Mars Clones Himself: Proof He Doesn’t Need Collaborators?
(January 11, 2026) – Take a look at Bruno Mars’ new video for the just-released single, “I Just Might,”and you’ll notice many copies of him.
There’s Bruno singing. Bruno playing guitar. Brunos banging drums and bongos. Two Brunos dancing. Even a Bruno filming… well, Bruno.
All of these Mars clones fill a small, burnt-orange carpeted room as multicolored lights flash above him as his latest disco-flavored throwback thumps along.
“I Just Might” is already shaping up as an instant hit. Released Friday (Jan. 9), it has topped Spotify’s viral and new-music playlists, climbed the iTunes U.S. daily chart, and is poised to splash into the upper reaches of the Billboard Hot 100 in its first week of eligibility next Monday (Jan. 19). When it does, it will mark a return to the chart Mars dominated just last year, when his smash duet with Lady Gaga — “Die With a Smile” — was named the top Hot 100 single of 2025.
Along with his “APT.” collaboration with Rosé — the year’s biggest global hit — Bruno enjoyed one of the strongest two singles runs of his career (we’ll pardon him for last year’s flopping “Fat, Juicy and Wet” with Sexyy Red). But both his crowning moments came through collaborations.
In fact, his immediate prior chart successes were also partnerships. In 2021, as half of Silk Sonic with Anderson .Paak, he topped the Hot 100 with “Leave the Door Open” and followed with the top five “Smokin Out the Window.” Before that came his Cardi B duets “Finesse” and “Please Me,” both of which peaked at No. 3. His last major solo Hot 100 smash? 2017’s diamond-certified No. 1 “That’s What I Like.”
All of which makes the “I Just Might” video such a statement, intentionally or not.
Seeing five or six Brunos, all clad in green, instantly recalls André 3000’s similar multi-clone DIY performance in OutKast’s “Hey Ya!” Both videos feel like declarations of one man’s independence. Or in Bruno’s case, a reclamation of it. Turning 40 last October, Mars now seems to be saying the only collaborator he needs is himself, as many of his earlier solo works will attest (his “Just the Way You Are” — at 21 times platinum — is one of the biggest selling singles of all time!).
Indeed, “I Just Might” doubles as a kiss-off to any haters claiming last year’s success was borrowed from duet partners who simply re-elevated his profile.
Can “I Just Might” Keep Him on Top in 2026?
Will warm early reception translate into another monster Hot 100 run?
Mars’ built-in fanbase — 116.3 million monthly Spotify listeners, fourth highest in the world — practically guarantees a massive debut week on curiosity alone. But the new song has also drawn familiar criticism: that Bruno is “making the same old-school song over and over.”
Of course, Mars has never merely dipped his toes into the ‘70s retro pond — he cannonballs into it. And for nearly 16 years, the formula has worked. As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke…
Still, the music landscape has changed since his last album, 24K Magic, in 2016. Only a handful of artists topping the charts then are still doing so now. And as pop culture and national moods shift in unpredictable directions, especially with the growing unrest of 2026, the question remains: will Bruno’s feel-good retro escapism — particularly if that’s what powers his forthcoming album, The Romantic — still resonate with the kind of longevity he’s recently enjoyed in those duets once initial curiosity fades?
It’s too early to tell. But all signs point to another major hit, at least for now.
It may be titled “I Just Might.” But it’s looking more like Bruno Mars will… again.
DJRob
DJRob (he/him) is a freelance music blogger from the East Coast who covers R&B, hip-hop, disco, pop, rock and country genres – plus lots of music news and current stuff! You can follow him on Bluesky at @djrobblog.bsky.social, X (formerly Twitter) at @djrobblog, on Facebook or on Meta’s Threads.
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