The celebs lastly aligned for R&B crooner Mario and songwriter-producer James Fauntleroy to collaborate.
Over a 12 months in the past, on Tank and J. Valentine’s R&B Cash Podcast, Fauntleroy included Mario as a part of his R&B Voltron, a section of the present the place friends assemble their good R&B artist by borrowing parts from present artists.
Fauntleroy chosen Mario for the vocals, noting, “He’s what’s subsequent.” Tank then advised Fauntleroy he ought to write a music for him. “I might like to — a complete album,” Fauntleroy responded.
Quick-forward to 2024. Mario’s sixth album, Glad You Got here, is out through New Citizen/Epic Information. It’s a musical partnership with Fauntleroy, who executive-produced it and co-wrote and co-produced nearly all of the tracks.
“Me and James have been dancing in the identical universe musically for years due to artists [and] producers we work with,” Mario tells Rated R&B over the telephone. He continues, “I even recorded songs that I didn’t even know he wrote till we bought within the session, and we had been going by way of historical past. So, it was form of destined to occur in some unspecified time in the future.”
The Baltimore native’s newest album is a follow-up to 2018’s Dancing Shadows. Whereas the latter album documented Mario’s means of turning into extra true to his inventive self, Glad You Got here, is an open invitation to affix him on his quest “to this new period of Mario, celebrating this period, the journey, and R&B.”
Beneath, Mario talks extra about Glad You Got here and choose tracks from the album. He additionally discusses working with James Fauntleroy and displays on his second album, Turning Level, 20 years later.
James Fauntleroy confirmed you like throughout his interview on the R&B Cash Podcast. How did you two finally join?
Me and James have been dancing in the identical universe musically for years due to artists [and] producers we work with. I even recorded songs that I didn’t even know he wrote till we bought within the session and had been simply going by way of historical past. It was destined to occur in some unspecified time in the future. I assume the timing was now when R&B, so far as the male artists from my technology, are all form of making a resurgence in a method and discovering out new language in R&B.
I used to be excited to make this album with him government producing it. I got here to the desk with some songs already executed and a few songs undone — a few of my favourite information that I had already. Then we did some issues from scratch, together with the one, “Glad You Got here.” Our complete mantra for the album was preserving the artwork type of R&B.
How would you describe you and Fauntleroy’s artistic partnership within the studio engaged on the brand new songs?
James was form of my muse when it got here to illustrating my emotions, feelings and vulnerability in a brand new method. He’s nice at serving to to finish worlds with regards to the artistic course of. He’s additionally an ideal producer. I believe his expertise as a author and being in so many alternative rooms [makes] him a rare associate with regards to being an artist as a result of, a whole lot of instances, you get caught in your method of writing melodically. Having any person with a lot expertise and present it with melody, lyricism, and expertise of writing several types of information helps you make an album that’s cohesive however nonetheless has totally different vibes that, conversation-wise, match collectively.
Mario and James Fauntleroy within the studio pic.twitter.com/WPPl9k5F1p
— Rated R&B (@RatedRnB) September 18, 2023
Whenever you began engaged on the album, did you have already got an thought of what course you wished to go in, or did it form of take off by itself?
I didn’t have particularly what I wished to speak about. I simply knew I wished it to be an album that consisted of vulnerability, confidence, flirtatiousness, creativeness and timelessness, and picked the tracks and melodies based mostly on that. I attempted to write down every music in a method the place no matter world I used to be residing in on that music, it’s one thing that I hadn’t executed but on the album. I actually simply wished to seize the proper emotion extra so than having every little thing I wished to say.
What’s the which means behind the album’s title, and the way does that differentiate from the title monitor?
The one “Glad You Got here” has its personal portal that it lives in. That dialog is extra about inviting your associate, your lover, or whoever you’re intimately concerned with to really feel extra assured that you simply’re being attentive to them. You’re giving them the stage to be susceptible and expertise pleasure in a really artistic method. I like to write down metaphorically, so the file is a couple of lady I’m speaking to [who] possibly has had a scarcity of delight as a result of nobody put her first. That file is all about placing your associate first and letting them comprehend it’s protected to be susceptible sufficient to expertise pleasure on totally different ranges and that there’s no restrict to it.
The album’s title, Glad You Got here, represents a full compass for me with regards to bringing every little thing again to the middle. That’s my love for music, my journey [and] my reference to my followers. [I am] reintroducing them to this new period of Mario and celebrating this period, journey and R&B. It’s an invite.
Talking of being attentive to your associate, “You 101” additional explores that idea. What went into creating that music?
That’s truly one in every of my favourite information on the album, lyrically [and] melodically. I really feel like “You 101” is one thing all of us really feel in some unspecified time in the future in our relationship with whoever we’re coping with, the place y’all could also be into one another, however you continue to haven’t figured one another out but. It’s that house that’s undiscovered. There’s a lot to be found about who you’re with that you simply by no means can cease finding out an individual. That file is simply telling a woman, “Pay attention, I want I may very well be within your thoughts. I’m going to check you so good that I might train a category.” It’s giving her the arrogance that you simply aren’t going to settle with the minimal. There’s a lot extra to find in a relationship.
“Questions” seems like an early standout monitor. What’s the story behind that one?
“Questions” was produced by Leon Thomas, myself, and Chris McCorkle. Truthfully, it was only a actually enjoyable vibe. It was like a celebration within the studio. I don’t actually try this a lot, however this present day it was random individuals coming by way of. This [was] in the beginning of the album. A number of instances, once I meet somebody or a woman for the primary time, I’m at all times attempting to get to the guts of the place they’re in life. The darkness and lightweight in an individual’s character can assist you perceive what you’re coping with. “Questions” performs on that concept of the flirtatiousness of that.
I actually just like the bounce on the file. I wished it to really feel very nostalgic and really 2000s hip-hop/R&B. I saved listening to Mystical on it. I saved listening to that half within the music. I used to be like, “Yo, pull this half up, bro. I do know this sounds loopy guys, simply belief me on this.” We put it in, and it match completely. We didn’t have to alter the tempo or the melody of his voice.
On “Egocentric,” you’re taking accountability in your shortcomings. What message did you need to ship?
In life, I discover that there’s energy in being susceptible. Generally, individuals misconstrue vulnerability for weak point, however you [have] to be assured to be susceptible. “Egocentric” is a illustration of if you don’t need to lose one thing, you simply give in.
At that time, you’re like, “Look, I be on some bulls—t generally.” As an artist, generally you overlook that your associate is human and also you [have] all these women and it’s way of life surrounding all that. Generally you overlook that house is extra necessary. It’s like, “Generally I’m egocentric. I really like you an excessive amount of to fake like I bought all of it collectively.” So hopefully, that evokes individuals to be extra susceptible.
The piano ballad “I’m Sorry” is one other standout. I want it had been a little bit longer than 90 seconds, although. How did that music come about?
It was meant to be an interlude that felt like a thought that was unfinished. James [Fauntleroy] saved saying, “Yo, I need to do a brief ballad with you that appears like an interlude.” We saved saying and in direction of center of the album, we had been like, “Yo, the right time to do it’s proper right here earlier than we go to ‘Preserve Going.’”
The music was actually a dialog with myself and whoever the individual is that I’m saying sorry to, which in my thoughts and my coronary heart there’s a number of. I believe individuals, after they hear it, they will apply this to somebody that was a greatest good friend or somebody that was a cherished one which they misplaced. We wrote it in a method the place you may relate to it in so many alternative factors of view, not nearly intimacy.
You beforehand talked about this album is only the start of what you need to give us creatively. What’s the imaginative and prescient for Mario?
In my thoughts, it’s attending to a spot the place I’ve the assets to create on the degrees that I see my potential on that entails each movie and music. I need to merge worlds and do one thing culturally sifting in music and R&B that I haven’t seen executed in the best way that I see doing it. I believe it’s a method for me to indicate my progress, push the tradition ahead, and simply take dangers that I really feel such as you bought to take with a purpose to be nice. So yeah, extra music, however merging the appearing and the storytelling on one other degree.
Your sophomore album, Turning Level, lately turned 20 this month. What’s the primary reminiscence that involves thoughts?
I really feel like I used to be in an area of studying. I used to be a younger child within the business simply having fun with and studying be an artist and a human on the identical time. My first album was a tradition shock to me as a result of I used to be transferring round loads [and] touring the world. However on my second album, I used to be turning into a younger man. So it was just like the enterprise facet of issues [and] the artistic facet of issues, simply merging all the totally different worlds and mentally processing what it represented to me. That’s the very first thing that involves thoughts.
The second factor is simply how totally different your life modifications based mostly upon the extent of success the music has. “Simply A Good friend” was a joint. “Braid My Hair” was fireplace, however when “Let Me Love You” got here out, it actually modified every little thing in my life financially, awareness-wise [and] simply obligations. It actually confirmed me what being a celebrity was at the moment.
What would you like listeners to remove out of your album Glad You Got here?
I hope the followers are impressed. I hope they really feel linked to me [and] to themselves. I hope it could ease some ache. I hope it could assist them to know how necessary the creativeness is and the way necessary being genuine is. I really feel like I’m a really genuine individual and artist. So, simply all of these underlining issues that include being an artist and folks experiencing a journey with you.
You may be becoming a member of Mary J. Blige on her For My Followers Tour in 2025. What does it imply so that you can be hitting the highway with the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul?
I’m actually honored that she picked me. She might have picked a whole lot of R&B artists — the brand new R&B artists. However I believe that present and what we’re going to do, you’re going to really feel each emotion. I’m an enormous fan of Mary. My mother used to play her music. I play her music nonetheless to this present day. She’s an unimaginable artist, and what she’s given to the sport is unimaginable.
To be sharing the stage and simply have this second in historical past, it’s one other milestone for me that I really feel like I could be actually happy with — sharing this second along with her and Ne-Yo and all of us having our particular person moments however collectively giving individuals one thing that they’ll always remember. Clearly, me and Ne-Yo have historical past as a result of he wrote “Let Me Love You” and we toured it collectively, so that is simply one thing else nice so as to add to the treasure chest.
Stream Mario’s new album Glad You Got here under.