Go (Mario album)

Last updated
Go
Mariogo.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedDecember 10, 2007 (2007-12-10)
Genre R&B [1]
Length53:30
Label
  • 3rd Street
  • J
Producer
Mario chronology
Turning Point
(2004)
Go
(2007)
D.N.A.
(2009)
Singles from Go
  1. "How Do I Breathe"
    Released: May 15, 2007
  2. "Crying Out for Me"
    Released: August 21, 2007
  3. "Music for Love"
    Released: April 3, 2008

Go is the third studio album by American recording artist Mario. It was released by J Records on December 10, 2007. Mario worked with many producers on the album, most notably Scott Storch and Pharrell with whom he recorded a song called, "Faith". [2] [3] Other songs were written and produced by Akon, Timbaland, The Neptunes, Stargate, Mr. Collipark, Polow da Don and with guests such as Juelz Santana and Rich Boy. Go is Mario's first album to receive a parental advisory sticker in the United States, and his second to receive a parental advisory sticker in the UK. [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Release and promotion

The album was originally scheduled to be released on November 28, 2006 under the title "Mario Barrett – Effortless. [7] It was to be his first album in which Mario would use his full name. The album then had several release dates in 2007, including April 4, [8] May 8, July 31, August 21, October 9, and finally November 27 – coincidentally, exactly a year after the first date announced. The album was eventually released on December 10, 2007 in the United Kingdom and December 11, 2007 in the United States. When asked about the delays of the album, Mario answered that he had "a few legal situations to work through, which set his album back 6 to 8 months", adding that, he now has "more control over his projects and albums he gets done." [2]

In 2007 Mario toured with Dijon Thomas, the tour was called Do Right Tour. [9] In 2008, Mario was scheduled as the tour's opening act for all dates of Ms. Kelly Tour with Kelly Rowland, to promote his album Go. On July 2, 2008, Courtney Galliano & Joshua Allen from the U.S. television reality program and dance competition So You Think You Can Dance , danced to "Skippin" as the part of the competition. [10]

Singles

The album was preceded by "How Do I Breathe," Go's first single, released on May 15, 2007. While the song was not as commercially successful as previous releases, it reaching number 46 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 18 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It was more successful elsewhere, reaching number 17 in New Zealand and number 21 in the United Kingdom, where it was eventually certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in November 2022 for sales in excess of 200,000 units. [11] A music video for "How Do I Breathe" premiered exclusively on May 23, 2007 on BET.

For his second single from Go, on Mario's official website, fans were asked to vote for the next single from the choices, "Why", "Kryptonite", or "Crying Out for Me". The second single officially released was "Crying Out for Me", with the music video premiering on September 17, 2007 on BET, again. Released August 21, 2007, it was more successful in the US, peaking at number 5 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100. On July 30, 2008, "Crying Out for Me" received a gold certification from Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [12]

While Mario did shoot a video for the song "Do Right," using clips from a MTV documentary surrounding his mother's substance abuse, it served as a promotional single only and did not chart due to having an unofficial release. Instead, "Music for Love," released on April 3, 2008, served as the album final single from the album. The son failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 but reached the top 20 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, peaking at number 18.

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]
DJBoothStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
KSTW Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [16]

Go received favorable reviews from critics. Andy Kellman of Allmusic gave the album four out of five stars, characterized the album as "the singer's strongest release yet, easily apparent after one listen, a credit that can be distributed equally between an ever-improving artist and his collaborators". He also said "Go is indeed Mario's most aggressive and assertive album, but no other song comes close to out-vulgarizing "Go" itself." [14] Sophie Bruce of BBC Music characterizeD the album as "A good mix of romantic ballads and up-tempo floorfillers." She found that "the production values are slicker and the beats snappier than on his two previous albums [...] While his contemporaries churn out identikit baby-voiced falsetto tunes, Mario’s distinctive voice is earthier and more mature with the underlying power of a young Luther Vandross." [17]

Nathan Slavik from DjBooth.net called Go "an honest, confident and purposeful collection that sounds like the work of someone who’s put aside childhood concerns and fully embraced what it means to be a man." He found that while a few songs "fall short of perfect, but if they sound lacking it’s only because Mario’s has raised the bar so high on the rest of the album. R&B has no shortage of boys; right now it desperately needs more men, and Go is Mario’s musical ticket into the world of the grown and sexy." [15] Mark Edward Nero from About.com gave the album three out of five stars and said that "Go is the first Mario album that carries a parental advisory sticker, and for very good reason." He stated too "Mario has bitten a big chunk out of Usher's vocal style, plus added some R. Kelly-style raunch to his lyrics, seemingly to shake things up and throw some dirt on his previously squeaky clean image. But Mario's occasional bawdiness here is crude, distasteful and completely unnecessary." [13]

Chart performance

Go debuted and peaked at number 21 on the US Billboard 200, selling 77,000 copies in its first week. [18] It marked Mario's lowest opening sales for any of his studio projects up to then and was a considerable decline from his previous effort Turning Point , which had opened to sales of 161,000 units in 2004. [18] The album also reached number four on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, becoming his third consecutive top five entry on the chart. [19]

Track listing

Go track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Go" Pharrell Williams The Neptunes 3:47
2."Crying Out for Me"
4:48
3."Skippin'" Theron "MaddScientist" Thomas 3:58
4."Music for Love"
  • Jerrod Stacy
  • Thomas
  • Thomas
3:49
5."Kryptonite" (featuring Rich Boy)Oak4:12
6."How Do I Breathe"3:36
7."No Definition"3:49
8."Why"
Oak3:42
9."Lay in My Bed"
3:35
10."Right and a Wrong Way"
  • Stee
  • T-Wayne
5:11
11."Let Me Watch" (featuring Juelz Santana)
4:24
12."Do Right" Akon 4:02
Total length:53:30
United Kingdom/Japan Bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Let Me Love You" (Acoustic)Storch4:35
United States/iTunes bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
14."What Is It Gonna Be"
Stargate3:25
in some countries replaces "Music for Love" [21] [22]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
15."Ghetto Love [23] "
  • Sterling Simms
  • Kristal Oliver
  • Chasity Nwagbara
  • Chuka Maduakor
  • Felder
Oak4:09

Notes

Personal and credits

Locations and studios

Recording locations and studios included: [24]

Charts

Release history

Release dates for Go
RegionDateFormatLabelRef(s)
South AfricaOctober 9, 2007 J Records [ citation needed ]
GermanyDecember 4, 2007 [29]
AustraliaDecember 8, 2007 [30]
United StatesDecember 11, 2007[ citation needed ]
JapanDecember 11, 2007[ citation needed ]
United KingdomDecember 10, 2007[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<i>Rhyme Pays</i> 1987 studio album by Ice-T

Rhyme Pays is the debut studio album by American rapper Ice-T, released on July 28, 1987, by Sire Records. The album peaked at number 93 on the US Billboard 200 and number 23 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uncle Luke</span> American musician and actor (born 1960)

Luther Roderick Campbell, also known as Luke Skyywalker, Uncle Luke and simply Luke, is an American rapper, promoter, record executive, actor, and former leader of the rap group 2 Live Crew. He is known for having helped create the Miami bass genre, for establishing one of the first rap groups and rap labels in Southern hip hop, and his sexually crude call and response lyrics which were unique for the time period. He also starred in a short-lived show on VH1, Luke's Parental Advisory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mario Winans</span> American singer

Mario Mendell Winans is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer from South Carolina. An extended member of the Winans musical family, he is best known for his 2004 single "I Don't Wanna Know", which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.

112 is an American R&B group from Atlanta, Georgia. Discovered by record production duo Tim & Bob, the group signed with Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records, an imprint of Arista Records to release their eponymous debut studio album (1996). The following year, they guest performed alongside labelmate Faith Evans on Puff Daddy's 1997 single "I'll Be Missing You," which won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group and became the first hip hop song to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100. The group then released their second and third albums Room 112 (1998) and Part III (2001); the latter peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. The group's fourth album, Hot & Wet (2003) served as their final release with Bad Boy until signing with Def Soul to release their fifth album Pleasure & Pain (2005), which saw continued commercial success. The albums spawned the Billboard Hot 100-top 20 singles including their debut, "Only You" as well as "Cupid," "Anywhere", "Love Me", "It's Over Now," and the Grammy Award-nominated "Peaches & Cream."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lloyd (singer)</span> American singer

Lloyd Polite Jr. is an American R&B singer. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and raised in Decatur, Georgia, he began his musical career as a member of the preteen-boy band N-Toon, which was formed by Joyce Irby in 1996. The group disbanded in 2001, and Polite signed with record executive Irv Gotti's Murder Inc. Records, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings in 2003 to pursue a solo career. His 2004 debut single, "Southside" peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and led his debut studio album of the same name (2004), which entered the Billboard 200 at number 11. His second album, Street Love (2007) debuted at number two on the chart and was supported by the Billboard Hot 100-top 20 singles "You" and "Get It Shawty".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Usher discography</span>

American singer Usher has released nine studio albums, ten compilation albums, eight extended plays, and 81 singles. His music has been released on the LaFace, Arista, Jive, RCA, and gamma record labels. Usher has sold more than 33 million albums in the United States alone and over 65 million albums worldwide. With over 150 million total records sold worldwide, he is one of the best selling music artists of all time. He has nine number-one singles and 18 Hot 100 top-ten singles on the US Billboard Hot 100. In 1994, Usher released his self-titled debut album in North America, which went onto sell 500,000 copies, and produced the singles "Can U Get wit It", "Think of You", and "The Many Ways". The former two peaked in the lower half of the UK and US charts. His follow-up 1997 album My Way sold over 8 million copies worldwide, becoming his breakthrough album. It is certified seven-times platinum in the US, and spawned three successful singles, including his first UK number-one song, "You Make Me Wanna...", and first US Hot 100 number-one song, "Nice & Slow". Usher's success continued in 2001, with his third studio album, 8701. It debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. The album produced two number-one singles, such as "U Remind Me" and "U Got It Bad". In 2002, the album was certified five-times platinum in the US for sales of 5 million copies. As of 2010, its worldwide sales stand at over 8 million.

<i>Collectables by Ashanti</i> 2005 remix album by Ashanti

Collectables by Ashanti is a remix compilation album by American singer Ashanti. It was released by Murder Inc. and Def Jam on December 6, 2005. The album, which consists of six remixes of past singles and four new tracks, was the last Murder Inc. release to be distributed by Def Jam. Collectables by Ashanti had a parental advisory, but a "clean" version was also released.

<i>B5</i> (album) 2005 studio album by B5

B5 is the debut album by American R&B group B5. It was released on July 19, 2005, in the United States and has sold over 200,000 copies since its release. The album debuted and peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard 200, while peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album spawned the single, "All I Do", a Jackson 5 cover, which peaked at No. 71 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Maurice Sinclair, better known as his stage name Big Reese is an American]] rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer, who was a member of the trio P.A.

<i>Sex, Love & Pain</i> 2007 studio album by Tank

Sex, Love & Pain is the third studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Tank. It was released on May 15, 2007 by Blackground Records and Universal Motown Records. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 103,000 copies in its first week, while reaching number one on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Tank's first album to have a Parental Advisory sticker, Sex, Love & Pain was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 50th Grammy Awards. Its first single was "Please Don't Go", followed by "Heartbreaker".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crying Out for Me</span> 2007 single by Mario

"Crying Out for Me" is an R&B song by American singer Mario. It was written by Jasper Cameron and Polow da Don for his third studio album Go (2007), while production was helmed by the latter. Released as the album's second official single on October 31, 2007, it peaked at number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the album's highest-charting single in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mario discography</span>

American singer Mario has released five studio albums, one compilation album, one extended play, seventeen singles, six promotional singles and twenty-one music videos. In his career, Mario has charted 15 entries on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. His four studio albums—Mario, Turning Point, Go and D.N.A.—all reached the top 5 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. To date, Mario has sold 2.3 million albums, 4.8 million downloads and earned 591 million streams in the US, according to Nielsen Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How Do I Breathe</span> 2007 single by Mario

"How Do I Breathe" is a song recorded by American singer Mario. It was written by Mario along with Phil "Taj" Jackson as well as Mikkel Storleer Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen from production duo Stargate for his third studio album Go (2007), while production was helmed by Eriksen and Hermansen.

<i>Cyclone</i> (Baby Bash album) 2007 studio album by Baby Bash

Cyclone is the fifth solo studio album by the American hip hop recording artist Baby Bash. It was released on October 30, 2007 via Arista Records. Production was handled by Happy Perez, J. R. Rotem, Ryan Tedder, DJ Felli Fel, Jim Jonsin, Justin Trugman, Kookie, Lil' Jon, Peter Ramirez, Play-N-Skillz and Scoop DeVille. It features guest appearances from Paula DeAnda, Aundrea Fimbres, Casely, Chingo Bling, Da Stooie Bros., Keith Sweat, Lucky Luciano, Marcos Hernandez, Mickaël Zibi, Mistah F.A.B., Pimp C, Queenie, Ryan Tedder, Sean Kingston and T-Pain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Won't Tell</span> 2007 single by Fat Joe featuring J. Holiday

"I Won't Tell" is a song by American rapper Fat Joe. It was released as the first single of his eight album The Elephant in the Room (2008), and features R&B singer J. Holiday. It was released on November 8, 2007 on Fat Joe's MySpace page. It was released through iTunes on December 4, 2007. It is a hip hop and contemporary R&B song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How Could You (Mario song)</span> 2005 single by Mario

"How Could You" is an R&B song performed by American recording artist Mario and is the second single from his second studio album Turning Point (2004). It was written by Antonio Dixon, Eric Dawkins, J. Valentine and the Underdogs, who also produced the song. Released on February 14, 2005, the single reached number 52 on the US Billboard Hot 100. "How Could You" also debuted on the Australian Singles Chart at number 43. The official remix of the song was produced by Scott Storch and Dr. Dre.

<i>All I Feel</i> 2008 studio album by Ray J

All I Feel is the fourth studio album by American singer Ray J, released on April 8, 2008, by Knockout Entertainment, Deja34, Epic Records and Koch Records. It is the second album by Ray J to be labeled with a Parental Advisory sticker. The album features the singles "Sexy Can I" featuring labelmate Yung Berg, and "Gifts", and was his only album with Koch Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music for Love</span> 2008 single by Mario

"Music for Love" is a song by American singer Mario. It was written by Ralph B. "Jerrod" Stacy along with Theron Thomas and Timothy Thomas from American hip hop duo R. City and was recorded for his third studio album Go (2007), while production was overseen by the former. The song was released by 3rd Street Music Group and J Records as the album's third and final single on December 11, 2007 and became a top 20 hit on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

<i>D.N.A.</i> (Mario album) 2009 studio album by Mario

D.N.A. is the fourth studio album by American R&B singer Mario. It was released first in the United Kingdom on October 12, 2009, by RCA Records and the following day in the US with J Records. On the album Mario has worked with some songwriters he already worked with, including Bryan-Michael Cox as well as new collaborators including The-Dream, Soundz and Jim Jonsin amongst others.

References

  1. "Mario - Go - Album Reviews". Archived from the original on 2007-12-21.
  2. 1 2 "Mario Interview on DJBooth.net". May 2007. Archived from the original on June 6, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2007.
  3. "Pharrell Interview" on YouTube August 2007. Retrieved September 4, 2007
  4. Official Site Archived 2010-04-05 at the Wayback Machine News on guests/production. Retrieved April 3, 2007
  5. Strong Language/Sexual Content
  6. Mario Turning Point UK edition With Parental Advisory
  7. MTV.com "Mario Says New LP Shows 'Mysterious Side' — But Ends Mystery Behind Last Name", September 2006. Retrieved April 3, 2007
  8. MTVAsia.com Archived 2007-01-29 at the Wayback Machine "Mario Changes LP Title, Reaches Out To Disadvantaged Kids", December 2006. Retrieved January 20, 2007
  9. "Mario Gets Naked!". 2008-07-16. Retrieved 7 March 2009.
  10. "So You Think You Can Dance: Top 14 Perform". Archived from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2009-02-16.
  11. "Mario, How Do I Breathe (Award)". British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  12. "Mario, Crying Out for Me (Award)". Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  13. 1 2 Nero, Mark Edward. "Mario - Go". About.com. Archived from the original on 2009-06-05. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
  14. 1 2 Kellman, Andy. "Go - Mario". AllMusic.
  15. 1 2 Slavik, Nathan. "Mario – Go". DJBooth. Archived from the original on 2007-12-21.
  16. Fields, Aaron (2007-11-30). "The Beat: Mario "Go" Review". KSTW. Archived from the original on 2008-12-03. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
  17. Bruce, Sophie (2007-11-29). "BBC - Music - Review of Mario - Go". BBC Music.
  18. 1 2 "Josh Groban's 'Noel' Is 2007's Top Selling Album … For Now". Billboard . December 19, 2007. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  19. 1 2 "Mario Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  20. "Credits / Go / Mario – TIDAL".
  21. "Mario - Go! - Review". 411mania.com. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
  22. "ACE Repertory".
  23. "Mario - Go! - Review". 411mania.com. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
  24. Product Page: Go. Muze. Retrieved on 2009-12-04.
  25. "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2014-02-18" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved February 16, 2006.
  26. "Mario Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  27. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  28. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  29. GO Germany release Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine Go Germany release. Accessed September 2, 2009
  30. Go Australia release Archived 2012-03-23 at the Wayback Machine Go Australia release. Accessed September 2, 2009