What’s Good Y'all!!! Happy New Year! As we gear up for this new year anticipating the release of new music, I want to catch you up on an album you may have missed towards the end of last year. Releasing his 6th studio album ‘Glad You Came’ on December 13, 2024, it's been 5 years since Mario gave us an album. However, it has been over 10 years since I have personally listened to a Mario album, and I am distraught about it. Mario first captured the hearts of teenage girls back in 2002 with the release of 'Just a Friend 2002'. He also captured the hearts of a few grown folks too lol because who was this handsome, young fella making a classic even better?! I remember when this song came out like it was yesterday, it was such a hit and I was so in love with the crooning Baltimore native with braids. I ran home everyday after school to not only watch it on 106th & Park, but also vote for it lol, good times. Mario kept the hits coming with 'C’mon' and 'Braid My Hair', but it would be his 2004 hit 'Let Me Love You' that would take Mario into the stratosphere of international attention peaking atop German, Dutch, Canadian and New Zealand charts. WOW right? I had no clue! I mean I knew we loved this song but the Dutch?! Lol, it's beautiful to see how influential black artists truly are everywhere, till this day we still play and sing to 'Let Me Love You' as if it came out yesterday. Music is really universal.
Turning Point is my favorite Mario album, well, it was until I listened to 'Glad You Came'. The album cover alone drew me in, as Mario stands alone in a room giving full 70’s/80’s inspiration and vibes. The first song I listened to was ‘Space’ (which I added to my weekly playlist last year please check it out. ‘Space' gave me 80’s vibes all day, I just wanna dance all over my living room every time it comes on.
This album is 13 songs long and I LOVE all 13 songs, but I’m going to try to only review a few more, however I implore you to listen to the full album, it’s a vibe. Another bop was 'Questions' it was a great follow up to 'Space' to keep your body groovin’. It also really dawns on you just how much influence Chad and Pharrell has had in music, they have been everywhere lately. I just didn’t realize our generation's music was that old to sample yet, but I mean…I guess it is huh lol.
'Glad You Came' is the third song on the album. It's a very sexy, metaphoric ballad. Mario really shows off his singing chops with this one and I really love this song because it just reminds me of a performance you would have seen on Soul Train. 'Play Fair' was such a pleasant surprise because there's rapping in the beginning of the song and I had to look at my phone thrice, like “OH THIS BIG MARIO” LOL. I really loved the song 'Selfish', it's number 9 on the album, it's a slow ballad but I love the production, of the song because it reminds me of an 80's/early 90's song. I also love the lyrics and the way Mario sounds on the song. Lastly, I want to highlight the last song on the album 'Mantra', it was such a dope and different energy from Mario, the word play, the beat, it makes you wanna dance and make it your 2025 mantra!
This entire album is on straight grown man vibes, its beautiful, its sexy, its smooth and in every song, vocally, Mario does not disappoint. Listen y’all need to stop right here and click on the links below because the album is fire:
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