MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE: Let’s Talk About Bruno

Bruno Mars is in a league that very few artists compete in. He’s got the kind of mass appeal that is rare for newer acts in today’s musical landscape but it’s that very universal appeal that has made for his music to have an insanely wide reach. Every generation can find something to enjoy in a Bruno Mars album. The proof is in the pudding too because his upcoming stadium tour completely sold out before his album was even released. Just his name alone has that staying power but now his album The Romantic is finally out and fans (including myself) can finally start preparing for the show. Lucky for us, the album is just as beautiful as I’d hoped it would be.

It’s been a long journey for Bruno to get to this point in his career where a new album is in our midst. Bruno’s been around in various capacities in the last few years whether it be with Anderson .Paak as a member of the duo Silk Sonic, or releasing duets with various female artists like Lady Gaga, Rosé and Sexyy Red. For this reason, it seems hard to believe that it actually has been ten years since Bruno has released his own solo album 24K Magic. Quantity over quality has always been his M.O.; an old interview from 2016 shows him saying that the reason that he only includes nine songs on his projects is because if he doesn’t get you in those nine… he never will. A tactic that I respect and wish that a lot more artists would enforce. The result is an album that feels cohesive and complete without any filler tracks. If you can get the moms in your corner then you’re set - and my mother is beyond obsessed with his new album, LOL.

Bruno has always had a retro feel to every single one of his albums. Some listeners have said that it can feel a bit repetitive at times. There’s also the very real question of whether he’s taking too much from the retro hits that influenced his new music. Many people will probably never have heard those songs but Bruno could open the door for those listeners. Music evolves and it becomes harder for songs to transcend generations. My hope would be that fans of Bruno could also now explore the sounds of Curtis Mayfield or The O’Jays whose influence feels very prominent in many of the later songs on the album like “Dance With Me”. That being said, there’s still something comforting about listening to Bruno. Generally, you know what you’re going to get but I mean that in a great way. Familiarity provides comfort and music is the source of comfort for so many people. I see nothing wrong with a little comfort, however the music does still need to slap. Bruno hit it out the park for me and I would argue that the lead single “I Just Might” is my least favourite. Maybe he’s saving the big guns for the rest of the promotional cycle.

Next week is Harry Styles’s big release week for his new album Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. Plus, Jennifer Lopez takes another stab at new music with some help from David Guetta. This week is all about Bruno with some extra picks courtesy of RAYE, HoneyLuv with Muni Long, BLACKPINK and a viral classic 2000’s banger from Sean Paul and Keyshia Cole.

Listen on…

MC’s PICKS OF THE WEEK

“Risk It All” by Bruno Mars

Anytime I get a call from my mother telling me to listen to a song, then you know that said song is destined for greatness. The last time a song hit my mother’s radar was “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus. My point here is that the true staying power of a song is if it can manage to reach people who do not generally go looking for music. The music just has to be that good that it finds everyone, and becomes beloved. “Risk It All” had me from the first second. The Mexican influence is imminent from the very beginning and has incited some interesting conversations online regarding the public’s reaction to Bruno singing this genre versus Spanish-speaking artists, especially in the aftermath of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance. Bruno has long taken influence from different genres in his music and there’s always been critiques surrounding it, but he has always done so with immense respect. It’s not all negative though, as many content creators have taken to socials to display their love for his tribute to Mariachi. His talent is just immense, and there’s a reason why he is such a beloved artist. He creates art. Bruno who is half Puerto Rican himself is exploring a plethora of Latin sounds on this album. I mean it is called The Romantic, and there’s nothing more romantic than Latin music. “Risk It All” is the lovers anthem that we all need in such dark times. There’s a popular tweet going around saying that Bruno doesn’t know how to make a bad song. That might not be completely true, but for every mediocre song he may record, lays an undeniable classic like this track. The work of a true musical talent.

“Cha Cha Cha” by Bruno Mars

A solid early-2000’s sample is going to get me every single time, I’m about as predictable as a cheesy rom-com. Bruno uses a sample of Juvenile’s 2004 song “Slow Motion” which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was in circulation. Bruno samples the melody and lyrics from the chorus into his own, and it’s so damn pleasing to the ear. I always say that hearing a sample for the first time can feel like discovering a pot of gold. It’s just such a euphoric feeling. The song itself has both Latin and ‘70s influences written all over it. It would be the perfect song for a ballroom dancing competition – my money is on it being used for a Rumba. In addition to my weakness for 2000’s music samples, I also have one for saxophones. I hear a saxophone and I am automatically sold. This song is just the best vibes that music can bring and feels like the Bruno that I have grown to know and love. This is the younger brother to Madonna’s “La Isla Bonita” but with a bit more soul. Bruno’s entire new project feels like it will make for the perfect live act, every song has so much character. If romance and being “the romantic” is the main thread throughout this entire era then he executed it with ease.

“Nightingale Lane.” By RAYE

RAYE has got some serious soul and she is letting it all come out to play on this deeply emotional cut. If her last single was her searching for her true love, this song is her mourning that love. She begins the song with a spoken word intro about what we’re about to hear and the emotional journey she is going to take us on. Her naturally jazzy vocals sound so crisp and she’s hitting all the right notes. The “money notes” as Brandy once described them to be; the ones that hit you right to your core and move you. RAYE is mourning her love sure but she is also proud to have experienced the love. She does call it the “greatest heartbreak I have ever known”; it doesn’t get more intense. The drums are centrepieces to telling the story of the lyrics making it possible for RAYE’s vocals to shine. She’s always had a little bit of an Amy Winehouse quality to her vocal delivery and stylings, but she finds her own lane in this one. Her new album This Album May Contain Hope is out at the end of the month, so if you’ve been converted to the RAYE fan club like I have then it’s quite an exciting time.

 

“Don’t Stop” by HoneyLuv, Muni Long

This banger belongs on all of your running playlists. You know those songs that automatically make you need to get up and attempt to twerk? Just me? This beat is nasty and feels like the magic hour at a club when the drinks are flowing and the strobe lights make you feel just the right amount of sexy. HoneyLuv is a house music DJ and producer who has been crafting a sound that incorporates soulful grooves with house and electronica. I’m talking slinky basslines, powerful vocal stems and samples incorporated throughout her set that keeps the crowd engaged and dancing all night long. Muni Long is getting in on the action now lending her vocals to one of Honey’s more recent tracks for a remix that is giving total ‘90s house diva through the lens of a 2026 sound. I have always felt like female vocals fit Dance music so seamlessly, especially vocalists who have soul. It all goes back to the era of C+C Music Factory where every hit needed a strong female vocal to truly convey the emotion and take the song to the next level. In this case, Muni Long’s “baby don’t you stop” plea is almost like a battle cry to keep the party going just a little longer. To me this track is a world class dancefloor anthem that requires to be played on full blast, but like I said earlier, it fits perfectly on any running or cardio playlist.

“GO” by BLACKPINK

Blinks, this one has been a long time coming. The ladies of BLACKPINK have released their long promised mini-album Deadline complete with five new energetic electronic songs. The new single from the project “Go” was co-written by Coldplay’s Chris Martin and mega Pop producer Cirkut. It follows the same vein as their previous single “Jump”, leaning heavily into the world of EDM with each girl having their own solo. My personal favourite is Lisa who raps with so much attitude and sass. The beat drop in the chorus is insane, almost reminiscent of the early-2010s EDM boom that took over radio stations worldwide. It’s the girls chanting “Blackpink’ll make ya” towards the end though that truly sticks out, giving fans that signature confidence that the girls first conveyed years ago when they popped up in our “area”. It’s definitely the strongest song on the EP that is already tailor made to be performed on a stadium stage. This new release does not come without its share of controversies. For one the ladies have worked with Dr. Luke on two of the songs albums which certainly opens the debate about where Pop music stands and what the boundaries are. Katy Perry got a lot of flak for working with him while artists like Kim Petras and Doja Cat did not, so where is the line? It doesn’t seem to be affecting the girls much as the EP sold a whopping 1.44 Million copies in its first-day in Korea, outperforming any release by a K-Pop girl group ever.

MC’s VIRAL PICK

“(When You Gonna) Give It Up To Me” by Sean Paul, Keyshia Cole

Sometimes a songs choreography will resonate so well with the public that it manages to go viral multiple times over a span of multiple years. That is the case with this 2000s classic courtesy of Sean Paul and Keyshia Cole. “(When You Gonna) Give It Up To Me” was originally released as a single for the 2006 movie Step Up starring Jenna Dewan and Channing Tatum. Originally a solo track from his own album, Sean Paul re-recorded the song to be a duet with Keyshia and together the two created one of the defining R&B/Pop hits of the era. The music video itself is set in a dance studio which is fitting given the subject matter of the film that the song was meant to promote. Just like any 2000’s hit, the song has some dope choreography but it’s a new set of choreography to the song that has taken TikTok by storm, and just in time for the songs 20^th anniversary. This dance has actually made its rounds on the app before back in 2023, but it seems that we’ve now reached the point of the viral TikTok journey that trending dance routines are starting to earn a second wind. Not that I’m complaining in this case because this song has always been one of my absolute favourite 2000s gems and I’m loving seeing get some shine.

@duttypaul

Still want you to give it up to me

♬ (When You Gonna) Give It Up to Me [Radio Version] - Sean Paul & Keyshia Cole

@planetunya More energy this time💀 #dance #trend #fyp #planetunya ♬ (When You Gonna) Give It Up to Me [Radio Version] - Sean Paul & Keyshia Cole

@smmovement Everyone Tag @Sean Paul 🔥 guess we ain’t done with this one 💯 #seanpaul #giveituptome ♬ (When You Gonna) Give It Up to Me [Radio Version] - Sean Paul & Keyshia Cole

@duttypaul Flingback! From #GiveItUpToMe 2 #ReadyfortheRide 20+ years of making all the sexy ladies dance #TBT ♬ (When You Gonna) Give It Up to Me [Radio Version] - Sean Paul & Keyshia Cole

The song’s virality online has translated into streams on various streaming platforms. Just on Spotify the song is earning a whopping 1,7 million daily streams which for a song that is twenty years old is obscenely high, outstreaming some of today’s biggest hits by Harry Styles, BLACKPINK, Kehlani and more. Yes, Sean Paul’s 2006 hit is getting more daily streams than the new Harry Styles single. That my friends is what we call a timeless classic.

The 2026 “MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE” Spotify playlist is officially live. You can add it here to keep up to date with my weekly picks throughout the year. 

With Love, 

MC