By Natalia Serrano
Bruno Mars, accompanied by an unnamed mariachi in the “Risk It All” music video.
Bruno Mars has graced listeners with his fifth studio album titled “The Romantic.”
Mars last released a solo album in 2016, with a brief power duo era with Anderson .Paak in 2021. Since his last studio release, he has been staying busy.
He has been a resident in Las Vegas since 2016, opened a lounge at The Bellagio hotel called The Pinky Ring, and has had great success with a couple of singles recently, with “APT.” with Rosé in 2024 and “Die With a Smile” with Lady Gaga in 2025.
In “The Romantic,” we definitely see the romantic side of Mars that we have known.
The album begins with “Risk It All,” which opens with a medley of trumpets and strings in a bolero or mariachi style, with the instrumental open and overall very bare-boned instrumentals throughout the song. I feel that this is an opener that works well to set the romantic and almost emotional tone for the album.
On the other hand, “Cha Cha Cha” has a positive feel. Mars utilizes the trumpets in more of a Cuban dance style sound and incorporates cowbell and conga to achieve that sound. The song’s chorus also incorporates an interpolation of Juveline’s “Slow Motion,” Mars uses “I like it like that, she workin’ that back, I don’t know how to act.”
“I Just Might,” the album’s single, has an upbeat, catchy melody. The song is a good representation of Mars’ older style, especially reminding me of “Chunky” off his 2016 album “24k Magic.”
Bruno Mars sings “Just The Way You Are” in a recorded live performance for “One Voice: Somos Live!”
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the singer’s inspiration from Latin music more in this album.
Mars is of Filipino and Puerto Rican descent. While this album has a definite Latin sound, he still finds a way to bring in the soul and funk sound he has created over the years.
“Why You Wanna Fight?” and “Nothing Left” are the songs in this album that I feel are also part of his style. Since Silk Sonic, Mars has been able to bring in more of the groovy R&B sounds to his music. I think this would be a good interpretation of where he takes a ballad and makes it his own.
“On My Soul” has that soul jazz sound that he seems to lean into a lot. Particularly in his earlier music with “Runaway Baby,” we see that same fast paced BMP and the use of guitars or bass to his advantage. “On My Soul” specifically has a familiar sound, reminding me of “Move On Up” by Curtis Mayfield. Like Mayfield’s song, Mars prominently uses horn instruments to achieve that upbeat soul effect.
Silk Sonic for “An Evening With Silk Sonic.” Photo from Silk Sonic.
“Something Serious” sounds a little more out of the box in terms of where Mars’ music usually is. The song uses these dramatic pauses framed with a conga and some tambourine to create something very similar to Chicano music of the 60s and 70s. This song specifically reminds me of Tito Puente’s “Oye Como Va,” which also uses the same build-up and pause effect in this song.
The final song on the album is “Dance With Me.” This song really helps round out the album altogether. A lot of these songs, including this one, are easily recognizable as part of the Bruno Mars discography. “Dance With Me” has a pinch of that Silk Sonic sound, reminding me of “Leave The Door Open,” but with more of an oldies impression and less of the soul influence of Silk Sonic.
Overall, “The Romantic” is a pop album with a whisper of Latin jazz. It is evident that Mars wants to be out of the box or experimental. However, it seems he’s still keeping himself in that box. As mentioned, a majority of these songs sound like songs he or others have already put out or impressions of others. That is not to say I did not think there were some high moments here. Especially with songs like “Why You Wanna Fight?” or “On My Soul,” this has potential for a great time.
Give “The Romantic” a listen and don’t be afraid to let yourself out of the box.
Bruno Mars “The Romantic” album cover. Photo from Apple Music.