mars’ consistency is admirable. The Romantic may lack the edge of 24K Magic, but no one is getting locked out of heaven anytime soon.