Go! (Mario album)

Go
Studio album by Mario
Released	October 9, 2007 (2007-10-09) (see release history)
Recorded	2005-2007 (see Locations and studios)
Genre	R&B, hip hop
Length	53:30
Label	J
Producer	Mario (exec.) The Neptunes, Ralph B. Stacy, Jasper Cameron, Big Reese, Stargate, Terry "Madd Scientist" Thomas, Akon, Knightwritaz, Mr. Collipark, Polow da Don, Timbaland, Sean Garrett, King Logan
Mario chronology
Turning Point (2004) Go (2007) D.N.A. (2009) Singles from Go "How Do I Breathe" Released: May 15, 2007 "Crying Out for Me" Released: August 21, 2007 "Do Right" Released: December 11, 2007 "Music for Love" Released: April 3, 2008

Go!, officially titled Go, is the third studio album by singer Mario released on December 10, 2007. It 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.^[1][2][3]

The album includes songs written and produced by Akon, Timbaland, The Neptunes, Stargate, Mr. Collipark, Polow da Don and with guests such as Juelz Santana and Rich Boy.

The first single released was "How Do I Breathe", and the music video premiered exclusively on May 23, 2007 on BET. For his second single, on Mario's official website, he asked fans 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. Although not an official single, Mario did shoot a video for the song "Do Right" using clips from the MTV documentary surrounding his mother's substance abuse. It was released as a promotional single for the album. The official third (fourth in total) single was "Music for Love" which was released in April 2008.

Recording and production

Mario worked with many producers on the album, most notably Scott Storch and Pharrell with whom he recorded a song called, "Faith". None of the material recorded will make the final release of Go.^[4][5]

Concept and themes

Release and promotion

The album was originally scheduled to be released on November 28, 2006 under the title "Mario Barrett - Effortless".^[6] It was to be the first album in which Mario would use his full name. The album then had several release dates in 2007 including: April 4,^[7] May 8, July 31, August 21, October 9, and finally November 27 - ironically 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.

In a interview Mario was asked on the delays of the album, "Your second album, "Turning Point", was released back in December [2004], so who or what do you think is most responsible for the delay in-between the albums?" 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."^[4]

In 2007 Mario toured with Dijon Thomas, the tour was called Do Right Tour.^[8] 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.^[9]

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
411mania	[10]
Allmusic	[11]
About.com	[12]
BBC Music	(positive)[13]
Boston Globe	(positive)[14]
DjBooth	[15]
KSTW	[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".^[17]

Mark Edward Nero from About.com 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", and gave the album three out of five stars.^[18]

Nathan S. from DjBooth.net writes that "it feels like How Do I Breathe dropped so long ago it must have been off his last album, but the fact that the Stargate-produced ballad still works is proof of its longevity. How Do I Breathe doesn’t break new ground for Mario, it’s probably the most immature song on the album, but I’m secure enough in my manhood to admit I’ve sung along in the car". he ends saying "That’s why it’s such a shame the lyrics are so shaky; the track opens with the declaration “You may be young but you’re ready.” I’m sorry, what? Call me crazy, but the last thing I want to think about when I’m listening to a slow jam is possible statutory rape charges. Then again, I’m sure R. Kelly loved it. Right And A Wrong Way isn’t the album’s only slip-up; No Definition, Let Me Watch and Music For Love all 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".He rates the album has four Spins Solid out of five Spins Solid^[19]

Shopie Bruce of BBC Music caractrizes the album as "A good mix of romantic ballads and up-tempo floorfillers".^[20]

Chart performance

The album debut at #21 on the Billboard 200 with around 78,000 copies sold.^[21] As of January 15, 2009, has sold 331,540 copies in the U.S.

Singles

• "How Do I Breathe" was released as the album's first single on May 15, 2007. It was not as successful as previous releases, reaching #46 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #18 on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It was more successful elsewhere, reaching #17 in New Zealand and #21 in the UK, where it debuted at #30 based on download sales alone.
• The album's second single "Crying Out For Me," released August 21, 2007, was more successful in the U.S., peaking at #5 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and #33 on the Billboard Hot 100. The CD single went Gold on RIAA, becoming the third most successful single by Mario in the U.S. That single was less successful in other markets.
• "Do Right" was released as a promotional third single and became a radio hit, but did not chart due to having an unofficial release.
• The fourth (third official) and final single from the album, "Music for Love," was released on April 3, 2008, but failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching #101 on Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles. It did however reach #18 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

Track listing

No.	Title	Composers	Length
1.	"Go"	The Neptunes, Mario	3:47
2.	"Crying Out for Me"	Polow Da Don, Jasper Cameron, Amber Rives	4:48
3.	"Skippin'"	Terry Thomas & Theron Thomas	3:58
4.	"Music for Love"	Jerrod Stacy, Theron Thomas, Timothy Thomas, Mario, Amber Rives, Ralph B. Stacy	3:49
5.	"Kryptonite" (featuring Rich Boy)	Warren Felder, Atozzio Towns, Mario, Maurice Richards	4:12
6.	"How Do I Breathe"	Stargate, Phil "Taj" Jackson, Amber Rives, Mario	3:36
7.	"No Definition"	Timbaland, Ezekiel Lewis, Balewa Muhammad, Jerome Harmon, Patrick Smith, Candice Nelson, King Logan	3:49
8.	"Why"	Warren Felder, Marsha Ambrosius, Mario, Knightwritaz	3:42
9.	"Lay In My Bed"	Jasper Cameron, Maurice Sinclair, Polow da Don, Mario	3:35
10.	"Right And a Wrong Way"	Teddy Riley, Keith Sweat	5:11
11.	"Let Me Watch" (featuring Juelz Santana)	Michael Crooms, Sean Garrett, LaRon James	4:24
12.	"Do Right"	Akon, Mario, Giorgio Tuinfort, Harold Lilly	4:02

United Kingdom/Japan Bonus track
No.	Title	Composers	Length
13.	"Let Me Love You" (Acoustic)	Scott Storch, Ne-Yo, Mario	4:35

United States/iTunes Bonus track
No.	Title	Composers	Length
14.	"What Is It Gonna Be"	Stargate, Ron "Neff-U" Feemster, Clarence Ray Blaylock; Solomon Ridge Jr., Ne-Yo	3:25

in some countries replaces "Music For Love"
No.	Title	Composers	Length
15.	"Ghetto Love [22]"	Dre & Vidal, Knightwritaz, Shari Monique Gray, Nwagbara Chasity[23]	4:09

Personal and credits

Vocals: Mario Choir, Chorus: Stacie Davis, Esther Dean, Shari M. Gary, Kim McCoy, English Norman, Dawn Toran, Sam Salter, Crystal Johnson, Larel Frederick, Nastacia "Nazz" Kendall & Alan Austin Engineers: Andrew Mezzi, Princeton, Carlton Lynn, Vernon Mungo, Ralph Cacciurri, Darren Moore, Andrew Coleman, Dave Hyman, Geoffrey Rice, Kori Anders, Corey Stocker, Mikkel S. Eriksen & Tony Terrebonne Instrumentation: Stee, Tor Erik Hermanson & Mikkel S. Eriksen (aka Stargate) Guitar: Mike Hartnett & Tony Love Keyboards: Elvis Williams Keyboards, Programming: Giorgio Tuinfort

Executive Producer: Peter Edge, J.Erving, Mario & Rick Frazier John lopez A&R: Trevor Jerideau Management: J. Erving for J.E.G Legal: Kenny Meiselas Mastered: David Kutch Creative Direction/Design: Jane Marledge Photography: Patrick Holeck Assistant: Lloyd Copper,Jared Robbins & Mike Miller Vocal Producers: Jevon Hill, Nelly & Avery Storm Mixing: Manny Marroquin, Phil Tan & Jean-Marie Horvat Digital Editing: Colin Miller Featuring vocals: Juelz Santana & Rich Boy

Locations and studios

Recording locations and studios included:^[24]

Battery Studios, New York, NY Dirty South Studios, Arlantic, GA Doppler Studios, Atlanta, GA MTS Recording Patchwerk Records Studios, Atlanta, GA Silent Sound Studios, Atlanta, GA;

Sony Music Studios, New York, NY South Beach Studios, Miami, FL St. Louis, MO Thomas Crown Headquarters, Virginia Beach, VA Transcon Studios, Orlando, FL Zac Digital, Atlanta, GA.

Leftover tracks

There is an album with all the leftover's and remixes from Mario's Go Album titled Go (The Leftovers).

• "Who Am I" (featuring CJ Hilton)
• "This Is For" (Produced by Bigg D)
• "I Want Her" (Joe Cover) (Produced by Sean Garrett, Ricky "Ric Rude" Lewis)
• "If" (Trey Songz "Can't Help but Wait") (Male Version of Beyoncé's Version) (Produced by Stargate)
• "City" (Produced by Akon)
• "Faith" (Produced by The Neptunes)
• "Jump Off" (Sterling Simms Cover) (Produced by Warren "Oak" Felder & Mario)
• "My Love" (featuring Usher) (Produced by Tha Cornaboyz)
• "Main Attraction" (Produced by Infinity & Dj Full Scale)
• "I'm the One" (featuring Rich Boy) (Produced by The Underdogs)
• "Good News, Bad News" (Produced by Dre & Vidal)

Remixes

• "Kryptonite (Remix)" (featuring Eve) (Produced by Warren "Oak" Felder)
• "Go (Remix)"
• "How Do I Breathe (Remix)" (featuring Cassidy)
• "How Do I Breathe (Official Remix)" (featuring Fabolous) (Produced by Neo da Matrix)
• "How Do I Breathe (Part II Remix)" (featuring Tha Cornaboyz) (Produced by Tha Cornaboyz and Knightwritaz)
• "Crying Out for Me (Remix)" (featuring Davion Farris) (Produced by B.Cox)
• "Crying Out for Me (Remix)" (featuring Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes)
• "Crying Out for Me (Official Remix)" (featuring Lil Wayne)
• "Music for Love (Remix)" (featuring Busta Rhymes)

Charts and certifications

Chart (2007)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard 200	21
U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums	4
U.S. Billboard Digital Albums [1]	21
UK Albums Chart [2]	109
Japanese Oricon Album Chart	43
Oricon International Album Chart	10

Release history

Region	Date	Format
South Africa	October 9, 2007	CD release, digital download
Germany[25]	December 4, 2007
Australia[26]	December 8, 2007
United States	December 11, 2007
Japan	December 11, 2007
United Kingdom	December 10, 2007

References

1. ^ Official Site News on guests/production. Retrieved April 3, 2007
2. ^ Strong Language/Sexual Content
3. ^ Mario Turning Point UK edition With Parental Advisory
4. ^ ^{a b} "Mario Interview on DJBooth.net". May 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2007. http://www.djbooth.net/index/interviews/entry/mario-interview-053007/. 
5. ^ YouTube.com "Pharrell Interview" August 2007. Retrieved September 4, 2007
6. ^ MTV.com "Mario Says New LP Shows 'Mysterious Side' — But Ends Mystery Behind Last Name", September 2006. Retrieved April 3, 2007
7. ^ MTVAsia.com "Mario Changes LP Title, Reaches Out To Disadvantaged Kids", December 2006. Retrieved January 20, 2007
8. ^ "Mario Gets Naked!". 07/16/2008. http://www.dyfuse.com/?q=node/4824. Retrieved 7 March 2009. 
9. ^ "So You Think You Can Dance: Top 14 Perform". http://celebritytoday.today.com/2008/07/02/so-you-think-you-can-dance-top-14-perform/. 
10. ^ "411mania review". http://www.411mania.com/music/album_reviews/64907/Mario---Go-Review.htm. 
11. ^ "Allmusic review". http://www.allmusic.com/album/r938942. 
12. ^ "About.com review". http://randb.about.com/od/reviews/fr/MarioGo.htm. 
13. ^ "BBC Music review". http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/3b4h. 
14. ^ "Boston Globe review". The Boston Globe. December 11, 2007. http://www.boston.com/ae/music/cd_reviews/articles/2007/12/11/loverman_where_can_you_be/. 
15. ^ "DjBooth review". http://www.djbooth.net/index/albums/review/mario-go-1214071/. 
16. ^ "KSTW review". http://kstw.com/underground/Mario.Go.Go.2.599751.html. 
17. ^ "Mario - Go Review". http://www.allmusic.com/album/r938942. 
18. ^ "Mario - Go Review". http://randb.about.com/od/reviews/fr/MarioGo.htm. 
19. ^ "Mario - Go Review". http://www.djbooth.net/index/albums/review/mario-go-1214071/. 
20. ^ "Mario Go Review". http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/3b4h. 
21. ^ Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 12/16/07 | Hip Hop News > HipHopDX.com
22. ^ "Mario - Go! - Review". 411mania.com. http://www.411mania.com/music/album_reviews/64907/Mario---Go!-Review.htm. Retrieved 25-04-2010. 
23. ^ Ascap Ace Staff. "Mario - Ghetto Love". Ascap Ace. http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=371656790&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=. Retrieved 1-3-2009. 
24. ^ Product Page: Go. Muze. Retrieved on 2009-12-04.
25. ^ GO Germany release Go Germany release. Accessed September 2, 2009
26. ^ Go Australia release Go Australia release. Accessed September 2, 2009