Braid My Hair

Last updated
"Braid My Hair"
Braid My Hair Mario.jpg
Single by Mario
from the album Mario
ReleasedOctober 15, 2002
Genre R&B [1]
Length4:06
Label
  • 3rd Street
  • J
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Warryn Campbell
Mario singles chronology
"Just a Friend 2002"
(2002)
"Braid My Hair"
(2002)
"C'mon"
(2003)
Music video
"Braid My Hair" on YouTube

"Braid My Hair" is a song by American singer Mario. It was written by Warryn Campbell and Harold Lilly and produced by the former for Mario's self-titled debut album (2002), while Lilly is also credited as a vocal producer on the track. A downtempo contemporary R&B song about young love and the intimacy of getting your hair braided, it was conceived late into the production of Mario. Released by J Records in October 2002 as the album's second single, the song reached the top 20 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Contents

Background

"Braid My Hair" was written by Warryn "Baby Dubb" Campbell and Harold Lilly. [2] Recorded late into the studio sessions for Mario's self-titled debut album (2002), [3] the song was conceived in New York after Mario had come into the studio with his hair half-way braided and half-way out, feeling unmotivated and just wanting to let his girlfriend braid his hair. [3] It was not until when Lilly was playing the instrumental track for what would become "Braid My Hair," that he suggested to write a song about it. [4] Mario elaborated on the creation process: "He was like, "That's the song right there! We need to write a song about you just being a young kid, just wanting to do something simple, like going home and getting your hair braided, but we're gonna make it super melodic." So I went into the booth and started singing melodies to the ideas he was having. Then Harold, who was more experienced with writing, just wrote the lyrics. [3]

Critical reception

Billboard remarked that the "age-appropriate "Braid My Hair" proves that the singer can also slow things down; at the same time, the love song is a fine showcase for his youthful tenor." [5] Mya Singleton from Yardbarker noted that with the song, the "singer expresses that while he lives the life of a musician, sometimes he just wants to go home to relieve some stress. Part of the relief process is getting his hair braided; in that moment, he feels more comfortable and at ease." [6] In his review of parent album Mario, Dan LeRoy from AllMusic felt that "Braid My Hair" manages "to evoke the downside of being a child star without sounding like an ungrateful punk." [7]

Music video

A music video for "Braid My Hair" was directed by Bryan Barber. [8] As with the visuals for "Just a Friend 2002," the video was initially planned to be filmed in Mario's hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, [3] but since the singer was forced to stay in Los Angeles to record some more tracks for his debut album, Mario and Barber ended up shooting it at a local museum. [3] Commenting on the video, Mario told Buzzfeed in 2018: "I told the Brian Barber that I wanted it to be like real life, showing me returning "home" to visit family, me being on the road, and even performing at a show. I just wanted it to be super raw, super real. So we just created that concept. It was cool and family-oriented. It was showing you the boy-next-door." [3]

Track listing

CD single [9]
No.TitleLength
1."Braid My Hair" (radio edit)3:58
2."Braid My Hair" (instrumental)3:58
3."Braid My Hair" (call out hook)3:23

Credits and personnel

Credits lifted from the liner notes of Mario. [2]

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "C'Mon"
Chart (2002)Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100 [10] 74
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [11] 18

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References

  1. "The Number Ones: Mario's "Let Me Love You"". December 19, 2022.
  2. 1 2 Mario (booklet). Mario. J Records. 2002.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "What Had Happened Was: An Oral History Of Mario's Teenage Slow Jam "Braid My Hair"". buzzfeed.com . November 28, 2018. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  4. Lowe, Donette (September 1, 2016). "Interview: Mario Is Coming Back To Music, But He Still Needs More". Vibe.com . Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  5. "Reviews & Previews". Billboard . August 3, 2002. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  6. Singleton, Mya (July 17, 2024). "Fuzzworthy: 20 memorable songs about hair". Yardbarker . Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  7. LeRoy, Dan. "Mario – Mario". AllMusic . Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  8. "Braid My Hair, Mario" . Retrieved October 11, 2024 via IMDb.
  9. "Braid My Hair (CD, Single,)" . Retrieved October 9, 2024 via Discogs.
  10. "Mario Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  11. "Mario Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 15, 2014.