Bruno Mars’s fourth studio album, The Romantic, was released today, cementing the artist’s position as the world’s most-streamed musician. Sixteen years after his breakthrough hit “Just the Way You Are,” the 40-year-old Hawaiian native has become the first artist to surpass 150 million monthly listeners on Spotify, outpacing even Bad Bunny and Taylor Swift.
The album’s lead single, “I Just Might,” has already topped the US Hot 100 chart, making Mars only the fourth male soloist in chart history to achieve 10 No. 1 singles, joining Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Drake. He performed the song at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards earlier this month, backed by a brass band and sporting his signature red suit and bandana, a performance described as “romantic and swaggy” by the Grammy’s official website.
Mars’s success is rooted in a long-standing creative partnership with songwriter and producer Philip Lawrence. The two met in 2006, bonding over a shared ambition to perform. Before launching Mars’s solo career, the pair, along with Ari Levine, formed the songwriting and production trio the Smeezingtons, crafting hits for artists like CeeLo Green, including the ubiquitous “Fuck You.” Lawrence subsequently led Mars’s live band, the Hooligans, on a world tour.
Lawrence recently received his 19th Grammy nomination for his contributions to “APT,” a duet between Mars and K-pop star Rosé, which opened the 2026 Grammys. The song was confirmed as the world’s best-selling single of 2025 by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
Lyndsey Havens, executive editor of Billboard, attributes Mars’s longevity to a combination of confidence, and consistency. “A Bruno Mars song ages really well, no matter when it’s released,” she said. “There’s nostalgia built into the music, but his songs can’t be placed in a certain time.”
The Romantic follows a nearly decade-long gap since Mars’s last solo album. The release is accompanied by The Romantic Tour, a global stadium tour kicking off in Las Vegas in April, with dates across North America and Europe. Anderson .Paak, along with RAYE, Victoria Monét, and Leon Thomas, will join him on select legs of the tour.
Mars will also release a compilation album, Collaborations, as part of his ambassadorship for Record Store Day. The album will feature a history of his duets and co-writes, including “Billionaire” with Travie McCoy, “Uptown Funk” with Mark Ronson, and “Die with a Smile” with Lady Gaga. Havens noted the breadth of Mars’s collaborations, spanning genres, generations, and geographic origins, as evidence of his broad fanbase.
The tour includes six sold-out dates at Wembley Stadium in July.
