Mario (singer)

Mario
Mario in 2008
Background information
Birth name	Mario Dewar Barrett
Born	(1986-08-27) August 27, 1986 (age 37) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Genres	R&B[1]
Occupations	Singer songwriter actor dancer
Discography	Mario discography
Years active	2001–present
Labels	New Citizen RCA J 3rd Street
Formerly of	Knightwritaz
Website	marioworldwide.com

Mario Dewar Barrett (born August 27, 1986),^[2][3] known mononymously as Mario, is an American R&B singer. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, he signed a record deal with J Records at the age of 14 and released his self-titled debut studio album (2002) to commercial success. It contained the Billboard Hot 100-top five single, "Just a Friend 2002." His second album, Turning Point (2004) was supported by the single "Let Me Love You," which peaked atop the chart, won two Billboard Music Awards, received a Grammy Award nomination, and remains his most commercially successful release.

His third studio album, Go (2007) saw mild success with its singles "How Do I Breathe" and "Crying Out for Me". His fourth album, D.N.A. (2009) was led by the single "Break Up" (featuring Gucci Mane and Sean Garrett), which peaked within the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In the following year, Barrett was ranked No. 98 by Billboard on their "Artist of the Decade" list.^[4] His fifth album, Dancing Shadows (2018) saw further lyrical introspection and creative control than previous commercially-oriented projects, also serving as his first independent release.^[5][6]

Aside from his musical career, he appeared in several television shows and films such as Step Up (2006), Freedom Writers (2007) and Empire (2018–2020). In 2019, Mario starred in the live television production of the musical Rent.