On Friday (January 9), Bruno Mars officially began promoting his upcoming fourth solo album. The Romantic is expected to arrive in late February, and the project is off to a strong start thanks to lead single “I Just Might,” which became a quick top 10 bestseller on iTunes the moment it was released.
“I Just Might” is bound to be a big hit on the Billboard charts after its first full tracking frame finishes, as Mars never misses, and there is a constant and intense demand for new work from one of the most successful pop artists of all time.
Ahead of “I Just Might” debuting, several of the smashes that turned Mars into a household name and a historic winner returned to Billboard’s global charts, while several others soar now that Christmas music is once again falling out of favor.
Bruno Mars Brings Two Old Hits Back to the Billboard Charts
Mars sees two smashes find their way back to both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. Between his two comebacks, “That’s What I Like” is the most impressive. That Grammy-winning track reenters the Billboard Global 200 at No. 135 and the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. at No. 143.
“Locked Out of Heaven,” which is connected to a different era by Mars, is not far behind. That decade-plus-old track finds its way to No. 161 on the Billboard Global 200 and No. 165 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. after not appearing on either roster only a few days ago.
“Die With a Smile” and “Apt.” Surge Together
Mars fills four spaces on the two 200-spot rankings, which detail the most popular songs around the planet. The Billboard Global 200 is compiled using sales and streaming data from every nation in the world, while the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. does not take into account consumption from American listeners.
As “That’s What I Like” and “Locked Out of Heaven” return, both “Die With a Smile” and “Apt.” with Rosé leap up the lists. Mars claims back-to-back top 10 successes on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S., as “Die With a Smile” rockets from No. 35 to No. 9, while “Apt.,” a collaboration with the Blackpink superstar, improves from No. 52 to No. 10.
Both of those tracks sit just outside the uppermost region on the Billboard Global 200, and they may return to that tier when Billboard refreshes its rosters again. “Die With a Smile” misses out on the top 10 on the Billboard Global 200 by just two spaces, while “Apt.” settles at No. 15, up more than 50 spaces from last time around.
Bruno Mars Claims Several of the Longest-Running No. 1s Ever
Despite the fact that both “Die With a Smile” and “Apt.” were released in 2024, it’s not entirely shocking to see them rank once again among the most successful tunes in the world. “Die With a Smile” is tied as the second longest-running No. 1 in the history of the Billboard Global 200 alongside “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters. Recently, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” passed those two and became the first 20-week ruler.
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The same collaboration with Gaga sits in third place on the list of the tracks with the most frames spent at No. 1 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. The other Mars smash, “Apt.,” is two frames ahead with 19 weeks running the show. Only “Golden” has beaten both of the superstars’ hits, as this time around it reaches 20 turns at No. 1 – a first in the half-decade-long tenure of the Billboard Global Excl. U.S.
“Die With a Smile” Returns as U.S. Radio Smash
“Apt.,” “That’s What I Like,” and “Locked Out of Heaven” only appear on Billboard’s worldwide tallies, while “Die With a Smile” is once again a certified smash in America. The Grammy-winning collaboration returns to both the Digital Song Sales and Streaming Songs charts, two of the most competitive rosters in the U.S. The cut also nearly hits its all-time peak on the Adult Contemporary list, one of the three pop radio rosters published by Billboard. This week, “Die With a Smile” improves from No. 5 to No. 3, barely missing out on hitting No. 2, where it stalled in the past.