Bruno Mars returns with ‘The Romantic’ — his 1st solo record since 2016: ‘New Video. New Album. New Chapter.’
Bruno Mars returns with ‘The Romantic’ — his 1st solo record since 2016: ‘New Video. New Album. New Chapter.’
Neia BalaoFri, February 27, 2026 at 6:17 PM UTC
0
Romance is in the air, and it’s all thanks to Bruno Mars. The “I Just Might” hitmaker released The Romantic, his first solo album in nearly a decade, on Friday. To celebrate the record’s debut, Mars also unveiled the music video for his new single, “Risk It All.”
With “Risk It All,” the album’s opening track, Mars leans heavy on the yearning. In the video, he fronts a mariachi band, gets married and basks in the glow of marital bliss. Mars’ buttery vocals shine on the slow acoustic track, on which he boldly declares what he’d do for this woman’s love: “I would swim across the sea just to show you/ Sacrifice my life just to hold you/ I could go on and on/ To prove that you belong here in my arms.” He evokes a similar soundscape on “Cha Cha Cha,” the album’s second track, fusing his now-signature disco style with more traditional Latin jazz.
The release of The Romanticcomes nearly two months after Mars debuted “I Just Might,” the album’s leading retro-funk single. “I Just Might,” an impossibly upbeat disco-pop track that gloriously taps into the ‘70s, feels like a fitting undertaking for the feel-good, old-school-leaning artist. The album, with its groovy guitars, smooth vocals and funk-driven rhythm section, functions as a return to form for the charismatic performer, who had taken an extended break from releasing solo material.
The Romantic, as with Mars’ other albums, is also short and sweet. With nine tracks and a runtime of 31 minutes, the album ensures it doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Advertisement
“I’m writing and playing, and it takes me a little while longer than I wish it would,” Mars said in 2016 of why he prefers to release shorter albums. “You get every piece of me in every song. And also, if I can’t get you in nine songs, I’m not gonna get you in 19.”
While he may have put his solo career on pause, Mars has hardly been out of the spotlight. In the last nine years, Mars has cultivated an impressive list of collaborations, appearing on tracks with artists like Cardi B (“Finesse” and “Please Me”), Ed Sheeran and Chris Stapleton (“BLOW”) and Lady Gaga (“Die With a Smile”). Mars and Gaga won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 2025 Grammy Awards for their romantic ballad.
He most recently teamed up with K-pop darling Rosé for their Grammy-nominated song, “APT.” The duo performed an electrifying, rock-heavy rendition of the track at this year’s awards show. On top of all that, Mars is also one half of the Grammy-winning superduo Silk Sonic, which he founded with fellow artist Anderson .Paak in 2021. They released their debut album, An Evening with Silk Sonic, that same year.
Mars’ fans, who call themselves “Hooligans” in honor of his 2010 album Doo-Wops and Hooligans, won’t have to wait long to hear the new album live: He’ll soon be embarking on The Romantic Tour. Anderson .Paak will perform at all shows as DJ Pee .Wee, while Leon Thomas, Raye and Victoria Monet will serve as supporting acts in select cities.
The “Dance With Me” singer will kick things off in Las Vegas in early April, before making his way up north to Toronto in late May. From late June through mid July, he’ll perform a series of shows in Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Madrid, Milan and London. Mars will perform in more American cities from late August to early October, before playing his final show of The Romantic Tour in Vancouver, B.C., in mid-October.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
