Bruno Mars has been one of the most important and impactful Pop artists of the last 15 years. He has made music that feels totally timeless. It feels inspired by the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, yet so fresh. Bruno is the kind of artist that everyone can enjoy. You can play his music for young people and old people alike, and they will all love it. The “worst” thing about Bruno Mars is his lack of output. Early in his career, Bruno Mars was semi-prolific. His first two albums, Doo Wops & Hooligans and Unorthodox Jukebox, were released in 2010 and 2012, respectively. Since 2012 though, Bruno Mars has dropped one solo album, 2016’s 24K Magic. He also dropped one collaborative album with Anderson.Paak, 2021’s An Evening With Silk Sonic. After 10 years, Bruno Mars is finally back with a new solo record, called The Romantic. Obviously, this record has been highly anticipated due to how loved his music is and how low it’s been since his last release. Below, I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite songs from The Romantic, and then go over some overall thoughts on the record as a whole. Please let me know in the comments what you think about this new record from Bruno Mars!

RISK IT ALL

Bruno begins the record with what is easily one of the best songs in ‘Risk It All.’ This track straight up sounds like old school Bulero music. The melody is driven by some horns that give the song a luscious Latin flavor. These horns are very groovy and warm. They are complemented by a really pleasant and equally warm-sounding guitar riff. The drums are very faint, and carry that Bulero tempo that is very nice. Bruno Mars’ vocals sound really great on this track. I love how he pushes himself and strains on the hook, as it gives so much loving emotion to the track that sounds so nice. On ‘Risk It All,’ Bruno sings about all the lengths he will go to make sure his woman is happy. 

I JUST MIGHT

‘I Just Might’ was the lead single from this record. It immediately popped off online, and it is not difficult to understand why. This song has a very retro feeling to it. In fact, it straight up sounds like it came out of the 1970s. The instrumental is very groovy and has so much soul to it. The melody for this one is actually partly driven by some vocals by Bruno that start the track. Like most of the other music on the record, this one has a funky bassline, some vibrant horns, and a cool guitar riff. The drums on this one are kind of in between slow and fast. It has a laid-back feeling that could be good to chill out to, but has enough pace to make me want to move a bit. I wouldn’t say that ‘I Just Might’ has Bruno’s most impressive vocals, but they are more than good enough. I like the talking parts of the vocals, as it gives the song a cheeky conversational element. On ‘I Just Might,’ Bruno sings about what he needs to see from a lady to make him want to be with her. 

ON MY SOUL

If I had to predict one song that will end up being a summer hit from this record, I would say it will be ‘On My Soul.’ This song has the kind of fun and energetic sound that will get any dance floor going when it comes on. I can just imagine that when this one plays at the function, everyone will start grooving. The track is driven by a fast and groovy bassline. The complementary horns that also provide the melody have such a triumphant and fun sound and tone. The guitar riff actually has a bit of a Latin flair that stands out. The beat for this track is fast-paced and infectious. ‘On My Soul’ also has one of the best vocal performances of the record. The vocals feel like classic Bruno. He sings with a level of emotion that is palpable, and his range is great. In ‘On My Soul,’ Bruno sings about how much he wants to be with his lady and all of the things he will do for her. 

SOMETHING SERIOUS

Like ‘On My Soul,’ ‘Something Serious’ is a song that I immediately downloaded for my playlist when hearing it. This is another one that definitely feels like it can be a hit in the coming months. It also has an infectious and joyous feeling that makes me want to dance, but in a bit of a different way. As with the rest of the album, it does lean into old school Latin and Funk music. The bassline is so groovy, and the complementary instruments add so much life to the track. This song does not contain an official sample or interpolation, but the melody is still recognizable. ‘Something Serious’ feels very inspired by Santana’s ‘Evil Ways.’ So much so, I had to look it up to make sure it wasn’t an official sample. From the drums to the guitar riff, that classic track bleeds onto this one. Bruno’s vocals are great as always in ‘Something Serious.’ He especially kills it on the chorus, giving the song an extra layer of excitement. On ‘Something Serious,’ Bruno Mars sings about how great a pair he and his crush would be. 

Considering how popular and beloved Bruno Mars and his music have been throughout the years, The Romantic was pretty highly anticipated. This record had some lofty expectations. 24K Magic, in particular, has been extremely highly regarded. In fact, I personally love pretty much every song on that record. Now because of that reception to his last record, maybe it was impossible for Bruno to fully reach those expectations on this record. The reception to The Romantic has been fairly lukewarm, though. The general consensus is that people just thought it would give more. I have seen some opinions that the retro theme it is inspired by just makes music fans want to go back to the music of the past instead of listening to this one. Although I do enjoy this record, I can understand that sentiment. Bruno Mars does do this classic music justice, but it is not quite as good as the real thing. At only 9 songs, there was not a lot of room for error here. In order for the album to be beloved, he would have had to smash it on every song. Now, I personally do not think there are any bad songs here. Nothing feels out of place or that it should be left out. The sonic direction is succinct and smooth, and it flows together pretty perfectly. As a whole, the album just doesn’t have that over-the-top flair his others have had. Don’t get me wrong, there are totally some hits here. ‘Risk It All’ is already sort of one, and I truly believe ‘On My Soul’ and ‘Something Serious’ will be smashes as well. The rest of the album is just alright, though. I don’t know if I will listen to it as a whole again. The best songs are great, and the rest don’t hold up. Overall, The Romantic is not bad by any means, it just isn’t on the level that Bruno has been on before. There’s still a good amount to dig here, though, and I know I will be listening to the best songs frequently in the future.