There was one performance on the 2026 VMAs broadcast that was on everyone’s lips, and that of course was Bruno Mars’ show-stopper “Dance with Me”. There’s something about Bruno’s smooth, soulful live vocals that takes you away to another place. He always delivers the goods live, but he was seriously cooking with gas here from the two-minute mark onwards. There’s nothing quite like the Hawaiian star styling at the top of his vocal range. This era feels like peak Bruno when it comes to his live vocal performances.
With so much polished pop around these days, it sure is refreshing to hear Bruno’s soulful vocals as he delivers the goods for his fans. And Bruno’s guitar solo just after three minutes was the perfect way to bring this performance to the stratosphere. The Music Man has to say his melodic, tasteful approach to the lead break was just what the doctor ordered!
MTV uploaded Bruno’s VMAs performance to YouTube on September 28, 2026, where it hit one million views. Fans have praised Bruno’s vocals and guitar playing.
The Hawaiian hitmaker has been bringing the right stuff with his award show appearances this year. In February 2026, Bruno hit the Grammys stage to perform “I Just Might”, which he had recently dropped as the lead single from his album The Romantic. And what a great choice for lead single it is – it’s such an instant classic Bruno hit. Seeing his A-list collaborators Rosé and Lady Gaga grooving with such huge smiles on their faces in the audience made this performance extra adorable.
Bruno Mars released “Dance With Me” as a single on October 1, 2026, four days after his VMAs performance aired. The tune first appeared on his fourth solo studio album The Romantic, which was released on February 27, 2026.
The Music Man readers might be interested to hear that Bruno wrote “Dance With Me” with Dernst Emile II, James Fauntleroy and Philip Lawrence, songwriters he has penned several hits with. Bruno and Dernst also handled production for the tune.
The Romantic yielded two international hits, the first and second singles “I Just Might” and “Risk It All”, which hit number one and four in the US respectively. “Dance With Me” made a more modest impact on the charts, peaking at 42 in both the US and Canada.