There are only a handful of artists who can release a carbon copy of their prior work and get away with it — and Bruno Mars is one of them.
Featuring Mars’s trademark vocals and infectious instrumental lines, “The Romantic” — his fourth studio album — is a delightful mix of disco, R&B and Latin influences. Yet despite its captivating orchestration, the majority of the nine-song tracklist sounds more like a “Silk Sonic” cover album than a set of original work. With Mars’s distinctive style, a cohesive discography has its strengths — but a few songs on “The Romantic” push this consistency towards blatant repetition.
The album opens with “Risk it All,” a masterclass in music composition. Blending angelic vocals with melodious guitar lines, each element of the song’s production manages to perfectly complement its companions. The song is a strong and almost cinematic start to the record, treating listeners to a range of traditional Mexican bolero and mariachi sounds.
But it seems like Mars is betting that his compelling instrumentals and effortless vocals will distract listeners from the monotony of his lyrics — and, admittedly, they almost do. But with lyrics like “It’s crazy, but it’s true / There’s nothing I won’t do / I’d risk it all for you,” the song reads like a slightly reworked version of Mars’s 2010 single “Grenade” “I’d jump in front of a train for ya / You know I’d do anything for ya.” In “Risk it All,” Mars rehashes the same chorus with a slight, yet unimpressive, tweak.
“I’d jump in front of a train for ya / You know I’d do anything for ya,” Mars sang on “Grenade.” “I would run through a fire / Just to be by your side,” he sings on “Risk It All.”
Mars’s mastery of music arrangement is once again on full display on the album’s second track, “Cha Cha Cha.” With catchy congas leading the percussive line, the song’s intricate brass and orchestral riffs make for a constantly unexpected — and continuously invigorating — listen. After Mars sings, “Hope you ain’t scared to fly,” the song enters a brief instrumental interlude that highlights Mars’s band at their best.
Up fourth, “God Was Showing Off” captures the iconic Bruno Mars sound while still feeling original. The verses’ call-and-response vocals give the song a dreamy feel, and Mars’s impeccably layered harmonies and long, drawn-out vocals make it sound like he, too, is “showing off” in the best way possible.
The cowbell in “Something Serious” gives the track a unique percussive undertone, offering a refreshing distinctiveness on an album that at times feels redundant. During the song’s refrain, the groovy instrumentals come to a striking halt before Mars sings the track’s title. There’s a stark, sonically addictive contrast between the energetic score and these briefly isolated vocals.
“Dance With Me” is the perfect conclusion to the album, and its slower tempo and sappy lyrics help the record live up to its name.
“I’m hoping / Hoping when the music ends / You and I will fall in love all over again,” Mars sings.
While much of the record sounds like a lightly reworked spin-off of Mars’s prior work, that leaves little to complain about with a discography as catchy as his. Mars has released an impressive catalogue of music over the years. As a result, saying that “The Romantic” sounds like “any other Bruno Mars song” is almost a compliment.
With its highly danceable rhythms and catchy instrumentals, “The Romantic” will captivate fans of Mars’s previous discography and connoisseurs of music composition alike.
Ann Gray Golpira is a Section Editor covering Arts & Culture. She is from Norfolk, Virginia and plans on concentrating in both International and Public Affairs and Anthropology. Outside of The Herald, you can find her writing, recording and producing her original music.
