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(Rating 5.0/5.0)
Ok ladies…..lovin’ you/ lovin’ you/lovin’ you/ when I’m/when I’m lovin’ you/why would you wanna break up...? Yeah ma, I know that’s your future baby daddy’s song and you’re wondering who would leave the young heartthrob. Well guess what? You can have him every time you jump in your ride or scroll through your iPod. Yes it’s true - “Boy Wonder” is back, energized and refreshed! The Grammy Award Nominee has changed his look (sporting the fresh bald head) and copped some hot beats (thanks to Polow the Don and The-Dream). His new genetically sound album D.N.A. has finally dropped; wasting no time climbing the charts and leaving its strands all over the airwaves.
We haven’t heard from the singer/songwriter/actor since he released his third album GO! in 2007 – which contained the hit single “Crying Out for Me”.
Well Mr. Barrett’s fourth release is packed with a few solid punches of its own. The first knock-out single “Loving You” features Gucci Mane and (super-song writer/producer) Sean Garrett. POW!! The ringtone alone has already been downloaded over 500,000 times! Peaking at #2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Chart and #15 on the Billboard Hot 100, this is his best single in 5 years. Now that’s a 1 – 2 combo!!
“I Choose you”, the second K.O. punch off the album (my favorite track), has also been getting a lot of play on the 1’s and 2’s.
Mario - who signed with Clive Davis (J Records) at the age of 14 – has come to let us know that he is all grown up now.
An artists’ growth and maturity should be well visible through their music. Progress should be imminent every time they drop something new. Well, M.B. definitely brings the next level of his evolvement to the table with the much awaited release of D.N.A.
Though he covers the usual subjects of love, lust and heartache - he brings a more cultivated approach.
The recording artist shows major signs of bloom on track #12, “The Hardest Moment”, by letting go of the whole “R&B thug” image and sharing a more tender side. Harmonizing against the soft melody of a grand piano, Mario canaries the lyrics, “[…if you feel a tear fallin’ on your lips/then girl that would be mine/see I’m a man that aint afraid to cry...]
He’s somewhat steered away from the usual highly sexual innuendo based songs and has given more to listen to than just “baby making music”.
Bangin’ cuts like “Before She Said Hi” (which features Island Def Jam Artist Big Sean) glorify his distinct up-tempo sound. Bass drums and synthesizers make it well-worth adjusting your EQ for max performance.
This guy has come out swingin’. I can’t even really recall a track that I had to skip. You can pretty much let this one ride on SHUFFLE…REPEAT ALL. The lyrical content and production are perfectly united. This is one the very few LP’s in 2009 that actually lives up to the hype. Mario has given his fans what they demand from an artist of his stature…polished quality music.
This release helps to keep R&B where it should be and not defined by singers who really want to be rappers. Lol.
Mario has truly let us into his progressive world. He metaphorically titled one of the tracks “Soundtrack to My Broken Heart” – that actually best describes the album as a whole.
This is one for the collection. NOT THE BOOTLEG COPY EITHER! Lol. Support a brother! Big-ups Mario! Peace.
# of songs on album: 12
# of songs worth a listen: 12