Bruno Mars Features Mariachi Los Criollos on ‘Risk It All’ From First Solo Album in Decade

Bruno Mars launched his first solo album in a decade with a bold cultural statement, opening The Romantic with "Risk It All," a bolero-inspired single featuring Southern California mariachi group Mariachi Los Criollos de Guadalajara. The album arrived Feb. 27, 2026, alongside the song's music video.

Co-directed by Mars and Daniel Ramos, the video features Mars fronting the mariachi band in a matador-style suit at a Catholic church before transitioning into wedding and domestic scenes. The set includes chains featuring the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe and roses framing the love story throughout. The video was filmed at Guardian Angel Catholic Church in Pacoima and private residences in Thousand Oaks and Hollywood.

Mariachi Los Criollos de Guadalajara, led by Joel Jacques, was initially asked only to mime playing the instruments, but the band quickly memorized the song by ear and performed it live, impressing Mars himself. Jacques described the collaboration as a moment of great pride, saying Mars's embrace of Latin culture represents a defense of their blood and identity.

The video garnered excitement across the Latin community, with Rancho Humilde founder Jimmy Humilde commenting on Bruno Mars' Instagram post sharing a snippet of the clip: "I love this. Thank you for embracing our roots. Glad to be part of it." Fuerza Regida's JOP added, "This is history. United States is full of cultures," while Ivan Cornejo simply chimed in, "LFGGGGGG" (or "LET'S GO").

Rolling Stone described the track as evoking a Mexican bolero, a romantic ballad originating in Cuba and popularized by Mexican musicians. Mariachi Los Criollos de Guadalajara has built a strong reputation in the Latin community, with around 150 five-star reviews online.

The Romantic is Mars' first solo LP since 2016's 24K Magic. Collaborative projects of this kind are believed to set a standard for upcoming culture-based collaborations in the music business, as more musicians have learned to embrace genre fusions and incorporate different types of music from various cultures to meet the increasing requests from their audiences for authenticity and representation.