Fans have spoken. And this week, romance won.
In our latest new music poll on X, readers crowned Bruno Mars’ The Romantic the Best New Release of the Week, earning 43% of the vote. The result caps off a competitive final New Music Friday of February, which saw major returns from global heavyweights.
Coming in second was BLACKPINK with their comeback EP Deadline, securing 32%. RAYE followed with 18% for her new single “Nightingale Lane.”, while Melanie Martinez’s “Disney Princess” rounded out the poll with 7%.
The numbers underline the momentum. On Spotify, The Romantic opened with 26.4 million streams in its first 24 hours, while Deadline launched with 16 million, both strong day-one figures.
The Romantic, released February 27 via Atlantic Records, is Mars’ first full solo studio album since 2016’s 24K Magic. Across roughly 35 minutes, the 9-track project leans into warmth and movement. Latin accents, glossy R&B grooves, and buoyant pop hooks shape songs such as “I Just Might” and “Risk It All,” the latter arriving with a wedding-themed music video.
Deadline, meanwhile, signals BLACKPINK’s first group release since 2022’s Born Pink. The five-track EP reconnects Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa in a high-impact set. With production touches from names including Diplo and Dr. Luke, and a focal anthem in “GO,” the project extends the quartet’s global pop footprint.
RAYE’s “Nightingale Lane.” offered a tonal counterpoint. The sweeping ballad, lifted from her forthcoming album This Music May Contain Hope., pairs orchestral flourishes with deeply personal lyricism. A live rendition recorded at Abbey Road with the London Symphony Orchestra and The Flames Collective has already fueled early acclaim.
Melanie Martinez’s “Disney Princess,” released days earlier, continued building anticipation for her upcoming album HADES.
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