Bruno Mars is a household name — his discography is generational. He’s a pillar of pop music, known for blending upbeat flows and casual belts with catchy beats, which has been making his songs irresistible since his solo debut in 2010. After a couple of Las Vegas residencies and a decade-long lack of new full-length solo albums, his announcement of “The Romantic” on Jan. 7 left fans eager for the return of this legendary pop star. With the album’s release on Feb. 27, it was finally time for the pop scene to see what Mars had been brewing in his absence.
The album’s lead and only single was “I Just Might,” which quickly became the tune on every pop radio station. It has all the synths and funk fans could want in a Bruno Mars song. Its message is flirtatious and playful; in the song, Mars spares no expense romancing the lady he has become enamored with. He sings, “Hey, Mr. DJ (Oh, oh, oh) / Play a song for this pretty little lady (Oh, oh, oh) / ‘Cause if she dance as good as she look right now (Oh, oh, oh) / I just might, I just might make her my baby.” The song focuses on groove and falling in love on the dance floor, setting the flirtatious precedent Mars follows through the rest of the album.
The first track on the album, “Risk It All,” already secured the number one spot on Spotify’s Top 50 – USA playlist. The song features a mariachi performance, adding a unique flavor to an already heartfelt song about devotion and unconditional love. Mars sings, “Say you want the moon / Watch me learn to fly / Ain’t no mountain you could point to / I wouldn’t climb.” He sings about his limitless love for the woman of his affection — there is nothing he wouldn’t give for just a moment of her love. The song is extremely charming, with the mariachi adding a unique depth to the instrumentals that make the song a romantic essential.
Mars makes no small effort living up the album’s name, with all the album’s tracks following the premise of deep devotion to a lover. “God Was Showing Off” is no exception, where Mars delves into religious metaphor to express how his lover is a gift so extravagant it’s as though she is from divine origins. He sings, “Is Heaven your name? (Is Heaven your name?) / Or is it Divine? (Or is it Divine?) / Don’t matter, girl, it’s gonna look good next to mine.” She is his divine lover, whom he can’t wait to make his wife, which is insinuated by Mars’ imagining her first name next to his last.
A song with a twinge of angst, “Why You Wanna Fight?” shows that even while amid a blissful romance, Mars struggles during conflicts with his lover. He sings, “Oh, I’ll do it for us ‘cause enough is enough / We can work this out, don’t say that it’s through / You may hatе me now, but I never stoppеd lovin’ you.” Mars doesn’t speak a single word of blasphemy against her name; instead, he simply wishes for them to make up. Despite the hurtful things she says in their arguments, he still loves her enough to forgive her and anxiously awaits for the end of their fight. The song brings more emotional energy to the track list, imparting the heartbreak that comes with feeling betrayed by the person you love.
“Nothing Left” deals with a niche issue in the world of love songs: the dwindling passion in a relationship that is no longer exciting or romantically fulfilling. Mars regretfully sings, “You used to light up when I called to say, ‘I love you’ / But these days, maybe those words don’t hit the same, uh / All alone in this home that we built just thinking of you / Thought our light would never fade away.” He doesn’t want their relationship to end, as he knows he still loves her, but he can no longer ignore their shared lack of passion. Every interaction feels mundane, and he can only continue if the two work together to reignite their spark, a request he woefully sings through the track.
The final track in the album, “Dance With Me,” ends the tracklist on a bittersweet but hopeful note. Mars sings, “Oh, I gotta let you know, baby, I still love you (Dance with me, darling, dance with me just one more time) / And I don’t wanna dance with nobody, nobody, nobody but you.” The lyrics imply that the two have broken up, but Mars remains in love. He wishes for another dance between them, which could lead back to a successful relationship. The song is emotional and moving, leaving their relationship not completely repaired from its ails. However, the song is hopeful that a future still remains for them.
As a whole, “The Romantic” is an album that tells a story of love — a love that doesn’t exaggerate its beauty or understate its pains. The album is incredibly realistic and cohesive, with listeners following along as Mars and his lover first get together, experience a honeymoon phase, begin growing apart and eventually reunite after separating. First impressions, heartbreak, longing for a past love and hope for the future make up the album’s structure and truly live up to Bruno Mars’ self-proclaimed position as the romantic. “The Romantic” is essential to any playlist, as its unique storytelling encompasses emotions present in any relationship.
Audrey Phoukong is an Arts & Entertainment Intern for the winter 2026 quarter. She can be reached at aphoukon@uci.edu.
Edited by Joshua Gonzales
