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Bruno Mars has returned with “I Just Might,” the lead single to his upcoming album The Romantic.
Reprising his smooth-talking, crooning loverboy persona — who, he’d like you to know, still looks too damn good — Mars beckons us back to the dance floor for another time-traveling slice of soul-pop. “I Just Might” could have easily existed on any of Mars’ three prior albums (from 2010, 2013, and 2016, respectively), making it slightly disappointing that the rollout of his first effort in nearly a decade is basically a retread of everything we’ve come to expect from him. Granted, “I Just Might” sounds good — but Mars already has a few tunes in the ‘Songs for Wedding Receptions Hall of Fame.’ Does he really need another?
You wouldn’t know it from the song’s music video, which depicts Mars as the various members of his backing band, but he and his fellow instrumentalists definitely understood the assignment on “I Just Might.” Mars, his Smeezingtons writing partners, and his backing band are unified on the sonic vision, presenting a crisp revival of ’70s soul and disco while also letting the instruments be as expressive as they need to be. The dueling guitars in particular are lovely, chiming at one end and grooving with a touch of distortion and bite on the other. Still, even with some pretty production, “I Just Might” is vintage Mars doing vintage pop. It’s comfort food, but it’s worth wondering what Mars would sound like if he finally changed the recipe.
Mars originally confirmed The Romantic earlier this week, tweeting “my album is done” and later revealing the project’s artwork and February 27th release date. The Romantic, one of the most anticipated albums of 2026, is Mars’ first album in nearly 10 years, following 2016’s 24K Magic. He’ll support the new project with a massive stadium tour, which kicks off in Las Vegas in April and runs through North America, Europe, and the UK until October. See his tour dates below and get tickets to see Bruno Mars here.
Though he hasn’t released a full-length solo project since 2016, Mars has certainly remained active, performing shows at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas, releasing the joint album An Evening with Silk Sonic with Anderson. Paak in 2021, and offering the one-off collaborative singles “Die with a Smile,” “APT.,” and “Fat, Juicy and Wet.”
Bruno Mars 2026 Tour Dates:
04/10 — Las Vegas, NV @ Allegiant Stadium *#
04/14 — Glendale, AZ @ State Farm Stadium *#
04/18 — Arlington, TX @ Globe Life Field *#
04/22 — Houston, TX @ NRG Stadium *#
04/25 — Atlanta, GA @ Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field *#
04/29 — Charlotte, NC @ Bank of America Stadium *#
05/02 — Landover, MD @ Northwest Stadium *#
05/06 — Nashville, TN @ Nissan Stadium *#
05/09 — Detroit, MI @ Ford Field *#
05/13 — Minneapolis, MN @ U.S. Bank Stadium *#
05/16 — Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field *#
05/20 — Columbus, OH @ Ohio Stadium *#
05/23 — Toronto, CA @ Rogers Stadium *#
05/24 — Toronto, CA @ Rogers Stadium *#
06/20 — Paris, France @ Stade de France *^
06/21 — Paris, France @ Stade de France *^
06/26 — Berlin, Germany @ Olympiastadion *^
07/04 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Johan Cruijff ArenA *^
07/05 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Johan Cruijff ArenA *^
07/10 — Madrid, Spain @ Riyadh Air Metropolitano *^
07/14 — Milan, Italy @ Stadio San Siro *^
07/18 — London, UK @ Wembley Stadium Connected by EE *^
07/19 — London, UK @ Wembley Stadium Connected by EE *^
08/21 — East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium *@
08/22 — East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium *@
08/29 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Acrisure Stadium *
09/01 — Philadelphia, PA @ Lincoln Financial Field *@
09/05 — Foxborough, MA @ Gillette Stadium *@
09/09 — Indianapolis, IN @ Lucas Oil Stadium *@
09/12 — Tampa, FL @ Raymond James Stadium *@
09/16 — New Orleans, LA @ Caesars Superdome *@
09/19 — Miami, FL @ Hard Rock Stadium *@
09/23 — San Antonio, TX @ Alamodome *@
09/26 — Air Force Academy, CO @ Falcon Stadium at the United States Air Force Academy *@
10/02 — Inglewood, CA @ SoFi Stadium *@
10/03 — Inglewood, CA @ SoFi Stadium *@
10/10 — Santa Clara, CA @ Levi’s Stadium *@
10/14 — Vancouver, CA @ BC Place *@
* = w/ Anderson .Paak as DJ Pee .Wee
# = w/ Leon Thomas
^ = w/ Victoria Monét
@ = w/ RAYE
English (US) · 