ALBUM REVIEW With Jimmy Nichols: Bruno Mars 'The Romantic' — A return to glory

When talking about some of the best artists of the 21^st century, it is easy for people to mention Beyoncé, Adele, Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar and other fan favorites. However, one artist who seems to be underrated by music lovers is Bruno Mars. 

Bruno debuted in 2010 with his album “Doo-Wops and Hooligans” and showed his caliber as an artist immediately. Songs like “Grenade,” “Count on Me,” “The Lazy Song,” “Talking to the Moon,” “Just the Way You Are” and “Marry You” went platinum and are still popular. 

Then, two years later, he dropped “Unorthodox Jukebox” and had four more songs go platinum with “Locked Out of Heaven,” “Gorilla,” “When I Was Your Man” and “Treasure.”

Bruno waited until 2016 for his next album, which proved to be as good as his past two with “24k Magic.” 

The title songs “Finesse,” Versace on the Floor” and “That’s What I Like” also charted with three of these songs going platinum. However, fans would have to wait five years for his next album to be released, and it would be in collaboration with Anderson Paak as Silk Sonic. 

The R&B group would release “An Evening with Silk Sonic” and would feature fan favorites like “Smokin Out the Window,” “Leave the Door Open” and “Skate.” Bruno has also had several single releases like “Uptown Funk,” “Die with a Smile,” “Please Me” and others that topped the global charts.  

In his career, Bruno has won 16 Grammys, 14 American Music awards and has eight Guinness World Records. However, fans have been waiting and clamoring for another single album. 

After 10 years, Bruno announced at the start of 2026 he would release another singles album titled "The Romantic.” To tease the release of the album, he would release the sole single “I Just Might,” which was released Jan. 9. 

In this song, Bruno would go back to his pop roots and have a disco fusion with it. The upbeat nature of the song is perfect for dancing to and is the type of song you play while you are getting ready for a night out.  

In the song, Bruno is singing to the DJ, asking him to play a song for the pretty lady next to him because if she dances as well as she looks, he is going to make her his woman. It flows into the bridge, where Bruno slows it down before picking it back up with the fast-paced tempo. 

After waiting over a month, Bruno Mars released the full album on Feb. 27. It would start with the song “Risk It All.” 

This song is a slow Latin-fused love song where Bruno is singing to the woman he loves. The vibes and lyrics to the song are reminiscent of his original love songs and reminds long-time fans why they love Bruno Mars’s music.  

He sings how he would run through a fire, fly to the moon and climb any mountain because there is nothing he would not do for her. It is a beautifully written love song and really lives up to the name of the album. 

The next song on the album is “Cha Cha Cha.” This song brings a relaxed, chilled vibe to the record and feels like a song you would hear in a lounge. 

Bruno is once again singing to the woman he loves as he tries to seduce her into doing the “cha-cha” with him. It is a fun song to listen to and is another good song to dance to. 

Every single release on this album is a vibe  a  fun listen, but two more songs deserve a special shoutout. “Nothing Left” and “Dance with Me” are the last two songs on the album. 

In “Nothing Left,” Bruno is singing how the girl he loves has fallen out of love with him. He wants to reach out and still love her, but he can tell there is nothing left for him to reach out to, and something will have to change. 

Then, in “Dance with Me,” he realizes this is the end and just wants one more dance. He is hoping the song will help them fall in love again and solve their problems. 

Both slower ballads at the end help make the album feel complete. Sometimes in love, there is not a big, messy breakup, but rather someone falling out of love. 

The album also feels like a story because of these two songs. In the beginning, they are in love and flirting, in the middle, there is tension, but they still care for each other, and it ends with the two going their separate ways. 

“The Romantic” is going to win several Grammys next year and has been one of my favorite albums to listen to in the past year. If you like some of Bruno’s older music, you will love this album. 

It is a must-listen as Bruno Mars reminds fans why he is one of the best artists of our generation.