R&B Icon Mario Unleashes New Album 'Glad You Came'

Two-time GRAMMY nominee and R&B icon, Mario, has unleashed his sixth studio album, Glad You Came, executive-produced by James Fauntleroy. The album, which features the Fauntleroy-produced lead single, “Space,” clocks in at 13 tracks, and features a guest contribution from the singer Rebe.

Glad You Came, Mario’s first full-length album since 2018’s Dancing Shadows, is the star singer’s first album to release via his label and production company, New Citizen, and Epic Records, which he joined in 2023. Mario, known best for the canonical classic R&B hit “Let Me Love You,” handcrafted Glad You Came beside Fauntleroy for much of the past two years, a process that has produced “a new era of Mario” that the singer is keen on introducing to the world. “The conversation throughout the album lends itself to my successes and failures in love, and my imaginations of both,” Mario says.

Mario’s career influences, which include Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye, inspire the range and impassioned duty to R&B that drive much of Glad You Came, which the singer positions as an “upgraded version of all the things that make me who I am.” The pocket he and Fauntleroy created on the album efficiently covers a vast spectrum of styles, like the piano-woven ballad “I’m Sorry,” or the tropical, uptempo atmosphere of “Run It Back,” without sacrificing the more traditional R&B fibers of Mario’s artistry.

“James and I have a similar philosophy when it comes to the love of timeless music,” Mario says of the co-architect of Glad You Came. “The omnipresence of all of the things that lends itself to the writing process. Our stories, our lives, what we observe and absorb.”

Mario, admittedly susceptible to recluse in recent years, has emerged of late and been celebrated by several generations of R&B fans. He took the stage in Los Angeles during a stop on Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 Tour, where he delivered a crowd-pleasing performance of “Let Me Love You,” and repeated that feat in Toronto at the behest of Drake, who was visibly moved by the hitmaker’s performance of his classic records.

In January, Mario will set out on the The For My Fans Tour with Mary J. Blige and Ne-Yo, a banner moment that will join three of this millennium’s R&B giants for a 36-city trek. Date and ticket information is here. He will also be doing twelve shows in April and May on the Glad You Came European Tour with Eric Bellinger. See dates and ticket information here.

Tour Dates

Thu, Jan 30 – Greensboro, NC – First Horizon Coliseum

Fri, Jan 31 – Raleigh, NC – Lenovo Center

Sun, Feb 2 – Memphis, TN, FedExForum

Mon, Feb 3 – Atlanta, CA – State Farm Arena

Wed, Feb 5 – Columbia, SC – Colonial Life Arena

Thu, Feb 6 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center

Sat, Feb 8 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena

Tue, Feb 11 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live

Fri, Feb 14 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center

Sat, Feb 15 – Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena at The BJCC

Mon, Feb 17 – Austin, TX – Moody Center ATX

Tue, Feb 18 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center – TX

Fri, Feb 21 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena

Tue, Feb 25 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena

Fri, Feb 28 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena

Sat, Mar 1 – Inglewood, CA – Intuit Dome

Sat, Mar 8 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center

Wed, Mar 12 – Saint Louis, MO – Enterprise Center

Fri, Mar 14 – Chicago, IL – United Center

Sun, Mar 16 – Saint Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center

Wed, Mar 19 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Sat, Mar 22 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center

Mon, Mar 24 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena

Wed, Mar 26 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena

Fri, Mar 28 – Atlantic City, NJ – Boardwalk Hall

Tue, Apr 1 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse

Wed, Apr 2 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena

Fri, Apr 4 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena

Sun, Apr 6 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center

Tue, Apr 8 – Hartford, CT – XL CENTER

Thu, Apr 10 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Fri, Apr 11 – Belmont Park, NY – UBS Arena

Mon, Apr 14 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

Thu, Apr 17 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center

Thu, Apr 24 – Dublin, IE – Vicar Street

Sat, Apr 26 – Leeds, GB – O2 Academy Leeds

Sun, Apr 27 – Glasgow, GB – O2 Academy Glasgow

Mon, Apr 28 – Newscastle Upon Tyne, GB – O2 City Hall Newscastle

Wed, Apr 30 – London, GB – indigo at The O2

Thu, May 1 – Birmingham, GB – O2 Academy Birmingham

Sat, May 3 – Manchester, GB – O2 Victoria Warehouse Manchester

Wed, May 7 – Paris, FR – SALLE PLEYEL

Sat, May 10 – Antwerp, BE – De Roma

Tue, May 13 – Tilburg, NL – 013 Poppodium

Thu, May 15 – Copenhagen, DK – Poolen

Sat, May 17 – Stockholm, SE – Fallan

Photo Credit: Amy Lee

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