“Your hair, your face, your skin, your lips / I ain’t ever seen beauty like this,” sings Bruno Mars on “God was Showing Off,” one of the few songs on his brand new album.
Bruno Mars released his fifth studio album, “The Romantic,” on Feb. 27, with it being his first solo album in nearly 10 years. The album was teased, with Bruno Mars announcing on X that the album was finished on Jan. 5. Four days later, he released the lead single “I Just Might.”
For the world, the album became the center of pop culture hype, especially for people like Palo Alto High School junior Om Rajan.
“I’m a big Bruno Mars fan. I’ve been listening to his music for a while,” Rajan said. “So when I heard he was creating a new album, I was really excited.”
The album chronologically navigates the story of a romantic pursuit of a relationship, falling in love, experiencing conflicts, ending with heartbreak and longing.
Mars relays his romantic emotions throughout the nine songs as the relationship progresses, beginning with him initially willing to commit and get into a relationship in “Risk it All.” The next three tracks, “Cha Cha Cha,” “I Just Might” and “God Was Showing Off” add onto his initial thoughts, where he sparks attraction towards his lover and falls for her.
The built-up euphoria and passion for each other had hit a standstill in “Why You Wanna Fight?” and “On My Soul,” where Mars questions his lover’s relationship, but fights for it and attempts to prove his loyalty to her. Mars wants to commit to something more in “Something Serious,” but the feelings are unreciprocated and aren’t as strong as they used to be in “Nothing Left.” The album ends with “Dance With Me,” where Mars reminisces on his relationship and wishes he could have another chance.
After listening to the album, Rajan said he had mixed opinions about it.
“I would say that the album, musically, is extremely good,” Rajan said. “There are not many albums that have come out that have a set list this good, with each song being this high quality.”
But despite the praise, Rajan said it didn’t meet his expectations.
“I think that it did not meet my expectations for a Bruno Mars album,” Rajan said. “I think I am asking for a lot because of his previous albums and the fact that many of them had some huge hits…”
Rajan felt that the album didn’t have standout songs which he believes was unlike Mars’ other albums.
“Obviously you need good songs, and you need consistently high quality songs,” Rajan said. “But you also need a couple hit songs that are going to be played everywhere.”
In addition to the album’s release, Bruno Mars is scheduled to go on The Romantic Tour from early April to late October, bringing the show to San Francisco in the last month. But after learning about the entire album’s meaning, here is our analysis of the individual songs we thought stood out the most.
Risk it All
The opening track, “Risk it All,” centers on the idea of Mars willing to do anything for his lover. The song opens with a E minor 7th chord progression of the guitar, followed by a symphony of trumpets and melodic strings that resemble the sound of a mariachi band, a Mexican music ensemble. Mariachi bands are known for their rich and expressive melodies, which shape a dramatic and romantic atmosphere for the song. The lyrics reference the degree to which he would go to be in a relationship with his lover. Mars sings, “You could set the bar beyond the stars / I’ll do anything you ask me to / Say you want the moon / Watch me learn to fly,” implying that he has found someone, and figures that the relationship is worth any risk. The mellow opening track is a beautiful one, focusing on pure love and promise between lovers. Its honesty and purity being angelically vocalized on top of a blissful symphony allows this song to be one of our favorites.
Cha Cha Cha
Soon into the album’s story, “Cha Cha Cha” enters with a story in itself. The song begins with Mars describing his urge to dance as an array of instruments slowly builds into the song. After inviting someone over to the dance floor, Mars sings, “Come on and cha-cha-cha with me / And I’ma cha-cha-cha with you tonight.” In this song, Mars veers away from deep romantic conversations and explores pure chemistry and an intimate interaction in a club-environment. Similar to “Risk it All,” Mars uses the metaphor of flying into space again, singing “Let’s go to the moon a little later / Hope you ain’t scared to fly” with a new meaning, building onto the sexual tension Mars produces through his lyrics. The intensity of Mars’s voice, paired with a slight mellowness in the music, is what caused “Cha Cha Cha” to stand out as one of our personal favorites on the album.
I Just Might
The album’s lead single, which was released on Jan. 9, is an explosive disco jam that built a significant amount of hype for the album. The song explores the excitement of meeting a new love interest, singing “But first, may I just say that your face got me so intrigued?” to display the idea of love-at-first-sight. Mars also sings “’Cause when I take you to the floor, ooh, you gotta get down / You know what to do,” using the idea of dancing as a test to determine this lover’s worth to him. The song’s fun and groovy array of instruments , paired with his expressive, screaming vocals. This made for a great single and fits in perfectly as arguably the album’s most upbeat track.
Something Serious
Towards the end of the album, we hear a latin-funk, very jazzy track, titled “Something Serious.” This song focuses on shifting from casual dating to a deeper relationship, strengthening the bond between Mars and his lover. Singing “I should be your mans / Girl, don’t you want that real love?” the idea of moving on and deepening the connection between lover and lover is portrayed. The song’s story pairs nicely with “Risk it All,” highlighting the desire to intensify a relationship as well as being hopeful to stay together forever. “Pretty babies? / I could give you that,” the chorus sings, promising to continue this love onwards, even to the point of becoming parents. “Something Serious” remains the shortest track on the album, giving us less than three minutes of pure energy and fun.
Nothing Left
In a sudden twist, the album’s story takes a tragic turn. “Nothing Left” highlights the emotional struggle of a relationship that has lost its spark. Mars dreadfully sings, “You used to light up when I called to say, “I love you” / But these days, maybe those words don’t hit the same.” In a yearnful manner, Mars continues saying, “Don’t wanna let you go, but you know something’s got to change,” trying to stop this love from slipping away forever. As he attempts to find a change, he tries to make things different, to rekindle the lost flame and start over, ending the song by singing “I’m reaching out for you, baby / I need you to reach out and do the same.” Though the song ends tragically, leaving his situation unresolved and hopeless, “Nothing Left” serves as a calming track, contrasting most other songs on the album.
The Ver-dict
Mars has once again been successful in releasing a fresh batch of timeless music to bless ears for years to come. While no song stood out as one to reach the heights of his older ones, such as “That’s What I Like” and “Locked out of Heaven,” the album’s groovy theme can make anyone dance. Even after nine years since his last solo album, Mars has not lost what made him so popular: his catchy tunes, a shifting voice and relatable lyrics. The album’s mellow songs only push the album further to greatness, and we predict that “Risk it All” will climb the ranks as one of Mars’ most recognized songs in the future. Overall, “The Romantic” serves a more mature collection of music, allowing us to rate this album a 4.5/5.