All In The “D.N.A.”: The ReInvention of Mario3 Comments

In 2002, Baltimore native Mario’s retread of the cult Biz Markie hit “Just A Friend” was rushed to radio stations as a means of introducing R&B’s latest teen sensation.  The single, while kid-like in nature, caught fire with a broad audience and led the newcomer to accomplish a rare feat for a debut single: a spot in the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100.  Known mostly for his cornrows and smile, Mario began to pop up everywhere with the hit as it quickly out-performed the original and positioned him as a contender for the new “prince of R&B throne.”  Reviews for his album were mostly favorable with the website Allstar saying that “its combination of Nickelodeon-style charm and authentic substance are reminiscent of nothing so much as a young Michael Jackson.”  Not bad for a debut, right?  His self-titled album sold 96,000 copies in its first week, enough to capture #9 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart.

During the summer of 2002, Mario was invited to serve as the opening act on the immensely popular, white-hot Scream tour, featuring acts like Marques Houston and B2K.  His popularity steadily rising, Mario released his follow up single “Braid My Hair,” a ballad-type style that was a departure from his original work.  Attempting to focus more on his voice than his image didn’t catch on with the public however – the single peaked at #74 on the Billboard Hot 100 and failed to even crack the top 10 on the R&B charts.  The tour’s success kept him in the spotlight through the fall of 2002, and in an attempt to recapature the fans he seemingly had lost with the tepid sophomore single, he released “C’Mon,” a track more in the vein of “Just A Friend.”  However, it appeared too late for a resurgence – the single stalled at the bottom of the R&B charts and didn’t even crack the Billboard Hot 100.  The album managed to still sell over 500,000 copies and Mario’s camp immediately went back to work on a follow-up that would show his growth as an artist and give him the ability to compete with the likes of Usher, who appeared to have the industry on lock, even one year after his 8701 album was released.

For his second album, Mario was intentional in crafting a more mature sound.  He was adamant about not being boxed in with the “teen crowd” and decided that he needed to stand out from the group that he initially surrounded himself with (and opened for).  Gone were the cornrows, baggy jeans and sneakers.  He now had a close Caesar cut and was decked out in tailored, designer fashion.  The public did take notice and, with the help of a then up-and-coming songwriter Ne-Yo, Mario released “Let Me Love You,” the first song from his new album Turning Point.  Produced by uber-producer Scott Storch, the album shot to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 2004 and stayed there for nine consecutive weeks.  However, just as it appeared that Mario was armed and ready for super-stardom, his label, J Records, unceremoniously pushed his CD’s release date back to December from an original late summer release date.  We all know that in the music industry, the old adage “out of sight, out of mind” is common and, despite the lead single’s positive reception, the hype started to fizzle out.  The second single, “How Could You,” was an homage to heartbreak, and represented another step in the acceptance of Mario as a vocalist and not some flash-in-the-pan teenybopper.   It would peak at #52 on the Billboard Hot 100 and lead to the album’s release. Unfortunately, unlike with its predecessor, Turning Point debuted outside of the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 200 (it started off at #13).  Fortunately, the first week sales were noticeably higher, as 161,000 copies were sold.  The album’s reviews were solid as well, with Blender magazine saying, “his enticingly even-toned voice—smooth as R. Kelly’s—transcends teen-pop.”  Mario was everywhere, showing off his new fashion sense, newly toned physique and working tirelessly to push his CD over the platinum mark.  In 2005, amidst the sea promotional events, he was awarded 2 very impressive feats: a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album and an opening act slot on the farewell tour for the mega-successful group Destiny’s Child.  While he didn’t end up taking home the Grammy, Mario was able to comfort himself with the fact that his latest album had 1.6 million copies and its lead single had been certified double platinum.  In an effort to increase his crossover appeal, Mario appeared in the dance film, Step Up.  With another success under his belt, he readied for another release but was not prepared for what would happen next.

Just as with the drama surrounding the late release of Turning Point, Mario faced more label trouble with his third album, Go!.  Despite boasting production credits from superstars like the Neptunes, Timbaland, Akon and Stargate, J Records was not totally convinced of Mario’s prowess as an act just yet.  He would endure a 6-8 month battle over his ability to have complete artistic control over his release but it was a war he was ready to wage.  The lead off single “How Do I Breathe” was a solid, “baby come back” debuted in May 2007 and peaked at #46 on the Billboard Hot 100, a far cry from the smash that was “Let Me Love You.”  Despite the weak start, Mario was everywhere promoting his most “personal project to date,” appearing on numerous television shows and radio stations.  With the album slated for a December release, Mario rushed out another single “Crying Out For Me” as a means of building momentum.  “Crying Out For Me” would hit #33 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spend some weeks in the top 5 of the R&B/Hip-Hop Charts.  Go! debuted quietly at #21 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and would quickly disappear from it.  Once again, Mario’s critical acclaim was firmly in place with Allmusic declaring it, “the singer’s strongest release yet, easily apparent after one listen, a credit that can be distributed equally between an ever-improving artist and his collaborators.”  Mario was also asked to open for former Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland’s Ms. Kelly tour.  “Crying Out For Me” managed to go gold, selling over 500,000 copies and the follow-up “Music for Love” failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

A bit part in Hilary Swank’s Freedom Writers failed to ignite his acting career, as he had hoped.  The music industry whispered that Mario’s increase in raunchiness may have served as a turn-off for some listeners who preferred the romantic “Let Me Love You” and were seemingly now rejecting the over-sexed singles. As a means of trying to reach a broader audience, Mario appeared on the spring 2008 edition of ABC’s ever-popular reality competition, Dancing with the Stars.  He surprisingly finished in the top 5 and was rumored to be romantically linked to his dancing partner, Karina Smirnoff.  That same year, Mario let the world into his very personal world with the MTV special, “I Won’t Love You to Death: The Story of Mario and his Mom.”  The special centered around Mario and his struggles with his mother’s drug abuse.  A heartbreakingly real and poignant look at the relationship between a mother and son lead to the special, garnering a 2008 Prism Award for its realistic portrayal of drug abuse.

In 2009, Mario released D.N.A., fueled by the success of “Break Up.” a hip-hop infused track featuring Sean Garrett and Gucci Mane.  “Break Up” became Mario’s best charting single since “Let Me Love You,” peaking at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and being certified gold.  Despite the success of the single, the album’s debut – selling 38,000 copies in its first week – represented Mario’s lowest first week sales ever and, despite being released in the fall of 2009, has yet to break 100,000 copies in sales.

If you listen to all four of Mario’s albums in chronological order, you will definitely see the evolution of a teen star into a young adult.  His lyrics have become increasingly sexual in nature but that should have been expected considering he is coming into his own as a man and as an artist.  The vocals on D.N.A. are the best of his career, and you can tell from the song lyrics that this album is probably his most personal ever.  I am still baffled that this genuine artist has not had the same amount of success as his R&B counterparts, despite his ability to sing circles around them.  In this case, was his reinvention a good thing?  Did it ultimately help or harm him?  And can he build a case to stay relevant in a music world where there is more emphasis on “flashy” instead of the actual artist?

• What's NEW Music | Usher, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Wale, Nicki Minaj & MORE!
• Super Pop! Debuts Art Showcase in Atlanta
• Mixtape Release Party for "Born on the Finish Line" of Champ Camp Music
• What's NEW Music | Lauryn Hill, Ice Cube, Public Enemy, Dru Hill, Petey Pablo, Nelly, Calvin Richardson & MORE!
• Trina Covers Rolling Out Magazine