Mario (album)
| Mario | ||||
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| Studio album by Mario | ||||
| Released | March 19, 2002 | |||
| Recorded | 2001–02 | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 44:53 | |||
| Label | J | |||
| Producer | Clive Davis (exec.), Peter Edge (exec.), Troy Patterson (exec.), Kerry Brothers, Jr., Alicia Keys, Warryn Campbell, The Underdogs, Gérald Isaac, Amir Salaam, KL | |||
| Mario chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Mario | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |
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| Robert Christgau |
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| USA Today |
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Mario is the eponymous debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Mario. It was released on March 19, 2002, by J Records. Mario was supported by three singles: "Just a Friend 2002", "Braid My Hair" and "C'Mon".
The album debuted at number 9 on the Billboard 200, with first week sales of 96,000 copies in the . To date, the album became a certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for selling 596,000 copies in the United States.
Dan LeRoy from AllMusic states the album "offers doses of the real thing; its combination of Nickelodeon-style charm and authentic substance are reminiscent of nothing so much as a young Michael Jackson, with none of the creepy subtext. While it misses out on the humor of the original, the cover of Biz Markie's "Just a Friend" proves a shrewd update of the unwillingly platonic classic, and serves as a gateway to better originals, including a few slow numbers most teens have neither the chutzpah to try or the chops to handle. "Chick Wit' da Braids" and the swirling, organ-laced "Never" lead that pack, and the second song about cornrows, "Braid My Hair," manages to evoke the downside of being a child star without sounding like an ungrateful punk. Naturally, you have to excuse a certain amount of filler to believe fully in Mario's potential, but most of these 11 tracks offer generous hints of it".
In 2002, during the Bow Wow's tour, Mario was one of the opening act, alongside R.O.C. and Denim. In 2003, he also been on each tour alongside Nick Cannon, AJA, Jhené, Marques Houston and B2K, as one of the supporting acts for the 2003's Scream Tour III.
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