Bruno Mars Announces First Solo Album in Nearly a Decade

Bruno Mars announced Jan. 5 on social media that his new album is complete, marking his first confirmation of a solo project since the release of his Grammy-winning 2016 album "24K Magic."

The new album will be Mars' first solo studio release in nearly a decade. Although he has remained active in music with the Silk Sonic collaboration alongside Anderson .Paak and several high-profile features, Mars has not released a solo album since "24K Magic," which produced hits such as "That's What I Like" and "24K Magic." The album won six awards at the 2018 Grammy Awards.

Since then, Mars has been selective with his music. In 2021, he and .Paak released "An Evening With Silk Sonic," a tribute to 1970s funk and soul that was met with critical acclaim and earned multiple Grammy Awards.

In 2024, Mars was featured on "APT." with BLACKPINK's Ros . By early 2025, "APT." became the first song by a K-pop artist to reach No. 1 on Billboard's Pop Airplay chart. In April, the single achieved a record-extending 19th week atop the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart and ultimately topped the year-end Billboard Global Excl. U.S. and Billboard Global 200 charts. The song accumulated nearly 4.9 billion official on-demand global streams through Nov. 27, according to Luminate.

In September, "APT." won song of the year at the MTV Video Music Awards, marking the first time a K-pop act received the honor. In November, it earned three Grammy Award nominations, including record of the year and song of the year.

Mars also released "Die With a Smile" with Lady Gaga in 2024 and "Fat Juicy & Wet" with Sexyy Red in 2025.

He has continued to perform live, including a recent appearance at a corporate holiday party with Slash, Eddie Vedder, Brandi Carlile and others, suggesting his new album may include more eclectic, live instrumentation influences.

Mars' announcement signals his return to solo work and hints at another chart-topping era.