Bruno Mars continues to prove his status as a premier pop performer, showcasing the human artistry that distinguishes his work from the current wave of AI-generated music. Over nearly two decades, the singer has built a catalog of 22 Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits, frequently drawing from diverse influences like James Brown, Earth, Wind & Fire, and the Isley Brothers. While critics might debate the impact of AI in music production, Mars remains a formidable live entertainer, currently performing the first of five shows at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium as part of a yearlong world tour promoting his latest album, “The Romantic.” This crowd-pleasing pop superstar has been topping charts and gobbling up Grammys with detailed recreations of an ever-expanding array of past musical styles, for close to two decades. Think of him as a large language model trained on the complete works of the Isley Brothers and James Brown, Earth, Wind & Fire and Lionel Richie and New Edition, among many other pathbreakers. Of course, he’s generously rewarded for his talent, at the moment.
The concert provided a masterclass in audience engagement, featuring a mix of new material and career-defining anthems. Mars opened the set with “Risk It All,” a bolero track from “The Romantic,” before showcasing the LP’s Latin-pop influences through intricate arrangements supported by his large backing band. The show transitioned seamlessly into classic hits including “24K Magic,” “Treasure,” and “That’s What I Like.” A highlight of the night included a surprise mini-set featuring his Silk Sonic partner, Anderson.Paak. The duo delivered a performance marked by choreographed banter and a shared commitment to their musical groove. Mars goes into the studio equipped with his vast knowledge base and comes out with an exquisitely crafted tune like the 1970s Philly soul homage “Leave the Door Open” or the Police-ish reggae-rock of “Locked Out of Heave. On Wednesday he opened with a beefed-up rendition of “Risk It All,” the delicate bolero that also introduces “The Romantic,” then played a few more cuts from the new LP, which emphasizes his Puerto Rican heritage with el. Mars goes into the studio equipped with his vast knowledge base and comes out with an exquisitely crafted tune like the 1970s Philly soul homage “Leave the Door Open” or the Police-ish reggae-rock of “Locked Out of Heaven,” to name just two of the 22 hits he’s put inside the Top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100 since 2010. But surely the folks at Suno and Udio — prompt-based AI apps that spit out “newly” “created” “songs” to a user’s specifications — could do what Mars does for a fraction of the cost, right.
Midway through the performance, the energy shifted as Mars addressed the crowd during a segue from his song “Why You Wanna Fight?” into a medley of R&B classics, such as Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” and The Chi-Lites’ “Oh Girl.” Dabbing his face with a towel, he remarked, “This ain’t sweat — it’s tears.” The singer used the show to demonstrate the emotional depth required for his songwriting, particularly while deconstructing “When I Was Your Man,” showing the conviction behind his lyrical delivery.
The performance concluded with a rapid-fire series of radio staples, including “Grenade” and “Uptown Funk.” Throughout the night, Mars leaned into his signature style, performing tracks like “Marry You” and “Just the Way You Are” with a level of sincerity that resonated with the massive crowd. The production was marked by pyro, elaborate video screens, and a series of distinctively tailored floral-pattern suits. In an age of soulless AI slop, Mars comes onstage, eyes burning with the determination to wow; even (or especially) at his corniest — “Marry You,” for instance, or “Just the Way You Are” — his belief in himself is downri.
While the atmosphere of a stadium setting creates a unique communal experience, some suggest that the intimacy of a smaller venue—like the one he occupies at Park MGM in Las Vegas—offers a better opportunity to appreciate the nuanced texture of his music. Nevertheless, the SoFi Stadium performance solidified his role as a vital entertainer, providing a live, human counterpoint to the increasingly digitized landscape of modern pop music.
