Only days before “I Just Might” earns Bruno Mars another big hit, the singer-songwriter’s first smash, “Just the Way You Are,” returns to both of Billboard’s global charts. BERLIN, GERMANY – JANUARY 13: American singer Bruno Mars poses during a portrait session on January 13, 2011 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Marco Prosch/Getty Images)
Getty Images
When Billboard refreshes its charts for another week, there’s a good chance that Bruno Mars will score a new No. 1 hit. The pop superstar recently unveiled his single “I Just Might,” which serves as the first taste of his upcoming album The Romantic. The initial reactions to “I Just Might” were positive, with critics applauding what might be another true blockbuster, while fans reacted by streaming and buying the cut nonstop in the first week it was available.
“I Just Might” stands a real shot at opening at No. 1 on the Hot 100, as well as fellow Billboard tallies like the Digital Song Sales and Streaming Songs charts and both of its worldwide rosters. Ahead of the brand new track earning what could very well be an impressive debut, the song that made Mars a household name a decade and a half ago returns to both global rankings, joining a handful of cuts that come from different eras in his career.
“Just the Way You Are” Returns to Billboard’s Global Charts
“Just the Way You Are” bounds back onto both of Billboard’s semi-namesake worldwide songs charts. The single, the first from Mars to make any real commercial impact, breaks back onto the Billboard Global Excl U.S. at No. 185 and comes in just one slot lower on the Billboard Global 200.
“Just the Way You Are” Predates Billboard’s Global Lists
A little more than half a decade ago, Billboard introduced two charts that detail the most-consumed songs all around the planet. The Billboard Global 200 is compiled weekly using sales and streaming data from dozens of nations, including the United States, and performance in that country weighs heavily on where a title lands. The Billboard Global Excl U.S. was created to show what the rest of the planet is listening to, with Earth’s largest music economy excluded.
“Just the Way You Are” is not only one of the most famous songs by Mars, it is one of the most successful singles in history. A casual onlooker might not realize that based on its numbers on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl U.S. “Just the Way You Are” has peaked below No. 50 on both tallies and not long ago, it passed 100 weeks on the rankings. “Just the Way You Are” was released more than a decade before Billboard launched the charts, which explains its fairly lackluster high points.
Bruno Mars Claims Five Worldwide Smashes
This week, Mars fills five spaces on both global rankings. He narrowly misses out on appearing inside the top 10, as “Die With a Smile,” his Grammy-winning duet with Lady Gaga, lifts to No. 11 on the Billboard Global 200 and slips outside the highest tier on the Billboard Global Excl U.S., descending from No. 9 to No. 11.
“Apt.” Lives Inside the Top 20
Mars claims a pair of top 20 successes this week, as “Apt.,” a team-up with Blackpink singer Rosé, sits just a few spaces behind “Die With a Smile.” “Apt.,” which is currently in the running for multiple Grammys, slides outside the top 10 on the Billboard Global Excl U.S., sliding backward from No. 10 to No. 15, while falling from No. 15 to No. 18 on the Billboard Global 200.
“That’s What I Like” and “Locked Out of Heaven” Climb
Another pair of solo cuts by Mars occupy space in the lower half of the two charts. “That’s What I Like” and “Locked Out of Heaven,” which come from two different Mars albums, climb several spaces from where they sat last time around on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl U.S.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2026/01/17/bruno-mars-returns-with-a-new-hit—and-his-earliest-chart-win/
