Peter Gene Hernandez started out as a young Elvis impersonator but today he is a pop icon on the verge of launching one of the biggest concert tours of all time. Of course, I’m talking about Bruno Mars. He’s a 16-time Grammy winner, 36-time nominee, including Album of the Year for 24K Magic in 2016. But does his new album The Romantic stack up? Here’s my take.

Over the Easter long weekend, while gardening, I listened front to back. Right from the start, the first track had me thinking about Frank Sinatra. And feel free to correct me, but at some points I swear you can sing the lyrics to “My Way” because the melody is so similar. Whether it’s a deliberate ode to “Ol’ Blue Eyes” or just an accident, “Risk It All” has the makings of a classic love song, similar to “Just The Way You Are” from 2010.

Up next, “Cha Cha Cha” has been described as “soulful salsa” with “crisp horns,” but in an effort to be fully honest, I found this song corny. I’m going to be absolutely brutal and say that when I listen to the album next time, I’ll probably skip track 2.

 

The 3rd track on Bruno’s new album, “I Just Might”, is the lead single, which debuted at the top of the charts.  We’ve been enjoying it together on the Wave. It’s what we call a banger. 10/10. No notes.

Overall, every tune on The Romantic 

meets the definition of a love song and you can expect to hear some of them as our 2026 brides walk down the aisle. You can also expect any dance floor to fill up fast when “On My Soul” comes on. If you love Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up” you’ll dig track #6, no doubt.

This month, Bruno Mars kicks off his new tour in Las Vegas and the city is naming a street after him! The Romantic tour lands here in Vancouver in October, with five performances scheduled, setting a record for the most shows by a single artist on a single tour at BC Place.

Tara Jean
Weekdays