The stars finally aligned for R&B crooner Mario and songwriter-producer James Fauntleroy to collaborate.
Over a year ago, on Tank and J. Valentine’s R&B Money Podcast, Fauntleroy included Mario as part of his R&B Voltron, a segment of the show where guests assemble their perfect R&B artist by borrowing elements from existing artists.
Fauntleroy selected Mario for the vocals, noting, “He’s what’s next.” Tank then told Fauntleroy he should write a song for him. “I would love to — a whole album,” Fauntleroy responded.
Fast-forward to 2024. Mario’s sixth album, Glad You Came, is out via New Citizen/Epic Records. It is a musical partnership with Fauntleroy, who executive-produced it and co-wrote and co-produced the majority of the tracks.
“Me and James have been dancing in the same universe musically for years because of artists [and] producers we work with,” Mario tells Rated R&B over the phone. He continues, “I even recorded songs that I didn’t even know he wrote until we got in the session, and we were going through history. So, it was kind of destined to happen at some point.”
The Baltimore native’s latest album is a follow-up to 2018’s Dancing Shadows. Whereas the latter album documented Mario’s process of becoming more true to his artistic self, Glad You Came, is an open invitation to join him on his quest “to this new era of Mario, celebrating this era, the journey, and R&B.”
Below, Mario talks more about Glad You Came and select tracks from the album. He also discusses working with James Fauntleroy and reflects on his second album, Turning Point, 20 years later.
James Fauntleroy showed you love during his interview on the R&B Money Podcast. How did you two ultimately connect?
Me and James have been dancing in the same universe musically for years because of artists [and] producers we work with. I even recorded songs that I didn’t even know he wrote until we got in the session and were just going through history. It was destined to happen at some point. I guess the timing was now when R&B, as far as the male artists from my generation, are all kind of making a resurgence in a way and finding out new language in R&B.
I was excited to make this album with him executive producing it. I came to the table with some songs already done and some songs undone — some of my favorite records that I had already. Then we did some things from scratch, including the single, “Glad You Came.” Our whole mantra for the album was preserving the art form of R&B.
How would you describe you and Fauntleroy’s creative partnership in the studio working on the new songs?
James was kind of my muse when it came to illustrating my feelings, emotions and vulnerability in a new way. He’s great at helping to complete worlds when it comes to the creative process. He’s also a great producer. I think his experience as a writer and being in so many different rooms [makes] him an extraordinary partner when it comes to being an artist because, a lot of times, you get stuck in your way of writing melodically. Having somebody with so much experience and gift it with melody, lyricism, and experience of writing different types of records helps you make an album that’s cohesive but still has different vibes that, conversation-wise, fit together.
Mario and James Fauntleroy in the studio pic.twitter.com/WPPl9k5F1p
— Rated R&B (@RatedRnB) September 18, 2023
When you started working on the album, did you already have an idea of what direction you wanted to go in, or did it sort of take off on its own?
I didn’t have specifically what I wanted to talk about. I just knew I wanted it to be an album that consisted of vulnerability, confidence, flirtatiousness, imagination and timelessness, and picked the tracks and melodies based on that. I tried to write each song in a way where whatever world I was living in on that song, it’s something that I hadn’t done yet on the album. I really just wanted to capture the right emotion more so than having everything I wanted to say.
What’s the meaning behind the album’s title, and how does that differentiate from the title track?
The single “Glad You Came” has its own portal that it lives in. That conversation is more about inviting your partner, your lover, or whoever you’re intimately involved with to feel more confident that you’re paying attention to them. You’re giving them the stage to be vulnerable and experience pleasure in a very creative way. I like to write metaphorically, so the record is about a woman I’m talking to [who] maybe has had a lack of pleasure because no one put her first. That record is all about putting your partner first and letting them know it’s safe to be vulnerable enough to experience pleasure on different levels and that there’s no limit to it.
The album’s title, Glad You Came, represents a full compass for me when it comes to bringing everything back to the center. That’s my love for music, my journey [and] my connection with my fans. [I am] reintroducing them to this new era of Mario and celebrating this era, journey and R&B. It is an invitation.
Speaking of paying attention to your partner, “You 101” further explores that concept. What went into creating that song?
That’s actually one of my favorite records on the album, lyrically [and] melodically. I feel like “You 101” is something we all feel at some point in our relationship with whoever we are dealing with, where y’all may be into each other, but you still haven’t figured each other out yet. It’s that space that’s undiscovered. There’s so much to be discovered about who you’re with that you never can stop studying a person. That record is just telling a girl, “Listen, I wish I could be inside of your mind. I’m going to study you so good that I could teach a class.” It’s giving her the confidence that you aren’t going to settle with the minimum. There’s so much more to discover in a relationship.
“Questions” sounds like an early standout track. What’s the story behind that one?
“Questions” was produced by Leon Thomas, myself, and Chris McCorkle. Honestly, it was just a really fun vibe. It was like a party in the studio. I don’t really do that much, but this day it was random people coming through. This [was] at the beginning of the album. A lot of times, when I meet someone or a girl for the first time, I’m always trying to get to the heart of where they are in life. The darkness and light in a person’s personality can help you understand what you’re dealing with. “Questions” plays on that idea of the flirtatiousness of that.
I really like the bounce on the record. I wanted it to feel very nostalgic and very 2000s hip-hop/R&B. I kept hearing Mystical on it. I kept hearing that part in the song. I was like, “Yo, pull this part up, bro. I know this sounds crazy guys, just trust me on this.” We put it in, and it fit perfectly. We didn’t have to change the tempo or the melody of his voice.
On “Selfish,” you take accountability for your shortcomings. What message did you want to send?
In life, I find that there’s power in being vulnerable. Sometimes, people misconstrue vulnerability for weakness, but you [have] to be confident to be vulnerable. “Selfish” is a representation of when you don’t want to lose something, you just give in.
At that point, you’re like, “Look, I be on some bulls—t sometimes.” As an artist, sometimes you forget that your partner is human and you [have] all these girls and it’s lifestyle surrounding all that. Sometimes you forget that home is more important. It’s like, “Sometimes I’m selfish. I love you too much to pretend like I got it all together.” So hopefully, that inspires people to be more vulnerable.
The piano ballad “I’m Sorry” is another standout. I wish it were a little longer than 90 seconds, though. How did that song come about?
It was meant to be an interlude that felt like a thought that was unfinished. James [Fauntleroy] kept saying, “Yo, I want to do a short ballad with you that feels like an interlude.” We kept saying and towards middle of the album, we were like, “Yo, the perfect time to do it is right here before we go to ‘Keep Going.’”
The song was really a conversation with myself and whoever the person is that I’m saying sorry to, which in my mind and my heart there’s multiple. I think people, when they hear it, they can apply this to someone that was a best friend or someone that was a loved one that they lost. We wrote it in a way where you can relate to it in so many different points of view, not just about intimacy.
You previously mentioned this album is just the beginning of what you want to give us creatively. What’s the vision for Mario?
In my mind, it is getting to a place where I have the resources to create on the levels that I see my potential on that involves both film and music. I want to merge worlds and do something culturally sifting in music and R&B that I haven’t seen done in the way that I see doing it. I think it’s a way for me to show my growth, push the culture forward, and just take risks that I feel like you got to take in order to be great. So yeah, more music, but merging the acting and the storytelling on another level.
Your sophomore album, Turning Point, recently turned 20 this month. What’s the first memory that comes to mind?
I feel like I was in a space of learning. I was a young kid in the industry just enjoying and learning how to be an artist and a human at the same time. My first album was a culture shock to me because I was moving around a lot [and] traveling the world. But on my second album, I was becoming a young man. So it was like the business side of things [and] the creative side of things, just merging all of the different worlds and mentally processing what it represented to me. That’s the first thing that comes to mind.
The second thing is just how different your life changes based upon the level of success the music has. “Just A Friend” was a joint. “Braid My Hair” was fire, but when “Let Me Love You” came out, it literally changed everything in my life financially, awareness-wise [and] just responsibilities. It really showed me what being a superstar was at that time.
What do you want listeners to take away from your album Glad You Came?
I hope the fans are inspired. I hope they feel connected to me [and] to themselves. I hope it can ease some pain. I hope it can help them to understand how important the imagination is and how important being authentic is. I feel like I’m a very authentic person and artist. So, just all of those underlining things that come with being an artist and people experiencing a journey with you.
You will be joining Mary J. Blige on her For My Fans Tour in 2025. What does it mean for you to be hitting the road with the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul?
I’m really honored that she picked me. She could have picked a lot of R&B artists — the new R&B artists. But I think that show and what we’re going to do, you’re going to feel every emotion. I’m a huge fan of Mary. My mom used to play her music. I play her music still to this day. She’s an incredible artist, and what she’s given to the game is incredible.
To be sharing the stage and just have this moment in history, it’s another milestone for me that I feel like I can be really proud of — sharing this moment with her and Ne-Yo and all of us having our individual moments but collectively giving people something that they will never forget. Obviously, me and Ne-Yo have history because he wrote “Let Me Love You” and we toured it together, so this is just something else great to add to the treasure chest.
Stream Mario’s new album Glad You Came below.
