Bruno Mars has had a quiet but successful year. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Kevin Winter/Getty Images, CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images, John Esparza/Getty Images) An emotional Lady Gaga clutches her Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance as she thanks her co-performer, Bruno Mars, before anyone else. With her hair dyed jet black and her eyebrows bleached, she's already abandoned the Western aesthetic stylings of their newly award-winning "Die With a Smile" collaboration in favor of a new era - but her adoration of him remains strong."I don't know music without Bruno," she says. Mars meekly looks down, obscuring a grin as his sunglasses hide his eyes. That was February 2025, and as of August, their duet has remained among the top 15 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 52 weeks in a row, standing the test of time despite surges of popularity for other genres.
We might not know music without Bruno, either.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAccording to data from Luminate, "Die With a Smile" is the most-streamed song globally for the first half of the year. No. 2 is "APT.," Mars's hit with K-pop artist Rosé. For anyone who's left their Spotify on autoplay this year, that might not be surprising, but Mars isn't promoting an album or even on tour. He's one of the biggest pop stars of 2025, becoming the first artist to surpass 150 million monthly listeners on Spotify in January, but he's not acting like it. He's just quietly releasing bangers and performing sporadically at a Las Vegas casino.
Bruno Mars is featured on the two most-streamed songs globally in the first half of 2025. (Luminate)Nothin' on youMars is so widely loved and listened to, he doesn't have to promote his work with the intensity of other pop stars with flashy release cycles and high-octane tour performances. That said, his fans, who are called "Hooligans" in honor of his 2010 album Doo-Wops and Hooligans, would love it if he'd share a little bit more.
Though they appreciate Mars's shout-outs, some Hooligans's patience is wearing thin. His Vegas residency tickets are extremely expensive and follow the same setlist he's been using for nearly a decade. They felt like he only engages with fans to sell them things. If that doesn't change in the new era, some fans say they may move on.
His songs might be everywhere, but Hooligans are in a posting drought - especially compared to fandoms for other major artists dominating pop culture right now, like Lady Gaga and Sabrina Carpenter. Yet, for some, that's just a part of loving the "24K Magic" crooner.
AdvertisementAdvertisement"As fans, we always want more frequent releases because it's so exciting to get new content from our idols, especially when so much is happening in the industry. Sometimes part of the fan base gets a little frustrated because Bruno goes quiet and we don't get any news about what he's working on, so it feels like we're in the dark," Herick, a 27-year-old biologist from Brazil who runs an X fan account for Mars, tells Yahoo. "But with time, you get used to it, and when something new finally comes, we'll enjoy it just as much as we did last year."Bruno Mars at the 2025 Grammys. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)Herick has been a Super Hooligan since 2011, when he first stumbled upon "The Lazy Song." He says Mars is unique - while onstage, he creates a connection with fans other artists could only hope to emulate."You leave a Bruno show with the feeling that your presence there really mattered to him - and there's no better feeling than seeing your idol giving his all," Herick says. "He makes a point of learning about our cultures, our language, our traditions - and that's something very meaningful and representative."What sets Mars apart from his fellow pop stars is his intense worldwide reach. After all, that's why he's dominating global charts over artists like Billie Eilish or Benson Boone. Júlia Christiny, also from Brazil, tells Yahoo she's been listening to Mars since "Nothin' On You" in 2010. She met him two years into her fandom, and before she could speak English well."All I could say was, 'I love you,' then I cried for half an hour," Christiny, a 27-year-old software tester, tells Yahoo. "I told myself I would learn English so one day I could really talk to him. Twelve years later, I finally met him again ... and this time we had a full conversation!"AdvertisementAdvertisementShe showed him her tattoo, a drawing of his nose, which she says he loved. Even if he didn't, fandom isn't just about seeking the attention of the artist that people rally around - it's about the community that forms around the singer. Christiny says she's met some of her best friends while bonding online over Mars."Bruno just isn't like the others," Christiny says. "I think he's the most handsome man alive, but it's way beyond that. His songs are pure perfection; they touch my soul in ways I can't even put into words. It feels like his voice runs through my veins."Bruno Mars per