Bruno Mars released a solo album for the first time in 10 years last Friday. With nine tracks, “The Romantic” gives audiences the same funk taste they’ve come to expect from Mars with sprinkles of Latin inspiration, ‘70s soul and ‘60s pop.
The album has been highly anticipated since the single “I Just Might” was released on Jan. 9, giving audiences a taste of the new album. The song is classic Bruno Mars, bringing a funky, upbeat pop style and drawing its inspiration from 1970s style retro-pop.
Some fans have criticized the song, saying he has been putting out the same song his entire career, although the song is undeniably popular. Less than two months after its release, “I Just Might” has already racked up over 200 million streams on Spotify.
And yet, if listeners expected the album in its entirety to follow the style of “I Just Might,” they would be surprised or disappointed to find that “The Romantic” has fewer high energy songs than albums like his previous “24K Magic.”
The inspirations for songs are clear in the album, existing more as modern recreations of songs like Leo Sayer’s 1976 hit “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” or Curtis Mayfield’s 1970 single “Move On Up.” Many songs feel familiar, yet many listeners find comfort in the tunes they already love. This is why, despite the derivative nature of the album, it has still topped music charts.
In a review, Melodic Magazine rejected the demands for a rebrand, arguing, “reinvention is exciting, sure, but if it isn’t broken, why on earth would he fix it? There’s a reason why he’s a 16-time Grammy Award winner.”
The iconic expectation of any Mars album is the belt-your-heart-out ballad, such as “When I Was Your Man” or “Just the Way You Are,” and “The Romantic” brings the heat with several heart touching, instant classics. Just one day after the album’s release, the premier track “Risk It All” ranked at No. 1 on the U.S. Spotify Streaming Chart with 2.32 million American streams.
This classic romance ballad features lavish piano and movie soundtrack strings while also including mariachi horns and Latin-pop influences. While the song explores themes similar to that of “Grenade,” it brings to light new styles and genres to help portray the feelings of the unrequited, passionate love for which Mars is famous.
Outside of the leading tracks, the rest of the album brings different energy to every song. The track “On My Soul” combines Latin, soul and disco while the slow, romantic “Dance With Me” uses guitar and vocal harmonies to bring the energy back down.
While fans are less likely to belt “Dance With Me,” the intimate, romantic feeling will cement the song’s legacy next to pop slow dance songs like Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” and Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight.”
Ultimately, “The Romantic” doesn’t attempt to rebrand Bruno Mars. Instead, it turns against the industry’s constant demand for reformation and leans into what Mars is known for: romance, funk grooves and emotionally charged ballads. Mars may have borrowed from the past, but nostalgia isn’t a weakness — it’s an extension of the artist with whom people around the world fell in love.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source thecrimsonwhite.com ’
