Every week Consequence’S The “Songs of the Week” column presents great new songs from the last seven days and analyzes notable releases. Find our new favorites and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist. For more great songs from up-and-coming artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, we’re trying to figure out if Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ new collaboration “Die with a Smile” is any good.

Is “Die with a Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars good?

Honestly, it’s pretty good!

Bruno Mars has always been a showman who remembers the past, and he reached the peak of his nostalgic soul alter-ego with Silk Sonic, his collaborative project with Anderson Paak. His last three albums, An evening with Silk Sonic, 24K Magic, And Unorthodox jukebox, were so intent on living in the past that it really seems too late for Mars to change course and make something that feels contemporary – not to mention “Uptown Funk,” the breakthrough hit that confirmed his status as the ultimate nostalgia singer.

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On “Die with a Smile,” Mars’ first single since the Silk Sonic days three years ago, he doesn’t trade his classic, organic Smeezingtons pop for dance beats and a Chromatica-esque brilliance. Nor does he belt out like the cocaine-addled, funkadelic sideman he played An evening with Silk SonicInstead, Mars shows up and does what he does best: simple, satisfying love ballads.

For many (like my colleague Mary), that’s just not good enough – especially compared to Lady Gaga’s wild repertoire and chameleon-like personality. But on “Die with a Smile,” he sounds emphatic and superior. It’s hard not to believe him when he sings “I’m gonna love you every night like it’s the last night” as drums thump and a reverbed electric guitar swirls around.

Lady Gaga, as expected, blends beautifully with Mars’ crystal-clear topline, and her vocal charisma is on par with her duet partner. After all, Gaga is no stranger to retro sound, and can seamlessly switch between roles and eras as if flipping through a fashion catalog. As we saw in Silk Sonic, Mars thrives when he has someone to work with in real time—while Gaga doesn’t have the same sassy attitude as .Paak, she has powerful vocals and delicious harmonies.

But the question remains: Is this a step forward for either artist? Or is it just another pointless rehash of the past, a cannibalization of the bygone era of power duets a la “Endless Love” that offends no one but satisfies only a select few? I hesitate to say the latter, if only because of the crisp, anthemic production of “Die with a Smile,” which is immaculately mixed and just plain beautiful. While it’s not a huge leap, it’s a collaboration that does justice to its star-studded lineup. — Paolo Ragusa