Two-time GRAMMY nominee and R&B icon, Mario, has unleashed his sixth studio album, Glad You Came, executive produced by James Fauntleroy. The album, which features the Fauntleroy-produced lead single, “Space,” clocks in at 13 tracks, and features a guest contribution from the singer Rebe.
Glad You Came, Mario’s first full-length album since 2018’s Dancing Shadows, is the star singer’s first album to release via his label and production company, New Citizen, and Epic Records, which he joined in 2023. Mario, known best for the canonical classic R&B hit “Let Me Love You,” handcrafted Glad You Came beside Fauntleroy for much of the past two years, a process that has produced “a new era of Mario” that the singer is keen on introducing to the world. “The conversation throughout the album lends itself to my successes and failures in love, and my imaginations of both,” Mario says.
Mario’s career influences, which include Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye, inspire the range and impassioned duty to R&B that drive much of Glad You Came, which the singer positions as an “upgraded version of all the things that make me who I am.” The pocket he and Fauntleroy created on the album efficiently covers a vast spectrum of styles, like the piano-woven ballad “I’m Sorry,” or the tropical, uptempo atmosphere of “Run It Back,” without sacrificing the more traditional R&B fibers of Mario’s artistry.
“James and I have a similar philosophy when it comes to the love of timeless music,” Mario says of the co-architect of Glad You Came. “The omnipresence of all of the things that lends itself to the writing process. Our stories, our lives, what we observe and absorb.”
Mario, admittedly susceptible to recluse in recent years, has emerged of late and been celebrated by several generations of R&B fans. He took the stage in Los Angeles during a stop on Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 Tour, where he delivered a crowd-pleasing performance of “Let Me Love You,” and repeated that feat in Toronto at the behest of Drake, who was visibly moved by the hitmaker’s performance of his classic records.
In January, Mario will set out on the The For My Fans Tour with Mary J. Blige and Ne-Yo, a banner moment that will join three of this millennium’s R&B giants for a 36-city trek. Date and ticket information is here. He will also do twelve shows in April and May on the Glad You Came European Tour with Eric Bellinger. See dates and ticket information here.
Mario’s long-awaited return is complete. Glad You Came is available now. Alongside the arrival of the R&B superstar’s sixth studio album, Glad You Came, Mario has delivered the music video for “Keep Going (Aaaaahhhhh),” the focus track off his upcoming LP. The feature is co-directed by James Bahman and Mario, and is available now.
“Keep Going (Aaaaahhhhh),” and its new video, is exemplary of the yearning R&B that has made Mario an indisputable icon. The sultry new cut stars Parker McKenna as Mario’s romantic interest, and the pair make for an electric on-screen tandem as Mario powers through his sensual new offering. Previously, Mario co-directed the video for the album’s lead single, “Space,” with Amber Park (Sabrina Carpenter, Kehlani), a performance-driven offering for the ballroom-ready track.
Glad You Came will be Mario’s first new album in over six years, and his first to be released through the partnership his label and production company, New Citizen, formed with Epic Records in 2023. “Keep Going (Aaaaahhhhh)” follows “Space” and the album’s title track, “Glad You Came,” as visuals into his new world.
Glad You Came is available now.
© 2024, Seth "Digital Crates" Barmash. All rights reserved.
