Bruno Mars dropped a new album, The Romantic, on February 27, containing nine tracks. The new album was released almost ten years after his last album, 24K Magic. The Romantic brings mixes of disco and Latin jazz sounds to the surface, which makes it unique compared to his previous album. Bruno Mars chose to release “I Just Might” in January to tease the album. The third track of the album found immediate radio success. The song was at the number one spot on the Billboard charts for the two weeks after it was released. “I Just Might” has a fun, infectious, summer-feeling sound that sets the scene for the rest of the album.
Track one on the album is “Rist It All”, which starts off as a Latin-laced slow song. Mars, throughout the song, explains that there is nothing he would not do to express his love. This song is my personal favorite and is truly romantic. The lyrics: “Say you want the moon, watch me learn how to fly. Ain’t no mountain you could point to, I wouldn’t climb,” demonstrate this.
Track number two, “Cha Cha Cha”, switches up the vibe. The song sets the scene for flirtatious dancing on any floor. It adds high tempo and pop to the mix. While I love the beginning lyrics: “Got my lemon pepper steppers on, ooh, girl,” this is not my favorite track. It sounded like something I had heard before, and it did not move me in any new way. It did not make me want to cha cha cha with anyone.
“God Was Showing Off” is the fourth track on the album. Mars sings about how his faith is rooted in the way a woman looks. This is less of a love song and more of an infatuation with how women look. But then again, I think every Bruno Mars song can be tied to his admiration for women.
“Why You Wanna Fight” brings this feeling of desperation and conflict. Mars sings about his hopeless desire to love instead of disagreeing. It has a slower R&B feel to it and is a completely different vibe than the sixth and seventh tracks. “On My Soul” and “Something Serious” both have a high-tempo and are dance-oriented.
Nothing Left circles back to the desperation as Mars describes a relationship that lacks passion. He says, “And it kills me to think somewhere I lost my baby. Oh, we been together so long. But the fire does not burn like it used to.” The song does not have a slow rhythm or beat, but his voice almost seems more dominant in this track. That may be because of the raw, realistic heartbreak that can be heard throughout the track.
The album ends with “Dance With Me”. This track gives the listeners hope for the love that Mars portrays throughout the album. After the devastating lyrics of the previous track, it is hope that there is a way for the passion to come back into relationships. Mars expresses his desire to dance with said woman all night to rekindle their connection.
The album, The Romantic, leads listeners through a progression of love in a relationship and the tragic decline of it. In the first track, Mars expresses his love by claiming he would put his own life on the line for a chance to portray his affection towards the woman. Tracks one through three paint a picture coated in excitement and infatuation. But then conflict gets added into the mix with the next two tracks. This album is a clever but painful reality of what love, unfortunately, can look like. Despite the overall story of the album, most of the tracks have a high tempo and can create a dancing scene anywhere you go. If listens are wanting to enjoy a high-energy, Latin-inspired disco album, The Romantic should be on your list.
