By Luke Essig, Sports Editor

Last Friday, Bruno Mars released “The Romantic,” his first solo album since 2016. One of the most universally loved singers of the 21st century, Mars took time and effort to create an album that hits all of his classic themes of love, heartbreak and yearning that fit perfectly into his already iconic discography.

Released two weeks after Valentine’s Day, “The Romantic” leans heavily on Mars’ classic love, funk, soul and pop sound that has made him a global superstar.

The album opens with reggaeton-inspired trumpets and acoustic guitar on the song “Risk It All. ”The track is a cinematic opening to a very well made album.

He drives home the theme that he would “risk it all for you,” and there is nothing he would not do for the girl he is trying to get. “Say you want the moon, watch me learn to fly / Ain’t no mountain you could point to I wouldn’t climb,” he sings to show the lengths he would go for love.

The album was headlined by the lead single, “I Just Might,” released on Jan. 9. The upbeat track harps on wanting to dance with his love interest and telling the DJ to play a song she will like. 

Back in 2021, Mars teamed up with Anderson .Paak to create a duo album called “An Evening with Silk Sonic” where they channeled 70s and 80s soul and R&B. While .Paak does not appear on “The Romantic,” his influence is clear on “Why You Wanna Fight?” as the track is smooth and relaxed.

Transitioning out of “Why You Wanna Fight?” is “On My Soul,” a fast-tempo love song about loving someone like he has never loved before. He swears on his soul that he needs this girl and that he has never felt this way.

This album is dominated by a reggaeton sound pioneered by the likes of Daddy Yankee and Don Omar and perfected by global superstars like Bad Bunny and J Balvin. Mars uses traditional reggaeton guitar, maracas, trumpets and specific synthesizers to make an album that is emotional in the lyrics but makes the listener want to dance through it. 

Mars has taken on various personas throughout the years and “The Romantic” channels all of them. With a combination of pop, funk, soul and R&B, this album has it all. It may not stack up with his timeless classics “Doo-Wops & Hooligans” and “Unorthodox Jukebox,” but this is exactly the sort of project fans have been waiting for since his last release. 

While only consisting of nine songs and just under 30 minutes long, it is a perfect summary of Mars’ discography to fill what could potentially be another 10-year solo album drought.