Bruno Mars, "The Romantic", is Back in Town - And This Time, With An Album By His Side

It's that time of the decade when Bruno decides to drop an album. His last solo album—24K Magic—was released way back in 2016. Mars has returned, and this time, yet again, his album does not come bearing skips.

Bruno Mars's The Romantic is a compendium of beautiful, energetic, soulful love songs. Do we have enough love songs already? Yes. Does that mean we don't want more? Absolutely not.

Mars channels multiple musical cultures into the tracklist of The Romantic. I keep hearing prominence of bossa nova, funk, soul, rhythm & blues, and perhaps even jazz—Risk It All contains some immaculate dissonance, which was absolutely pleasing to listen to. Most significantly, Mars continues on a soundscape similar to that of Silk Sonic.

Listening to the album, really no song will disappoint. It's a neatly put-together album, and Bruno Mars is quite known for his preference for quality over quantity. My only complaint is that coming to the sixth track—On My Soul—the theme starts getting repetitive. Every single song on this album is a love song. And don't get me wrong, I'm a sucker for love songs. But listening to five songs about love in a row, I lost a lot of my interest and attention when On My Soul started playing. Yes, the album is called "The Romantic"—but at the end of the day, it's an album, and I ask more from an album than for it to be a mere compilation. Even a slight variation in themes—perhaps an addition of an allied theme, or a different perspective, or a different plot—would have made The Romantic just so much more compelling.

Okay, maybe another critique—throughout the album, but for a couple of songs, the lyrics feel tacky. Bruno's delivery will ensure that you don't hear it, but listening to the songs while following the lyrics, it can get slightly cringey at some places.

1. Risk It All

Risk It All is a perfect start to the album. It's a classic love song written in bossa nova. The arrangement and the chord progression really worked very well for the song. The strings and the brass section shine throughout the song.

2. Cha Cha Cha

Doubling down with another Latin-inspired song, Cha Cha Cha is a horrendously groovy song, and the vocal melody is written so well that it takes me on a ride. The strings are, yet again, just amazing.

3. I Just Might

The guitar and synth are playing with each other, and I want to get off my desk and dance! I Just Might is a playful and somewhat innocent love song. The lyrics in this song, in particular, are wonderful. "But what good is bеauty if your booty can't find the beat?" - It's poetry.

4. God Was Showing Off

This one is where Bruno goes all out, completely down bad, and writes what we all have felt about women at some point in our lives. This is an ode to how unbelievably and effortlessly colossal women are, and I'm all here for it.

5. Why You Wanna Fight

This one is where Bruno's voice gets to shine—alongside those beautiful strings. The vocals sound amazing, and the arrangement is just so good. Mars made his point, and I believe him cent per cent. I hear him loud and clear. Also, I have to mention that Carlin White killed it on drums and Ghenea did a brilliant job, like always.

6. On My Soul

Albeit the song that made me feel tired of the recurring theme, in isolation from the placement in the album, On My Soul is a damn good song. Mars wants to start his second half of The Romantic loud and clear. He quickly gets fierce and means business.

7. Something Serious

All I want to say for this one is that I'll be going back and listening to this particular song just for the organ in the chorus and the verse. There's no grandeur in it, but it's so tastefully used that I will be hearing it in my dreams tonight.

8. Nothing Left

We officially enter the conclusion and the closure of The Romantic. With soft electric guitar strumming coupled with dirty brass, Bruno feels hopeless about his former, and tries to make right his wrongs. Nothing Left is a prayer to the one he still loves that their relationship is worth fighting for and is worth saving.

9. Dance With Me

Probably my favorite song from The Romantic—or maybe it's tied with Why You Wanna Fight. I am completely in love with the groove and tempo of the song. Dance With Me is a pill that will make you start slow dancing. Bruno is again trying to salvage his relationship after a breakup, but this time, we get to listen to hopeful Bruno.

(All the stars) All the stars are out tonight

Ooh, maybe they'll shine a little light

Help us find what we're trying to find

This song is a question—a ray of hope, a crevice of light that Mars hangs on to. And we, as listeners, are mere observers in Mars's misery.

The album sounds wonderful—and why would it not? Every song is well-written. The album is plagued by incredible performers, who were all recorded by incredible engineers. Mixed by none other than Serban Ghenea and mastered by none other than Randy Merrill.

After APT. and Die With A Smile, Bruno Mars's release of The Romantic is only a feather on his cap—a badge on his shirt—a star on his Christmas Tree catalogue. Even with my reservations, I can't complain too much. Bruno Mars gave the people what they want and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.