D.N.A. (album)
Encyclopedia
D.N.A. is the fourth studio album from American R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...

 singer Mario Barrett. It was released first in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 on October 12, 2009 by RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...

 and the following day in the US with J Records
J Records
J Records was an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment, and was distributed through the RCA Music Group.-Company history:...

. On the album Mario has worked with previous hitmakers Bryan-Michael Cox as well as new collaborators including The-Dream
The-Dream
Terius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...

, Soundz
Soundz
Soundz is a producer specialising in Hip-Hop and R&B genres. Soundz has produced many songs of these genres, including "Look at Her" by One Chance, and has produced a lot of content for artists Pitbull, Trina, Young Boss, Ciara, Brandy and Rihanna....

 and Jim Jonsin
Jim Jonsin
James Scheffer, better known by his professional name, Jim Jonsin, is an American Grammy award winning record producer, songwriter, record executive, and entrepreneur...

 amongst others.

The album's lead single "Break Up
Break Up (song)
He describes the song as, "it’s a little bit of everything on this record. That’s why I love it. Sean is like a brother to me. He knows me. So, when he did this record, he was definitely thinking about me. It’s a club record and every man has experienced this situation before. It’s like why would...

" features Sean Garrett
Sean Garrett
Garrett Hamler, better known by his stage name Sean Garrett is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He has produced fifteen number one singles in only seven years of producing music. That number puts him in fifth place on the Billboard list of producers with the most number...

 and Gucci Mane
Gucci Mane
Radric Davis , better known by his stage name Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He debuted in 2005 with Trap House and followed with albums such as Hard to Kill in 2006, Trap-A-Thon and Back to the Trap House in 2007. In 2009, his second studio album The State vs. Radric Davis was released...

. It was released on April 28, 2009 in the US, peaking at number 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...

 and 14 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

, becoming his most successful single in five years since, "Let Me Love You
Let Me Love You
"Let Me Love You" is an R&B song by American recording artist Mario, from his second studio album Turning Point . It was co-written by Shaffer "Ne-Yo" Smith, and Scott Storch, who also produced it...

". The second single, "Thinkin' About You
Thinkin' About You (Mario song)
"Thinkin' About You" is a song performed by American Contemporary R&B singer-songwriter Mario. It was written by Rico Love and produced by The Runners and The Monarch. It was released on September 4, 2009 as the second single from his fourth studio album D.N.A..The song debuted on the U.S....

" was released on September 4, 2009.

Recording and production

At the end of 2007 Mario told Billboard Magazine that he had already begun designing the concept for his new album and that production would begin in February 2008. Later in an interview he described this album as World music, an old school R&B influenced with a modern dance pop sound and calling this the "most personal, colossal album of his career".

In late 2008 a track titled "Emergency Room" leaked to the internet, credited to Mario and featuring Rihanna, and also played by various radio stations throughout the country. Initially people were quick to assume it was Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...

 on the track, as the studio vocalist Priscilla Renea
Priscilla Renea
Priscilla Renea Hamilton is an American singer and songwriter. She is signed to Capitol Records, and her debut album, Jukebox, was released on December 1, 2009 but failed to garner success. Her second album is expected to be released sometime in 2011, although no official release details have been...

's voice resembled Rihanna's. The song is produced by Soundz
Soundz
Soundz is a producer specialising in Hip-Hop and R&B genres. Soundz has produced many songs of these genres, including "Look at Her" by One Chance, and has produced a lot of content for artists Pitbull, Trina, Young Boss, Ciara, Brandy and Rihanna....

  Also the song's title was especially controversial, because of the situation which Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...

 is with her boyfriend Chris Brown, which Vibe.com has documented extensively. Of the song Mario said "This was a rough cut that I was working on and wanted to present it to Rihanna and her record label. Those aren’t Rihanna’s vocals on the song at all. The record was far from done. I’m still proud of the record but want to make sure that the truth is out there."

Concept and themes

Mario described the song "The Hardest Moment" which is set to be on his album as "Personal, because I say things in the record that have multiple meanings. Like the chorus says, "A man that ain't afraid to cry is a man that's not afraid to die." That to me, even though I'm talking about a relationship in the song, I'm talking about that point in a relationship where everything is over. It's like, you guys are cool, you guys are friends, but you're totally going separate ways. That's probably one of the hardest things a young man and young woman can go through in their relationship. And, so that's what I'm saying in that line. But it also means to me that a strong man is not afraid to be vulnerable, to cry and let it out.
In a previous interview the song "Starlight" produced by The-Dream
The-Dream
Terius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...

, Mario has explained the record: "the song is about going after a woman and describes it as dreamy and swaggerized".

The album was originally scheduled to be released under the title And Then There Was Me. But on January 10, 2009, Mario told Singersroom.com that the album title may change for his effort. When asked to explain what they original title meant he said "And Then There Was Me is more than just me sayin’ my music is fresh, but who I am as a person. That title for me is like, you’ve got the Trey Songz
Trey Songz
Tremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson , better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007...

’, the Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...

s , and you’ve got the Chris Browns of the world—you’ve got all these new artists. This is my fourth album, and some of them aren’t even on their third [album]—I’m coming back with something fresh and new. And then there’s me, there’s Mario." The album title has since changed to "D.N.A" to reflect the musical changes that Mario has gone through since his last album.

Release and promotion

Mario was initially unsure of when the album would be released. However, in an interview with Rap-Up.com, he was considering March or April 2009. The release date was pushed back to June 2009. But then on Twitter he said "It's getting close "And Then There Was Me" late summer". Online retailers, Amazon
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...

 later confirmed a September 22, 2009 release date for the project, which later changed again to October 13, 2009 by J Records and Mario's official website, for a United States release. It is Mario's second album to feature a Parental Advisory warning for strong language, the first being 2007's release of Go.

In early September 2009, Mario, Trey Songz
Trey Songz
Tremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson , better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007...

, Day26
Day26
Day26 is an American male R&B music group formed on August 26, 2007 by Sean "Diddy" Combs in a handpicked selection at the end of MTV's Making the Band 4. The group consists of Robert Curry, Brian Andrews, Willie Taylor, and Michael McCluney. The moniker is a tribute to the day when Andrews,...

 and Sean Garrett
Sean Garrett
Garrett Hamler, better known by his stage name Sean Garrett is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He has produced fifteen number one singles in only seven years of producing music. That number puts him in fifth place on the Billboard list of producers with the most number...

 announced on 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...

 that they will be all together on a tour with RichGirl
RichGirl
RichGirl was an American R&B girl group consisting of four members, Audra, Brave, Lyndriette and SeVen. The group was formed with the help of record producer Rich Harrison, and is managed by Tina Davis...

 across the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 With 106 & Park supporting the tour.

Singles

  • "Break Up
    Break Up (song)
    He describes the song as, "it’s a little bit of everything on this record. That’s why I love it. Sean is like a brother to me. He knows me. So, when he did this record, he was definitely thinking about me. It’s a club record and every man has experienced this situation before. It’s like why would...

    " was the lead single of the album featuring Sean Garrett
    Sean Garrett
    Garrett Hamler, better known by his stage name Sean Garrett is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He has produced fifteen number one singles in only seven years of producing music. That number puts him in fifth place on the Billboard list of producers with the most number...

     and Gucci Mane
    Gucci Mane
    Radric Davis , better known by his stage name Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He debuted in 2005 with Trap House and followed with albums such as Hard to Kill in 2006, Trap-A-Thon and Back to the Trap House in 2007. In 2009, his second studio album The State vs. Radric Davis was released...

    . It was written by Garret and Mario with production from Bangladesh
    Bangladesh (producer)
    Shondrae Crawford, better known as Bangladesh or Mr. Bangladesh, is a Grammy Award winning American record producer and disc jockey and rapper, who was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia.- Life and career :...

    . The song peaked at number 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
    Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
    Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...

     chart and reached a high of 14 on the main Hot 100.

  • "Thinkin' About You
    Thinkin' About You (Mario song)
    "Thinkin' About You" is a song performed by American Contemporary R&B singer-songwriter Mario. It was written by Rico Love and produced by The Runners and The Monarch. It was released on September 4, 2009 as the second single from his fourth studio album D.N.A..The song debuted on the U.S....

    " is the second single to be released on September 4, 2009. The song debuted on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, at number 96. The single was produced by The Runners
    The Runners
    The Runners is a hip hop production duo from Orlando, Florida, consisting of Andrew "Dru Brett" Harr and Jermaine "Mayne Zayne" Jackson. They came together to form the team in 2000, but they have known each other since they were in kindergarten. They are best known for producing the hit singles "Go...

     and The Monarch and as of Mid-November 2009, had reached a new high of 45.

  • Mario recorded a music video in the Baltimore DC area for the song "Ooh Baby
    Ooh Baby
    "Ooh Baby" is a song by American R&B singer, Mario. The track was written by Rico Love, Alan Biamby and Joel Augustin and was produced by the latter. It was planned as the thrid single from his album D.N.A., but was never confirmed or sent to urban radio stations.-Music video:The shooting of the...

    " and was released on January 21, 2010. It will be released as the third single from the album. On the week of March 19, 2010 the song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 95.

  • "Stranded" was sent to US Urban AC radio on November 23, 2009 In January 2010 the song entered on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
    Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
    Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...

     peaking at number 84.

Commercial

According to Billboard.com the album debuted this week (Oct.13-20) at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, the J Records/RCA Music Group set was released Oct. 13.
Additionally the album has not had the warm reception at retail only selling 32,000 copies thus far according to Nielsen Soundscan. In fact in its second week on the chart, the album dropped thirty-one spots to #40, further solidifying Mario's remarks.

Mario commented on the lackluster sales to Billboard;
"I can't say why I don't get my just due, but it only makes me hungrier," he says. "I want to continue challenging myself and making incredible music that will connect with fans around the world. I plan to keep creating a distinctive lane for myself. 'D.N.A.,' with the help of 'Break Up,' does just that."

Critical

Upon its release, D.N.A. received generally good reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 73/100 from Metacritic. Ken Capobianco of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...

 called the album an "unfussy, beautifully sung set" in which "the 23-year-old Mario taps into the tenderness of early Maxwell
Maxwell
-People:* Maxwell , Grammy winning R&B/neo-soul singer* Maxwell Cabelino Andrade , a Brazilian footballer who plays for Spanish La Liga club FC Barcelona...

"," producing "straight-up love songs without histrionics...and Mario’s singing so smooth that Stevie Wonder would approve." Andrew Rennie of Now Magazine argues the album is "grown-up, seductive and a little bit explicit (when it needs to be)...it’s a small triumph for guys trying to get in touch with their emotions through the medium of R&B." Mariel Concepcion of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

magazine praised Mario's "representation of desolation" on D.N.A.: "Mario has a broken heart and he's pouring it all out on his latest set." Glenn Gamboa of Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...

 concluded that Mario has now "mastered smooth R&B". Steve Jones of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...

 notes, "with each new album, Mario...has grown a little more adventurous artistically." ConcreteLoop.com gave D.N.A. a mostly positive review, stating the album "is refreshingly different in a sea of R&B that tends to sound a little monotonous." In summation of his album review, Nile Ivey of BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...

 said D.N.A. "kept a consistent setting giving the consumer the full on experience on what it’s like for a man to endure a painful separation. Not to say Mario himself went through one, however, he did a hell of a job convincing us he did."

Though the reviews were mostly positive, there were a few criticisms leveled at D.N.A.. Andy Kellman of AllMusic laments, "while it will please the majority of the fan base, the material does not allow Mario -- a vocalist more versatile than many would like to admit -- to do much more than toggle between a Lothario and a softie." Mikael Wood of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...

 called Mario "forgettable" in his mixed review of the album, arguing: "lack of personality doesn't kill the disc's ample pleasures. It just makes you wonder whose D.N.A. we're examining." DJBooth.Net was left believing that D.N.A. represents Mario "expanding as a musician, but not necessarily evolving."

Track listing

The following tracklist was confirmed on Mario's official website.

Personnel

  • Vocals: Mario & Rico Love
  • Background Vocals: Mario & Rico Love
  • Engineers: Paul Boutin, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Kuk Harrell
    Kuk Harrell
    Thaddis "Kuk" Harrell is an American songwriter, vocal producer, arranger and engineer. He is managed by RedZone Entertainment, and is a member of a songwriting–production team composed of himself, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The Dream" Nash...

    , Malay, Damien Lewis, Phil Margaziotis, Kevin Mayer, Carlos Oyanedelm, Miguel Pidero, Brian "B Luv" Thomas, Pat Thral, Miles Walker, Mike "Hitman" Wilson & James M. Wisner
  • Production Engineer: Pat Thral
  • Musician: Los Da Mystro, Mikkel S. Eriksen & Tor Erik Hermansen (aka Stargate), Eric Hudson & Malay
  • Bass: Andre Bowman
  • Guitar: Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
  • Strings: Lee Blaske, Ashanti Floyd & Kevin "Gripp" Griffin
  • Strings Arrangements: Jeff Bova
  • Programming: Sean K. & Malay
  • Drum Programming: Brent Kolato & Ken Lewis
  • Groomer: Julian Payne

  • Executive Producer: Peter Edge, Robert P. Teamer, Sean Garrett & Mario
  • A&R: Trevor Jerideau
  • Management: J. Erving for J.E.G
  • Legal:Robert Teamer & Rhasika J. Thompson
  • Mastering: David Kutch
  • Creative Direction/Design:Michelle Holme
  • Creative Producer:Erwin Gorostiza & Robert P. Teamer
  • Photography: Florian Schneider
  • Styling: Sylvia Akuchie & Rhasika J. Thompson
  • Assistant: Kory Aaron, Ghazi Hourani, Edward Lidow, Giancarlo Lino, Erik Madrid, Christian Plata, Fareed Salamah, D.P. Samuels, Jason Sherwood & Mike Tsarsati
  • Production Assistant: Christy Hall & Robert P. Teamer
  • Conductor: Los Da Mystro & Rico Love
  • Creative Producer:Erwin Gorostiza & Robert P. Teamer
  • Vocal Engineer: Kuk Harrell
  • Vocal Producers: Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Kuk Harrell & Rico Love
  • Mixing: Vidal Davis, Vicent Dilorenzo, Jaycen Fowler, Robert Marks, Manny Marroquin
    Manny Marroquin
    Manny Marroquin, born 21 September 1971 in Guatemala, is a Grammy winning mixing engineer. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was nine due to the Guatemalan Civil War....

    , Dave Pensado, Phil Tam & Phil Tan
  • Digital Editing: Jeff "Supa Jeff" Villanueva
  • Featuring vocals: Gucci Mane, Sean Garrett & Big Sean


Personnel and credits taken from Discogs.com

Charts and certifications

Chart (2009) Peak
position
ARIA
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...

 Top 40 Urban Albums
26
UK R&B Albums
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...

19
U.S.Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

9
U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...

2

Release history

Region Date Label(s) Catalog Format
United Kingdom October 12, 2009 RCA Music
RCA Music Group
RCA Music Group was an umbrella group of labels distributed by Sony Music Entertainment that existed between March 2004 and 2009 and for a short period of time between July 2011 and October 2011 until all RCA Music Group labels were merged with RCA Records....

88697496572 CD, Digital Download
United States October 13, 2009 J Records
J Records
J Records was an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment, and was distributed through the RCA Music Group.-Company history:...

886974965725
Japan October 21, 2009 Sony Music Japan BVCP-40090
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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