R&B singer Mario and his blockbuster single ‘Let Me Love You’ are our pick for this week’s From The Vault.
With its melancholic melody, ‘Love’ served as the definitive big hit of Winter 04 – 05 spending a scorching 9 consecutive weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100. Reaching #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop tally, it was also Mario’s first international smash, hitting #1 in Germany and scoring Top 3 placements in the UK and Australia.
Produced by Scott Storch and written by Ne-Yo – who would emerge as a recording artist a few months later with that very sound – it was the first single from the artist’s sophomore set ‘Turning Point’ which sold over a million records.
Little X directed the song’s video which saw the matured singer falling for a girl in a drama-filled relationship. Throughout the visual they can be seen connecting through the art of dance and the colors used on the different murals compliments the song’s moodiness.
On many an occasion, we’ve been vocal about how we felt the male arena lacks diversity. Expanding on this, it seems like the real issue is that the “powers that be” aren’t grooming enough R&B male acts in the first place.
As such, we would love to see more Mario’s emerge; gifted male vocalists, with storytelling tones, and performance ability.
Whatever the case, kudos to Mario – and really Ne-Yo – for delivering a track that has stood and will no doubt continue to stand the test of time.
