Well, I kind of expected this.

After almost ten years without a solo album, The Romantic serves as both a fresh start and a reset for Bruno Mars. Since 2016’s 24K Magic (which won seven Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year), Mars has stayed in the spotlight through big collaborations and the Silk Sonic project (one of my favorite albums of 2021!), where his passion for vintage soul and R&B really shone.

But The Romantic stands apart. As his fourth studio album, it’s meant to show where he is now as a solo artist. It shows Mars at his technical best, but he seems oddly cautious about pushing his limits.

With only nine tracks and a runtime just over half an hour—which isn’t a bad thing—The Romantic feels intentionally brief and almost modest. There’s no extra fluff, no filler, and no big concept behind it.

Right from the start, the album makes its style clear. “Risk It All” opens with warm analog sounds, a smooth rhythm, and vocals that show why Mars is such a strong frontman. His voice is still incredibly flexible, moving easily from soft falsetto to rich soul. It’s not just impressive—it’s musical and reacts to every change in the song. (”It’s crazy, but it’s true. There’s nothing I won’t do. I’d risk it all for you.”)

It’s a gorgeous love song, which will go down as one of his greatest.

The Romantic leans into retro sounds, which are more subtle and blended. 

There are touches of classic soul, soft disco, and Latin pop throughout the album. The rhythms often borrow from bolero or cha-cha, giving songs like “Cha Cha Cha” a gentle, danceable feel that’s both nostalgic and modern. Strings come and go, guitars shine softly, and the percussion is tight but never harsh. Everything is made to sound smooth. (”Come on and cha-cha-cha with me. And I’m a cha-cha-cha with you tonight.”)

“I Just Might” is the lead single and most definitely feels like it. Released on January 9, it is about as funky as Mars has probably ever been (and great!)

But taken as a whole, it all comes out so very smooth, maybe even a bit too much.

Mars has always paid close attention to detail, but here his precision almost feels too careful.

Every part is polished, every transition is smooth.

The production is beautiful, but it doesn’t often surprise you. You can appreciate that skill, but it never really catches you off guard. This music wraps around you instead of challenging you, and it charms rather than unsettles.

This is especially clear in the songwriting, where The Romantic starts to show its limits. For an album so focused on love—its title almost promises deep emotion—the lyrics often stay general. Mars sings about …devotion… longing… making up… and… desire, but not often without the details that make feelings into stories.

There are moments where the emotional core comes into sharper focus. “Why You Wanna Fight?” functions as one of the album’s more affecting tracks, its gentle groove underpinning a plea for understanding in a strained relationship. Mars’ vocal performance carries much of the weight here, infusing lyrics that might otherwise feel familiar with nuance.

Similarly, “Dance With Me” captures a quiet intimacy, with its slow tempo and layered harmonies evoking the closeness of a shared moment on a dimly lit dance floor. But even these standout moments don’t completely break free from the album’s overall feeling of playing it safe. The risks suggested by the album’s title, like romantic vulnerability and emotional openness, are mostly about style, not the structure of the songs.

Mars certainly sounds involved and passionate, but the songs rarely go into uncomfortable or surprising places. Conflict is only hinted at, and heartbreak is softened instead of faced head-on.

I think it would excel as background music in the best sense—soundtracking dinners, evening drives, slow dances. There’s a cinematic quality to its flow, as if each track is a scene in a larger, softly lit narrative. In this context, the lack of sharp edges becomes a feature rather than a flaw. The album is easy to sink into, difficult to resist.

Yet for an artist of Mars’ caliber, you can feel like a missed opportunity.

It’s noticeable how much more adventurous Mars has been in other projects over the past decade. His collaborations have shown new directions, sounds, and risks. Compared to those, The Romantic feels like he’s staying in his comfort zone, focusing on what he already does well instead of trying something new. It’s not that Mars has nothing new to share; he just doesn’t do it on this album.

Still, it wouldn’t be fair to call the album lazy. There’s real skill in how it’s put together. The arrangements are carefully layered, the performances are always strong, and the whole album feels very unified. Not many artists can make a record this consistent without it getting boring. Mars does it by balancing sameness and variety, even if the changes are small.

The Latin influences especially bring something new to his music. They don’t feel like gimmicks or forced experiments, but fit naturally with the album’s romantic feel. The rhythms move gently, the melodies twist softly, and the result is a sound that’s warm, welcoming, and a bit dreamy. You can easily picture these songs playing from open windows on a summer night.

Still, the question lingers: is this enough?

For occasional listeners, the answer is probably “yes.” The Romantic gives you exactly what it promises: a smooth, easy-listening set of love songs, performed and produced with real skill. This album is more about setting a mood than breaking new ground.

But if you’re hoping for something new, it might feel like Mars is just staying in place. He’s still an amazing singer and a great producer, but The Romantic doesn’t really push his style forward. Instead, it highlights and polishes what he already does best, simply making it as easy to enjoy as possible.

In the end, The Romantic isn’t a bold new step, but more like a beautifully made version of a story we already know. It shows that Bruno Mars is one of pop’s top talents, even if he avoids the risks that could change his image.

This is an album you’ll come back to—not for surprises, but for comfort. And sometimes, that’s all you need.

7.0/10, Chris Garrod, March 31, 2026

Buy or stream from here: https://store.brunomars.com

(OK, a year old but still fantastic with Lady Gaga!!!!!)