The Romantic is the fourth solo studio album and fifth overall by the American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, released by Atlantic Records on February 27, 2026. It marks his first album in more than four years following the collaborative album An Evening with Silk Sonic (2021) with Anderson .Paak as Silk Sonic, as well as his first solo album in over nine years since 24K Magic (2016). Mars primarily composed the album with past collaborator and An Evening with Silk Sonic producer D'Mile; other returning collaborators include Philip Lawrence, Brody Brown, and James Fauntleroy.
The Romantic was supported by the release of two singles, including "I Just Might" on January 9, 2026, and "Risk It All" on February 27, 2026. The former debuted at the top of the US Billboard Hot 100. A concert tour in support of the album the Romantic Tour is scheduled from April to October 2026, featuring 71 shows across North America and Europe. The album received generally favorable reviews from critics, who primarily praised Mars' vocals, though some were divided on its lyricism, finding it less original than his previous work. The album peaked atop the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums US charts while also reaching number one in Canada and the top ten in Australia, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Background
In 2023, Mars was reportedly working on his next album with Brody Brown, Philip Lawrence and James Fauntleroy.[3][4][5] The album was reportedly near completion that May, with a new sound and a tentative release date. Mars was in early talks with Live Nation Entertainment for a 2024–2025 tour.[6]
In 2024, it was revealed that D'Mile was involved in the singer's follow-up album.[7] In 2025, this information was confirmed by D'Mile. [8] In December 2024, Mars appeared on the covers of Hits and Las Vegas Magazine. According to Hits, he was expected to release an album and tour in 2025.[9] Ken Miller of Las Vegas Magazine said that Mars has been working on a new album since early 2023.[10]
On January 5, 2026, Mars announced on his Twitter account that his album was finished.[12] Around this time, "industry chatter" said that Mars worked with Lawrence and there were no guest appearances on the album.[13] Two days later, on January 7, Mars announced the album title The Romantic, revealed the album cover, and that a new single would be released on Friday, January 9, 2026.[14] It would be Mars's first album since the collaborative project, An Evening with Silk Sonic (2021) with American singer and rapper Anderson .Paak as Silk Sonic, while also being his first solo release in nearly a decade, following 24K Magic (2016).[15] The gap in releases between 24K Magic and The Romantic makes Mars have the third-longest stretch between winning a Grammy Award[a] and releasing a follow-up album, behind Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, as well as the Chicks.[16]
On January 30, Mars was announced as the 2026 Record Store Day ambassador. He partnered with more than 200 record stores in the US to hold listening parties for The Romantic on February 25, 2026.[17][18] In addition, these listening parties will also be held in different continents, including Australia, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Fans can also receive exclusive giveaways alongside a pre-order copy of the album.[19]
Release and promotion
After Mars announced that his album was finished, "industry chatter" affirmed that an upcoming single would be released two days later. It was also stated that the album was supposed to be released in mid-to-late March.[13] On January 9, 2026, "I Just Might" was released as the lead single of the album.[20] Mars will embark on his 71-show-long fifth headlining stadium tour, The Romantic Tour. It will begin on April 10, 2026, in Las Vegas, and conclude on October 14 in Vancouver.[21][22]
The album will be released in three different vinyl issues. One is a numbered "first pressing edition" vinyl; a second is a webstore exclusive with a velvet sleeve; and the third is a regular vinyl edition.[23]
On February 16, 2026, Mars unveiled the tracklist.[24]
Mars took over iHeartRadio on February 26 with a live stream on TikTok to promote The Romantic.[25][26][27]
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, The Romantic received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 66 out of 100 from nine critic scores.[29]AllMusic's Andy Kellman gave The Romantic 4 out of 5 stars, describing it as "a well-dressed set of nine finely crafted love songs".[30] Andrew Unterberger of Billboard called the album Mars' "most straightforward throwback yet", noting that despite its concise tracklist after a decade-long hiatus, Mars was "intent on making them count".[37] Nick Levine of NME gave the record four stars, calling it a "laser-focused collection" that positions Mars as a "silver-tongued loverman"; though he noted the singer favors "romantic clichés" over soul-baring lyrics, he praised the "fantastic" production and Mars's "terrific, raspy voice".[32] Maura Johnston of Rolling Stone gave the album four stars, describing it as an "undeniable" crowd-pleaser that successfully blends 1970s soul with "brown-eyed soul" influences, while praising Mars's "impeccably rendered" old-school production and emotional commitment.[35]
Paolo Ragusa of Consequence praised the album's "gorgeous instrumentation" and vocal performances, but felt the project lacked perspective and "specificity", concluding that Mars remains a "talented preservationist rather than a pioneer".[31]Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani gave the album three out of five stars, praising its "mercifully succinct" production and nostalgic charm, though he criticized the reliance on lyrical clichés and felt the record "ultimately comes up a little short" after a decade-long wait.[36]Alexis Petridis of The Guardian gave the album two stars, dismissing it as "fundamentally lazy songwriting." While praising Mars's vocals, he argued the record relies on "blatant homages" to 20th-century classics rather than offering new ideas.[1] Writing for Pitchfork, Brittany Spanos gave the album a 5.8 out of 10, noting that while Mars remains a "charismatic performer" with a "naturally talented" voice, the record "never really delivers the romance" even when it finds its groove.[34] Sam Rosenberg of Paste dismissed the album as "uninspired" and a "glaring self-parody," comparing its derivative nature to AI-generated music. He criticized the record's "retro-fetishistic pastiche" and argued that Mars's reliance on nostalgia had lost its "luster".[33]
Commercial performance
The Romantic debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 186,000 equivalent album units, which includes 93,500 in pure album sales (it debuts at number one on Top Album Sales), 90,500 streaming units (equaling 93.95 million on-demand official streams of the set’s nine songs, Mars’ best streaming week for an album; it debuts at Number one on Top Streaming Albums) and 2,000 in track-equivalent album units. It became Mars's first number-one debut and second number-one album on the chart in his career in the United States.[38] After the first week, all the songs from the album were listed on the Billboard Hot 100, with "I Just Might" returning to number one for a third week and "Risk It All" debuting at number four.[39] In its second week, The Romantic felt a spot to number two on the Billboard 200 with 80,000 equivalent album units earned.[40]
↑Keen, Jodi (September 21, 2023). "Hooligans for Life". Evansville Living Magazine. Archived from the original on July 6, 2024. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
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