After ten years, Bruno Mars has finally dropped his fourth solo album, titled The Romantic.
The newly released record sees the mixed-heritage musical icon embracing his Puerto Rican roots through five salsa and soul-infused love songs (including the previously released chart-topper “I Just Might”). Unlike the disco-infused funky anthems that Mars has become well-renowned for, The Romantic trades such production styles and instrumental elements in favor of more intimate soundscapes. Though there are bits and pieces of it still sprinkled throughout the record, this album is an excellent showcase of Mars’ vocal prowess — allowing his crooning to fully take center stage, while still lovingly backed by a lush set of brass and horn instruments.
The Romantic marks his long-awaited follow-up to the critically and commercially acclaimed hit record, 24K Magic. The latter was awarded seven Grammys at the 2018 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Best R&B Album, while the title track won Record of the Year, and its other hit single “That’s What I Like” won Song of the Year.
In 2021, Mars went on to partner up with Anderson .Paak to form their own musical superduo, Silk Sonic, and released the renowned, award-winning album, An Evening With Silk Sonic, which spawned the viral hit single, “Leave the Door Open” that went on to win four Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best R&B Performance, and Best R&B Song.
Most recently, he teamed up with fellow pop hitmakers like Lady Gaga (“Die With A Smile”) and BLACKPINK‘s ROSÉ (“APT”), with both collaboration singles dominating several musical charts worldwide. Both tracks went on to hit the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Philippines Hot 100 chart, earning numerous Grammy nominations — with “Die With A Smile” winning Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 2025 Grammys.
For this year’s upcoming Record Store Day 2026 celebration, Mars was announced as this year’s official ambassador and is set to release an exclusive vinyl compilation album titled The Collaborations. The limited edition vinyl is set to feature all of Mars’ iconic collaborations packaged in one double-disc set, with only 11,000 copies of the record available worldwide.
To support the release of The Romantic, Mars will embark on a world tour of the same name, with 72 shows scheduled across North America and Europe. Check out more details regarding the forthcoming tour here.
Listen to Bruno Mars’ latest album, The Romantic, in its entirety below: