Bruno Mars: The Romantic

"From the first single "I Just Might," a pleading request that his lover be able to move on the dancefloor at his level, it's clear that Mars is inviting more comparisons to groovier hits of yesteryear than usual. It reminded me of both Junior Senior's "Move Your Feet" and Leo Sayer's "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing," hitting the same melodies or gang vocal inflections."

"As the album progresses, it sounds like he shoved some dollars into a dive bar jukebox: momentary references to Tito Puente, Curtis Mayfield, and the proto-disco pop hits of late-era Motown fill it with an uncanny familiarity. It's hard not to want to Shazam each song, confusing it for something older or even another Bruno Mars cut."

"Most of the time, Mars' reproductions work well for him: He's one of music's most absurdly decorated artists, with 16 Grammy Awards, 10 No. 1 singles, and more monthly Spotify listeners than Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift, or the Weeknd. But on The Romantic, Mars' first solo album since 2016's funk pastiche, his genre parroting comes off more as wedding reception slop than an exciting comeback."

Bruno Mars has built his career on skillfully imitating past musical styles, from his Elvis performances to soul and funk pastiches, earning him 16 Grammy Awards and massive commercial success. However, his latest solo album The Romantic marks a departure from this winning formula. The album is saturated with references to classic hits from Junior Senior, Leo Sayer, Tito Puente, Curtis Mayfield, and Motown, creating an uncanny familiarity that makes songs feel like covers of existing tracks rather than original compositions. While Mars demonstrates flair with Latin pop elements on tracks like "Risk It All," the overall effect feels more like wedding reception background music than an exciting artistic statement.

Read at Pitchfork