After almost a decade of collaborations, Bruno Mars surprisingly released his first solo album since “24K Magic” in 2016.
The album, known as “The Romantic,” included songs that ranged from retro and disco pop to Latin music, a genre that Mars incorporated into his record exceedingly well through “Cha Cha Cha,” and most notably, “Risk It All.”
The song “Risk It All” served as his opening track, featuring roots of mariachi and bolero, a style of romantic Latin music. In the music video, a lifelong marriage is depicted to demonstrate Mars’s willingness to “risk it all” for his future significant other, a common theme seen throughout many of his past and present songs.
The track is one of his best, and possibly the best of the album, as he presents a unique way to create a memorable melody that incorporates his Spanish culture, while simultaneously still conforming to his unique style.
Before the album’s release date, the 16-time Grammy award winner delivered an amazing lead single named “I Just Might” on Jan. 9 to hype up the record’s release.
Influenced by a combination of his playful and upbeat style and 1970s funk, it nostalgically recalls songs from many decades ago such as “Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone and more modern songs such as “The Lazy Song” by Mars.
Not only were his vocals extremely polished and effortless, but his vibe was sanguine and lighthearted, a part that makes it the type of song that I’d play in my car for the next couple of months just because of how catchy it is.
Another song that stood out to me was “Dance With Me.” It incorporates a slow-dance and intimate feel, a switch-up from the rest of his high-energy songs throughout “The Romantic.” It presents a new take on his kind of music that I found extremely well-crafted and dynamic.
Featuring nine songs and spanning 31 minutes, it includes other notable songs such as “Why You Wanna Fight?” and “God Was Showing Off” that further incorporates his upbeat rhythm and romantic lyrics.
Overall, “The Romantic” feels like an ideal Mars album, with one or two songs introducing something new to his expansive variety of music. It’s most definitely a must-listen for new and frequent listeners of the artist.
